| King James Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. | 1King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered him, he could not keep warm. |
| 2Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. | 2So his advisers told him, “Let us find a young virgin to wait on you and look after you, my lord. She will lie in your arms and keep you warm.” |
| 3So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. | 3So they searched throughout the land of Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag from Shunem and brought her to the king. |
| 4And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. | 4The girl was very beautiful, and she looked after the king and took care of him. But the king had no sexual relations with her. Adonijah Claims the Throne |
| 5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. | 5About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. |
| 6And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. | 6Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome. |
| 7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. | 7Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. |
| 8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. | 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah. |
| 9And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: | 9Adonijah went to the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of En-rogel, where he sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves. He invited all his brothers—the other sons of King David—and all the royal officials of Judah. |
| 10But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. | 10But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the king’s bodyguard or his brother Solomon. |
| 11Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? | 11Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Haven’t you heard that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn’t even know about it? |
| 12Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. | 12If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice. |
| 13Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? | 13Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, didn’t you make a vow and say to me, “Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ |
| 14Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. | 14And while you are still talking with him, I will come and confirm everything you have said.” |
| 15And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. | 15So Bathsheba went into the king’s bedroom. (He was very old now, and Abishag was taking care of him.) |
| 16And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? | 16Bathsheba bowed down before the king. “What can I do for you?” he asked her. |
| 17And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne. | 17She replied, “My lord, you made a vow before the LORD your God when you said to me, ‘Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne.’ |
| 18And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: | 18But instead, Adonijah has made himself king, and my lord the king does not even know about it. |
| 19And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. | 19He has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons to attend the celebration. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon. |
| 20And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. | 20And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you. |
| 21Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. | 21If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died.” |
| 22And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. | 22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. |
| 23And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. | 23The king’s officials told him, “Nathan the prophet is here to see you.” Nathan went in and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. |
| 24And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? | 24Nathan asked, “My lord the king, have you decided that Adonijah will be the next king and that he will sit on your throne? |
| 25For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. | 25Today he has sacrificed many cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and he has invited all the king’s sons to attend the celebration. He also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. They are feasting and drinking with him and shouting, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ |
| 26But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. | 26But he did not invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or your servant Solomon. |
| 27Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? | 27Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who should be the next king?” David Makes Solomon King |
| 28Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. | 28King David responded, “Call Bathsheba!” So she came back in and stood before the king. |
| 29And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, | 29And the king repeated his vow: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has rescued me from every danger, |
| 30Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. | 30your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the LORD, the God of Israel.” |
| 31Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. | 31Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and exclaimed, “May my lord King David live forever!” |
| 32And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. | 32Then King David ordered, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came into the king’s presence, |
| 33The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: | 33the king said to them, “Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. |
| 34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. | 34There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ |
| 35Then ye 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 Israel and over Judah. | 35Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” |
| 36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. | 36“Amen!” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. “May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen. |
| 37As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. | 37And may the LORD be with Solomon as he has been with you, my lord the king, and may he make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!” |
| 38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. | 38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule. |
| 39And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. | 39There Zadok the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon with the oil. Then they sounded the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” |
| 40And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. | 40And all the people followed Solomon into Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound. |
| 41And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? | 41Adonijah and his guests heard the celebrating and shouting just as they were finishing their banquet. When Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn, he asked, “What’s going on? Why is the city in such an uproar?” |
| 42And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. | 42And while he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. “Come in,” Adonijah said to him, “for you are a good man. You must have good news.” |
| 43And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. | 43“Not at all!” Jonathan replied. “Our lord King David has just declared Solomon king! |
| 44And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule: | 44The king sent him down to Gihon Spring with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, protected by the king’s bodyguard. They had him ride on the king’s own mule, |
| 45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. | 45and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him at Gihon Spring as the new king. They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That’s what all the noise is about. |
| 46And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. | 46What’s more, Solomon is now sitting on the royal throne as king. |
| 47And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. | 47And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon’s reign be even greater than yours!’ Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed, |
| 48And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. | 48and he said, ‘Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.’” |
| 49And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. | 49Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. |
| 50And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. | 50Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. |
| 51And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword. | 51Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, “Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!” |
| 52And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. | 52Solomon replied, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.” |
| 53So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. | 53So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, “Go on home.” |
| King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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