Adonijah Makes Himself King
1King David was now very old. He couldn’t keep warm even when blankets were spread over him. 2So his attendants spoke to him. They said, “You are our king and master. Please let us try to find a young virgin to serve you. She can take care of you. She can lie down beside you to keep you warm.”
3So David’s attendants looked all over Israel for a beautiful young woman. They found Abishag. She was from the town of Shunem. They brought her to the king. 4The woman was very beautiful. She took care of the king and served him. But the king didn’t have sex with her.
5Adonijah was the son of David and his wife Haggith. He came forward and announced, “I’m going to be the next king.” So he got chariots and horses ready. He also got 50 men to run in front of him. 6His father had never tried to stop him from doing what he wanted to. His father had never asked him, “Why are you acting the way you do?” Adonijah was also very handsome. Now that Absalom was dead, Adonijah was David’s oldest son.
7Adonijah talked things over with Joab, the son of Zeruiah. He also talked with Abiathar the priest. They agreed to help him. 8But Zadok the priest and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, didn’t join Adonijah. Nathan the prophet didn’t join him. Shimei and Rei didn’t join him. And neither did David’s special guard.
9Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle and fat calves. He sacrificed them at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah. 10But he didn’t invite Benaiah or Nathan the prophet. He didn’t invite the special guard or his brother Solomon either.
11Nathan asked Solomon’s mother Bathsheba, “Haven’t you heard? Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has made himself king. And King David doesn’t know anything about it. 12So let me tell you what to do to save your life. It will also save the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in and see King David. Say to him, ‘You are my king and master. You promised me, “You can be sure that your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne.” If that’s really true, why has Adonijah become king?’ 14While you are still talking to the king, I’ll come in and support what you have said.”
15So Bathsheba went to see the old king in his room. Abishag, the Shunammite, was taking care of him there. 16Bathsheba bowed low in front of the king.
“What do you want?” the king asked.
17She said to him, “My master, you made a promise in the name of the Lord your God. You promised me, ‘Your son Solomon will be king after me. He will sit on my throne.’ 18But now Adonijah has made himself king. And you don’t even know about it. 19He has sacrificed large numbers of cattle, fat calves and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons. He has also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of the army. But he hasn’t invited your son Solomon. 20You are my king and master. All the Israelites are watching to see what you will do. They want to find out from you who will sit on the throne after you. 21If you don’t do something, I and my son Solomon will be treated like people who have committed crimes. That will happen as soon as you join the members of your family who have already died.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So Nathan went to the king. He bowed down with his face toward the ground.
24Nathan said, “You are my king and master. Have you announced that Adonijah will be king after you? Have you said he will sit on your throne? 25Today he has gone down outside the city. He has sacrificed large numbers of cattle, fat calves and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons. He has also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Even now they are eating and drinking with him. They are saying, ‘May King Adonijah live a long time!’ 26But he didn’t invite me. He didn’t invite Zadok the priest or Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. He didn’t invite your son Solomon either. 27King David, have you allowed all of that to happen? Did you do it without letting us know about it? Why didn’t you tell us who is going to sit on your throne after you?”
David Makes Solomon King
28King David said, “Tell Bathsheba to come in.” So she came and stood in front of the king.
29Then the king made a promise. He said, “The Lord has saved me from all my troubles. You can be sure that he lives. 30And you can be just as sure I will do what I promised. This is the day I will do what I promised in the name of the Lord. He is the God of Israel. I promised you that your son Solomon would be king after me. He will sit on my throne in my place.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed down in front of the king. Her face was toward the ground. She said, “King David, you are my master. May you live forever!”
32King David said, “Tell Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to come in. Also tell Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to come.” So they came to the king. 33He said to them, “Take my officials with you. Have my son Solomon get on my own mule. Take him down to the Gihon spring. 34Have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him as king over Israel there. Blow a trumpet. Shout, ‘May King Solomon live a long time!’ 35Then come back up to the city with him. Have him sit on my throne. He will rule in my place. I’ve appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king. “Amen!” he said. “May the Lord your God make it come true. 37You are my king and master. The Lord has been with you. May he also be with Solomon. King David, may the Lord make Solomon’s kingdom even greater than yours!”
