1And king David waxed eld, and had full many days of age; and when he was covered with clothes, he was not made hot.

2Therefore his servants said to him, Seek we to our lord the king a young waxing virgin; and stand she before the king, and nurse she him, and sleep in his bosom, and make hot our lord the king.

3Therefore they sought a young waxing virgin, fair in all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abishag of Shunem, and they brought her to the king.

4And the damsel was full fair, and she slept with the king, and ministered to him; forsooth the king knew not her fleshly.

5And Adonijah, the son of Haggith, was raised up, and said, I shall reign. And he made to him a chariot, and knights, and fifty men, that ran before him.

6Neither David, his father, reproved him any time, nor said, Why hast thou done this? But also he was full fair, the second child after Absalom;

7and his word was with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar, priest, that helped the parts of Adonijah.

8But Zadok, the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan, the prophet, and Shimei, and Cherethites and Pelethites, and all the strength of the host of David, were not with Adonijah.

9Therefore when rams were offered, and calves, and all fat things, beside the stone [of] Zoheleth, that was nigh the well of Rogel, Adonijah called all his brethren, the sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, servants of the king.

10Soothly he called not Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, and all the strong men, and Solomon, his brother.

11And so Nathan said to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, Whether thou hast heard, that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, hath reigned, and our lord David knoweth not this?

12Now therefore come thou, take thou counsel of me, and save thy life, and of Solomon, thy son.

13Go thou, and enter to king David, and say thou to him, Whether not thou, my lord the king, hast sworn to me, thine handmaid, and saidest, that Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit in my throne? Why therefore reigneth Adonijah?

14And yet while thou shalt speak there with the king, I shall come after thee, and fulfill thy words.

15Therefore Bathsheba entered to the king in the closet or bed-place; and the king was full eld, and Abishag of Shunem ministered to him.

16And Bathsheba bowed herself, and worshipped or honoured the king; to whom the king said, What wilt thou to thee?

17And she answered, and said, My lord the king, thou hast sworn to thine handmaid by thy Lord God, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit in my throne;

18and lo! Adonijah hath reigned now, while thou, my lord the king, knowest not;

19he hath slain oxen, and all fat things, and full many rams; and he hath called all the sons of the king, also Abiathar [the] priest, and Joab, the prince of the chivalry; but he called not Solomon, thy servant.

20Nevertheless, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel behold into thee, that thou show to them, who oweth to sit in thy throne, my lord the king, after thee;

21and it shall be, when my lord the king hath slept with his fathers, I and my son Solomon shall be reckoned as sinners, that is, Adonijah shall put on us crimes, to deprive us from life.

22While she spake yet with the king, Nathan, the prophet, came.

23And they told to the king, and said, Nathan, the prophet, is present. And when he had entered in the sight of the king, and had worshipped him lowly to the earth,

24Nathan said, My lord the king, saidest thou, Adonijah reign after me, and sit he on my throne?

25For he came down today, and offered oxen, and fat things, and full many wethers; and he called all the sons of the king, [and the princes of the host], and also Abiathar, [the] priest; and when they ate, and drank before him, and said, King Adonijah live;

26he called not me, thy servant, and Zadok, the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Solomon, thy son.

27Whether this word went out from my lord the king, and thou showedest not to me, thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

28And king David answered, and said, Call ye Bathsheba to me. And when she had entered before the king, and had stood before him,

29the king swore, and said, The Lord liveth, that hath delivered my life from all anguish;

30for as I swore to thee by the Lord God of Israel, and said, Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne for me, so I shall do today.

31And Bathsheba, with her cheer bowed down into the earth, worship-ped the king, and said, My lord king David live without end.

32And king David said, Call ye Zadok, the priest, to me, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. And when they had entered before the king,

33the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and put ye my son Solomon upon my mule, and lead ye him into Gihon.

34And [there] Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, anoint him into king upon Israel and Judah; and ye shall sing with a trump, and ye shall say, Live king Solomon!

35Ye shall go up after him, and ye shall come to Jerusalem; and he shall sit upon my throne, and he shall reign for me; and I shall command to him, that he be duke on Israel and on Judah.

36And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered to the king, and said, Amen; so speak the Lord God of my lord the king.

37As the Lord was with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and make he the throne of Solomon higher than the throne of my lord king David.

38Then Zadok, the priest, went down, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Cherethites, and Pelethites; and they putted [or put] Solomon upon the mule of David, the king, and they brought him into Gihon.

39And Zadok, the priest, took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon; and they sang with a clarion; and all the people said, Live king Solomon!

40And all the multitude went up after him, and the people of men singing with pipes, and being glad with great joy; and the earth sounded of the cry of them.

41And Adonijah heard, and all that were called of him to the feast; and then the feast was ended. But also Joab said, when the voice of the trump was heard, What will or mean it to itself the cry of the city making noise?

42Yet while he spake, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, the priest, came; to whom Adonijah said, Enter thou, for thou art a strong man, and telling good things.

43And Jonathan answered to Adon-ijah, Nay; for our lord king David hath ordained Solomon king;

44and David hath sent with Solomon Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Cherethites, and Peleth-ites; and they have put Solomon upon the mule of the king.

45And Zadok, the priest, and Nathan, the prophet, have anointed him king in Gihon; and they came down from thence being glad, and the city resound-ed; this is the voice that ye heard.

46But also Solomon sitteth on the throne of realm;

47and the servants of the king have entered, and have blessed our lord king David, and said, God make large the name of Solomon above thy name, and make great his throne above thy throne. And king David worshipped in his bed;

48and furthermore he spake these things, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that hath given today a sitter in my throne, while mine eyes see.

49Therefore all that were called of Adonijah to the feast, were afeared, and rose up, and each man went into his way.

50And Adonijah dreaded Solomon, and rose up, and went into the tabernacle of the Lord, and he held the horn, or corner, of the altar.

51And they told to Solomon, and said, Lo! Adonijah dreadeth the king Solomon, and he holdeth the horn, or corner, of the altar, and said, King Solomon swear to me today, that he shall not slay his servant with sword.

52And Solomon said, If he is a good man, soothly not an hair of him shall fall into the earth; but if evil be found in him, he shall die.

53Therefore king Solomon sent, and led out Adonijah from the altar; and he entered, and worshipped king Solomon; and Solomon said to him, Go into thine house.