I Kings 1 · מלכים א

Now king David was old, advanced in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not become warm.

So his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and be his attendant, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may become warm.

So they sought for a fair maiden throughout all the territory of Yisra᾽el, and found Avishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

And the maiden was very fair, and she attended the king, and ministered to him: but the king had no intimacy with her.

Then Adoniyya the son of Ḥaggit exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he set up chariots and horsemen for himself, and fifty men to run before him.

And his father had never grieved him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very good looking man; and his mother bore him after Avshalom.

And he conferred with Yo᾽av the son of Żeruya, and with Evyatar the priest: and they following Adoniyya helped him.

But Żadoq the priest, and Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, and Natan the prophet, and Shim῾i, and Re῾i, and the warriors who belonged to David, were not with Adoniyyahu.

And Adoniyyahu slaughtered sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoĥelet, which is by ῾En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Yehuda the king’s servants:

but Natan the prophet, and Benayahu and the warriors, and Shelomo his brother, he did not call.

And Natan spoke to Bat-sheva the mother of Shelomo, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adoniyyahu the son of Ḥaggit is reigning, and David our lord does not know of it?

Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayst save thy own life, and the life of thy son Shelomo.

Go and get thee in to king David, and say to him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to thy handmaid, saying, Indeed, Shelomo thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adoniyyahu reign?

Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

And Bat-sheva went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Avishag the Shunammite ministered to the king.

And Bat-sheva bowed, and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, What wouldst thou?

And she said to him, My lord, thou didst swear by the Lord thy God to thy handmaid, saying, Indeed Shelomo thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

And now, behold, Adoniyya reigns; and now, my lord the king, thou knowst it not:

and he has slaughtered oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Evyatar the priest, and Yo᾽av the captain of the host: but Shelomo thy servant he has not called.

And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Yisra᾽el are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Shelomo shall be counted offenders.

And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Natan the prophet also came in.

And they told the king, saying, Behold Natan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself down before the king with his face to the ground.

And Natan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adoniyyahu shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

For he is gone down this day, and has slaughtered oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king’s sons, and the captains of the host, and Evyatar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, Long live king Adoniyyahu!

But me, even me thy servant, and Żadoq the priest, and Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, and thy servant Shelomo, has he not called.

Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not informed thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

Then king David answered and said, Call me Bat-sheva. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.

And the king swore, and said, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress,

even as I swore to thee by the Lord God of Yisra᾽el, saying, Indeed, Shelomo thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

Then Bat-sheva bowed with her face to the earth, and prostrated herself to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

And king David said, Call me Żadoq the priest, and Natan the prophet, and Benayahu son of Yehoyada. And they came before the king.

And the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Shelomo my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Giĥon:

and let Żadoq the priest and Natan the prophet anoint him there king over Yisra᾽el and blow with the Shofar, and say, Long live king Shelomo.

Then you shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Yisra᾽el and over Yehuda.

And Benayahu the son of Yehoyada answered the king, and said, Amen: so say the Lord God of my lord the king.

As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so let him be with Shelomo, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

So Żadoq the priest, and Natan the prophet, and Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, and the Kereti and the Peleti, went down, and caused Shelomo to ride on king David’s mule, and brought him to Giĥon.

And Żadoq the priest took a horn of oil out of the tent, and anointed Shelomo. And they blew the shofar; and all the people said, Long live king Shelomo.

And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth was split with the sound of them.

And Adoniyyahu and all the guests that were with him heard it as they made an end of eating. And when Yo᾽av heard the sound of the shofar, he said, Why is the city in an uproar?

And while he yet spoke, behold, Yonatan the son of Evyatar the priest came: and Adoniyyahu said to him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

And Yonatan answered and said to Adoniyyahu, Alas, but our lord king David has made Shelomo king.

And the king has sent with him Żadoq the priest, and Natan the prophet and Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, and the Kereti, and the Peleti, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule:

and Żadoq the priest and Natan the prophet have anointed him king in Giĥon: and they are come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.

And also Shelomo sits on the throne of the kingdom.

And moreover the king’s servants have come to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Shelomo better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king did bow himself upon the bed.

And also thus said the king, Blessed be the Lord God of Yisra᾽el, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it.

And all the guests that were with Adoniyyahu trembled, and rose up, and went every man his way.

And Adoniyyahu feared because of Shelomo, and arose, and went, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

And it was told Shelomo saying, Behold, Adoniyyahu fears king Shelomo: for, lo, he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Shelomo swear to me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

And Shelomo said, If he will show himself a worthy man, no hair of his shall fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

So king Shelomo sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself down to king Shelomo: and Shelomo said to him, Go to thy house.