Kings III 1

1 And king David [was] old and advanced in days, and they covered him with clothes, and he was not warmed.

And king David [is] old, entering into days, and they cover him with garments, and he hath no heat,

2 And his servants said, Let them seek for the king a young virgin, and she shall wait on the king, and cherish him, and lie with him, and my lord the king shall be warmed.

and his servants say to him, 'Let them seek for my lord the king a young woman, a virgin, and she hath stood before the king, and is to him a companion, and hath lain in thy bosom, and my lord the king hath heat.'

3 So they sought for a fair damsel out of all the coasts of Israel; and they found Abisag the Somanite, and they brought her to the king.

And they seek a fair young woman in all the border of Israel, and find Abishag the Shunammite, and bring her in to the king,

4 And the damsel was extremely beautiful, and she cherished the king, and ministered to him, but the king knew her not.

and the young woman [is] very very fair, and she is to the king a companion, and serveth him, and the king hath not known her.

5 And Adonias the son of Aggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king; and he prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, 'I do reign;' and he prepareth for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running before him,

6 And his father never at any time checked him, saying, Why hast thou done [thus]? and he was also very handsome in appearance, and his mother bore him after Abessalom.

and his father hath not grieved him [all] his days, saying, 'Wherefore thus hast thou done?' and he also [is] of a very good form, and [his mother] bare him after Absalom.

7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Saruia, and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed after Adonias.

And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;

8 But Sadoc the priest, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Resi, and the mighty men of David, did not follow Adonias.

and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty ones whom David hath, have not been with Adonijah.

9 And Adonias sacrificed sheep and calves and lambs by the stone of Zoelethi, which was near Rogel: and he called all his brethren, and all the adult [men] of Juda, servants of the king.

And Adonijah sacrificeth sheep and oxen and fatlings near the stone of Zoheleth, that [is] by En-Rogel, and calleth all his brethren, sons of the king, and for all the men of Judah, servants of the king;

10 But Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas, and the mighty [men], and Solomon his brother, he did not call.

and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty ones, and Solomon his brother, he hath not called.

11 And Nathan spoke to Bersabee the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Aggith reigns, and our lord David knows it not?

And Nathan speaketh unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, saying, 'Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath reigned, and our lord David hath not known?

12 And now come, let me, I pray, give thee counsel, and thou shalt rescue thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

and now, come, let me counsel thee, I pray thee, and deliver thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon;

13 Haste, and go in to king David, and thou shalt speak to him, saying, Hast not thou, my lord, O king, sworn to thine handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then does Adonias reign?

go and enter in unto king David, and thou hast said unto him, Hast thou not, my lord, O king, sworn to thy handmaid, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne? and wherefore hath Adonijah reigned?

14 And behold, while thou art still speaking there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and will confirm thy words.

Lo, thou are yet speaking there with the king, and I come in after thee, and have completed thy words.'

15 So Bersabee went in to the king into the chamber: and the king was very old, and Abisag the Somanite was ministering to the king.

And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto the king, to the inner chamber, and the king [is] very aged, and Abishag the Shunammite is serving the king:

16 And Bersabee bowed, and did obeisance to the king; and the king said, What is thy request?

and Bath-Sheba boweth and doth obeisance to the king, and the king saith, 'What — to thee?'

17 And she said, My lord, thou didst swear by the Lord thy God to thine handmaid, saying, Thy son Solomon shall reign after me, and shall sit upon my throne.

And she saith to him, 'My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid: Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;

18 And now, behold, Adonias reigns, and thou, my lord, O king, knowest [it] not.

and now, lo, Adonijah hath reigned, and now, my lord, O king, thou hast not known;

19 And he has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander-in-chief of the host; but Solomon thy servant he has not called.

and he sacrificeth ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host — and for Solomon thy servant he hath not called.

20 And thou, my lord, O king, —the eyes of all Israel [are] upon thee, to tell them who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him.

And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel [are] on thee, to declare to them who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him;

21 And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.

and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon — [reckoned] sinners.'

22 And behold, while she was yet talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came. And it was reported to the king,

And lo, she is yet speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet hath come in;

23 Behold, Nathan the prophet [is here]: and he came in to the king's presence, and did obeisance to the king with his face to the ground.

and they declare to the king, saying, 'Lo, Nathan the prophet;' and he cometh in before the king, and boweth himself to the king, on his face to the earth.

24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, didst thou say, Adonias shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

And Nathan saith, 'My lord, O king, thou hast said, Adonijah doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;

25 For he has gone down to-day, and has sacrificed calves and lambs and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the chiefs of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they are eating and drinking before him, and they said, [Long] live king Adonias.

for he hath gone down to-day, and doth sacrifice ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and lo, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let king Adonijah live!

26 But he has not invited me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and Solomon thy servant.

'And for me — me, thy servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and for Solomon thy servant, he hath not called;

27 Has this matter happened by the authority of my lord the king, and hast thou not made known to thy servant who shall sit upon the throne of my lord the king after him?

if from my lord the king this thing hath been, then thou hast not caused thy servant to know who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.'

28 And king David answered and said, Call me Bersabee: and she came in before the king, and stood before him.

And king David answereth and saith, 'Call for me for Bath-Sheba;' and she cometh in before the king, and standeth before the king.