38So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet left the palace. Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, went with them. So did the Kerethites and Pelethites. They had Solomon get on King David’s mule. And they brought him down to the Gihon spring. 39Zadok the priest had taken an animal horn from the sacred tent. The horn was filled with olive oil. He anointed Solomon with the oil. A trumpet was blown. All the people shouted, “May King Solomon live a long time!” 40Then they went up toward the city. Solomon was leading the way. The people were playing flutes. They were filled with great joy. The ground shook because of all the noise.
41Adonijah and all his guests heard it. They were just finishing their meal. Joab heard the sound of the trumpet. So he asked, “What does all this noise in the city mean?”
42While Joab was still speaking, Jonathan arrived. Jonathan was the son of Abiathar the priest. Adonijah said, “Come in. I have respect for you. You must be bringing good news.”
43“No! I’m not!” Jonathan answered. “Our master King David has made Solomon king. 44David sent Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet along with Solomon. He also sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, with him. He sent the Kerethites and Pelethites with him too. They put him on the king’s mule. 45They took him down to the Gihon spring. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him as king. Now they’ve gone back up to the city. They were cheering all the way. The city is filled with the sound of it. That’s the noise you hear. 46And that’s not all. Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47The royal officials came to give their blessing to our master King David. They said, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours! May he make Solomon’s kingdom greater than yours!’ While King David was sitting on his bed, he bowed in worship. 48He said, ‘I praise the Lord. He is the God of Israel. He has let me live to see my son sitting on my throne today as the next king.’ ”
49When all Adonijah’s guests heard that, they were terrified. So they got up and scattered. 50Adonijah was afraid of what Solomon might do to him. So he went and grabbed the horns of the altar for burnt offerings. Those horns stuck out from its upper corners. 51Then Solomon was told, “King Solomon, Adonijah is afraid of you. He’s holding onto the horns of the altar. He says, ‘I want King Solomon to make a promise today. I want him to promise that he won’t kill me with his sword.’ ”
