1And king David was old, come into days; and they covered him with the garments, but he was not warm.
2And his servants said to him: "Let them seek for my lord the king a young woman, a virgin; and let her stand before the king, and let her become to him a companion; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may be warm."
3And they sought a fair young woman in all the border of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4And the young woman was very fair; and she became a companion to the king, and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.
5And Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying: "I will reign"; and he made for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men (ish) running before him.
6And his father had not grieved him in his days, saying: "Why have you done so?" And he also was very good of form; and she bore him after Absalom.
7And his words were with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him.
8And Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
9And Adonijah slaughtered sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brothers the sons of the king, and all the men (ish) of Judah the servants of the king;
10but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he did not call.
11And Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying: "Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord knows it not?
12And now come, let me give you counsel, please, that you may save your soul (nephesh) and the soul (nephesh) of your son Solomon.
13Go and come in to king David, and say to him: 'Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your handmaid, saying: Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then does Adonijah reign?'
14Behold, while you are still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after you, and confirm your words."
15And Bathsheba came in to the king, into the chamber; and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.
16And Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself to the king. And the king said: "What is it to you?"
17And she said to him: "My lord, you swore by YHWH your God to your handmaid: Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.
18And now, behold, Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you know it not.
19And he has slaughtered ox and fatling and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon your servant he has not called.
20And you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21And it will come to pass, when my lord the king lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be offenders."
22And behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
23And they told the king, saying: "Behold Nathan the prophet." And he came in before the king, and bowed himself to the king upon his face to the ground.
24And Nathan said: "My lord the king, have you said: 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne'?
25For he has gone down today, and has slaughtered ox and fatling and sheep in abundance, and has called all the sons of the king, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say: 'Let king Adonijah live!'
26But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Solomon your servant, he has not called.
27If this thing is from my lord the king, then you have not made known to your servant who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him."
28And king David answered and said: "Call to me Bathsheba." And she came in before the king, and stood before the king.
29And the king swore and said: "As YHWH lives (chai), who has redeemed my soul (nephesh) out of all distress,
30surely as I swore to you by YHWH the God of Israel, saying: Surely Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my place; surely so will I do this day."
31And Bathsheba bowed with face to the earth, and prostrated herself to the king, and said: "Let my lord king David live forever."
32And king David said: "Call to me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada." And they came in before the king.
33And the king said to them: "Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon the mule that is mine, and bring him down to Gihon.
34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel; and blow with the horn, and say: 'Let king Solomon live!'
35Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit upon my throne; and he shall reign in my place; and I have commanded (tzivvah) him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah."
36And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said: "Amen; so may YHWH, the God of my lord the king, say.
37As YHWH has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David."
38And Zadok the priest went down, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.
39And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tent (ohel), and anointed Solomon; and they blew with the horn, and all the people said: "Let king Solomon live!"
40And all the people came up after him, and the people were piping with pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth split with their sound.
41And Adonijah heard, and all the guests who were with him, as they finished eating. And Joab heard the sound of the horn, and said: "Why is the sound of the city in uproar?"
42While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said: "Come in, for you are a man (ish) of valor, and you bring good tidings."
43And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah: "Indeed, our lord king David has made Solomon king.
44And the king has sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule.
45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in uproar. This is the sound that you have heard.
46And also Solomon has sat on the throne of the kingdom.
47And also the servants of the king came to bless our lord king David, saying: "May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne." And the king bowed himself upon the bed.
48And also thus said the king: "Blessed be YHWH the God of Israel, who has given today one sitting on my throne, and my eyes seeing it."
49And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went each man (ish) his way.
50And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he rose up, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
51And it was told to Solomon, saying: "Behold, Adonijah fears king Solomon; and behold, he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me as of today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword."
52And Solomon said: "If he becomes a son of valor, not a hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if evil is found in him, then he shall die."
53And king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar; and he came and prostrated himself to king Solomon; and Solomon said to him: "Go to your house."