29 And the king swore, and said, [As] the Lord lives who redeemed my soul out of all affliction,

And the king sweareth and saith, 'Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity;

30 as I swore to thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.

surely as I sware to thee by Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne in my stead; surely so I do this day.'

31 And Bersabee bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

And Bath-Sheba boweth — face to the earth — and doth obeisance to the king, and saith, 'Let my lord, king David, live to the age.'

32 And king David said, Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas the son of Jodae: and they came in before the king.

And king David saith, 'Call for me for Zadok the priest, and for Nathan the prophet, and for Benaiah son of Jehoiada;' and they come in before the king.

33 And the king said to them, Take the servants of your lord with you, and mount my son Solomon upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gion.

And the king saith to them, 'Take with you the servants of your lord, and ye have caused Solomon my son to ride on mine own mule, and caused him to go down unto Gihon,

34 And there let Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him to be king over Israel, and do ye sound the trumpet, and ye shall say, Let king Solomon live.

and anointed him there hath Zadok the priest — and Nathan the prophet — for king over Israel, and ye have blown with a trumpet, and said, Let king Solomon live;

35 And he shall sit upon my throne, and reign in my stead: and I have given charge that he should be for a prince over Israel and Juda.

and ye have come up after him, and he hath come in and hath sat on my throne, and he doth reign in my stead, and him I have appointed to be leader over Israel, and over Judah.'

36 And Banaeas the son of Jodae answered the king and said, So let it be: may the Lord God of my lord the king confirm [it].

And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answereth the king, and saith, 'Amen! so doth Jehovah, God of my lord the king, say;

37 As the Lord was with my lord the king, so let him be with Solomon, and let him exalt his throne beyond the throne of my lord king David.

as Jehovah hath been with my lord the king, so is He with Solomon, and doth make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.'

38 And Sadoc the priest went down, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they mounted Solomon upon the mule of king David, and led him away to Gion.

And Zadok the priest goeth down, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause Solomon to ride on the mule of king David, and cause him to go unto Gihon,

39 And Sadoc the priest took the horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon, and blew the trumpet; and all the people said, Let king Solomon live.

and Zadok the priest taketh the horn of oil out of the tent, and anointeth Solomon, and they blow with a trumpet, and all the people say, 'Let king Solomon live.'

40 And all the people went up after him, and they danced in choirs, and rejoiced with great joy, and the earth quaked with their voice.

And all the people come up after him, and the people are piping with pipes, and rejoicing — great joy, and the earth rendeth with their voice.

41 And Adonias and all his guests heard, and they had [just] left off eating: and Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, and said, What [means] the voice of the city in tumult?

And Adonijah heareth, and all those called, who [are] with him, and they have finished to eat, and Joab heareth the noise of the trumpet, and saith, 'Wherefore [is] the noise of the city roaring?'

42 While he was yet speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came in: and Adonias said, Come in, for thou art a mighty man, and [thou comest] to bring glad tidings.

He is yet speaking, and lo, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest hath come in, and Adonijah saith, 'Come in, for a man of valour thou [art], and thou bearest good tidings.'

43 And Jonathan answered and said, Verily our lord king David has made Solomon king:

And Jonathan answereth and saith to Adonijah, 'Verily our lord king David hath caused Solomon to reign,

44 and the king has sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaeas the son of Jodae, and the Cherethite, and the Phelethite, and they have mounted him on the king's mule;

and the king sendeth with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause him to ride on the king's mule,

45 and Sadoc the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him in Gion, and have gone up thence rejoicing, and the city resounded: this [is] the sound which ye have heard.

and they anoint him — Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet — for king in Gihon, and are come up thence rejoicing, and the city is moved; it [is] the noise that ye have heard.

46 And Solomon is seated upon the throne of the kingdom.

'And also Solomon hath sat on the throne of the kingdom,

47 And the servants of the king have gone in 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 worshipped upon his bed.

and also the servants of the king have come into bless our lord king David, saying, Thy God doth make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and his throne greater than thy throne; and the king boweth himself on the bed,

48 Moreover thus said the king, Blessed [be] the Lord God of Israel, who has this day appointed one of my seed sitting on my throne, and my eyes see it.

and also thus hath the king said, Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of Israel, who hath given to-day [one] sitting on my throne, and mine eyes seeing.'

49 And all the guests of Adonias were dismayed, and every man went his way.

And they tremble, and rise — all those called who [are] for Adonijah — and go, each on his way;

50 And Adonias feared because of Solomon, and arose, and departed, and laid hold on the horns of the altar.

and Adonijah feareth because of Solomon, and riseth, and goeth, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.

51 And it was reported to Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonias fears king Solomon, and holds the horns of the altar, saying, Let Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

And it is declared to Solomon, saying, 'Lo, Adonijah feareth king Solomon, and lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me as to-day — he doth not put to death his servant by the sword.'

52 And Solomon said, If he should be a valiant man, there shall not a hair of his fall to the ground; but if evil be found in him, he shall die.

And Solomon saith, 'If he becometh a virtuous man — there doth not fall of his hair to the earth, and if evil is found in him — then he hath died.'

53 And king Solomon sent, and they brought him away from the altar; and he went in and did obeisance to king Solomon: and Solomon said to him, Go to thy house.

And king Solomon sendeth, and they bring him down from off the altar, and he cometh in and boweth himself to king Solomon, and Solomon saith to him, 'Go to thy house.'