52Solomon replied, “Let him show that he’s a man people can respect. Then not even one hair on his head will fall to the ground. But if I find out he’s done something evil, he will die.” 53King Solomon got some men to bring Adonijah down from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon. Solomon said, “Go on home.”
王位之爭
1大衛王年紀老邁，雖然蓋了幾層被子，仍然覺得冷。 2他的臣僕建議：「不如選一位少女進宮伺候、照顧我主我王，讓她睡在王懷中給王取暖。」
3於是，他們在以色列全國尋找美貌女子，找到了一位名叫雅比莎的書念少女，把她帶到王那裡。 4這女子長得花容月貌，她照顧、伺候王，但王沒有與她同房。
5那時，哈姬的兒子亞多尼雅妄自尊大，說：「我必做王。」他為自己製備了車輛和騎兵，派五十人在前面開路。 6他父親從不干涉、責問他：「你這是做什麼？」他是押沙龍的弟弟，長得英俊非凡。
7亞多尼雅與洗魯雅的兒子約押及祭司亞比亞他商議，二人都答應支持他。 8不過，撒督祭司、耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅、拿單先知、示每、利以和大衛的勇士卻沒有跟隨他。
9一天，亞多尼雅在隱·羅結附近的瑣希列磐石那裡宰了牛羊和肥牛犢獻祭，並邀請了眾王子和猶大的群臣。 10可是他沒有邀請拿單先知、比拿雅、大衛的勇士和他的兄弟所羅門。
11拿單對所羅門的母親拔示芭說：「你沒有聽說嗎？哈姬的兒子亞多尼雅做王了，我們的主大衛還不知道。 12事到如今，我有一個主意，可以保住你和你兒子所羅門的性命。 13你去見大衛王，對他說，『我主我王啊，你不是起誓說讓臣妾的兒子所羅門繼承王位嗎？怎麼現在亞多尼雅做了王呢？』 14你跟王說話的時候，我會進去證實你的話。」
15拔示芭就進內室去見年邁的王，書念的少女雅比莎正在伺候他。 16拔示芭向王屈身下拜。王問道：「你有什麼事嗎？」 17拔示芭回答說：「我主啊，你曾經憑你的上帝耶和華起誓說讓臣妾的兒子所羅門繼承你的王位，坐你的寶座。 18但現在亞多尼雅已經稱王了，我主我王還不知道。 19他宰了許多牛羊和肥牛犢獻祭，邀請眾王子、亞比亞他祭司和約押元帥，卻沒有邀請你的僕人所羅門。 20我主我王啊！以色列舉國拭目以待，等著王來指定誰繼承王位。 21不然，到我主我王與祖先同眠之後，我和我兒所羅門必被定為罪人。」
22她與王正說話間，拿單先知進宮來了。 23有人奏告王，說：「拿單先知來了。」拿單來到王面前，俯伏在地， 24說：「我主我王啊，你已經宣佈讓亞多尼雅繼承你的王位，坐你的寶座嗎？ 25他今天宰了許多牛羊和肥犢獻祭，宴請眾王子、將領和亞比亞他祭司，他們正在他那裡一邊吃喝一邊說，『亞多尼雅王萬歲！』 26但他沒有邀請臣僕我、撒督祭司、耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅和你的僕人所羅門。 27這是我主我王的旨意嗎？王還沒有對臣僕們說過誰繼承王位。」
28於是，大衛王召見拔示芭。拔示芭立刻晉見，侍立在王面前。 29王起誓說：「我憑救我脫離一切苦難的永活的耶和華起誓， 30我今天必實現我憑以色列的上帝耶和華向你起的誓。你的兒子所羅門必繼承王位，坐在我的寶座上。」
31拔示芭就向王俯伏下拜說：「我主我王萬歲！」
32大衛王又召見撒督祭司、拿單先知和耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅。他們都來到王面前。 33王囑咐道：「你們要率領我的隨從，讓我兒所羅門騎上我的騾子，護送他下到基訓。 34撒督祭司和拿單先知要在那裡膏立他為以色列王。你們要吹響號角，高喊，『所羅門王萬歲！』 35然後，你們要隨他回來，他要登基，繼承我的王位。我已立他做以色列和猶大的君王了。」
36耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅說：「遵命，願我主我王的上帝耶和華成全這事。 37耶和華怎樣與我主我王同在，願祂也照樣與所羅門同在，使他的國比我主大衛王的國更強大。」 38於是，撒督祭司、拿單先知、耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅，以及基利提人和比利提人請所羅門騎上大衛王的騾子，護送他前往基訓。 39撒督祭司從聖幕裡拿來盛膏油的角，膏立所羅門為王。他們吹響號角，民眾高聲歡呼：「所羅門王萬歲！」 40眾人浩浩蕩蕩地隨著所羅門回京，一路上吹笛歡呼，聲音震動大地。 41亞多尼雅和他的眾賓客剛剛飲宴完畢，聽見了這聲音。約押聽見號角聲，便問：「城裡為什麼如此喧鬧？」 42就在這時候，亞比亞他祭司的兒子約拿單來了，亞多尼雅說：「進來！你是個忠勇的人，一定帶來了好消息。」
43約拿單說：「我們的主大衛王已經立所羅門為王了。 44王派撒督祭司、拿單先知、耶何耶大的兒子比拿雅，以及基利提人和比利提人護送所羅門騎上王的騾子。 45撒督祭司和拿單先知在基訓膏立他為王，他們一路上歡呼著回來了，全城轟動。你們聽到的就是他們的聲音。 46所羅門已經登基掌權， 47王的臣僕也來向我們的主大衛王道喜說，『願王的上帝使所羅門比王更聲名顯赫，使他的國比王的國更強大。』王在床上俯伏敬拜， 48說，『以色列的上帝耶和華當受稱頌，因為祂讓我親眼看見我的繼承人今天登基。』」
49亞多尼雅的眾賓客聽後，嚇得四散而去。 50亞多尼雅懼怕所羅門，就去抓住祭壇的角。 51有人告訴所羅門：「亞多尼雅懼怕王，現在正抓住祭壇的角，要王今天起誓不要殺他。」
52所羅門說：「如果他是個忠義的人，必毫髮無損；如果他作惡，必死無疑。」 53於是，所羅門王便派人去把亞多尼雅從祭壇上帶下來。亞多尼雅前來向所羅門王俯伏下拜，所羅門對他說：「你回家去吧。」
