Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King
1When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
3Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
5Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses1:5 Or charioteers ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. 6(His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
7Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
9Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves 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 did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.
11Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? 12Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”
15So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.
“What is it you want?” the king asked.
17She said to him, “My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ 18But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 20My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”
22While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
24Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ 26But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
David Makes Solomon King
28Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.
29The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 30I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”
31Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
32King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, 33he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. 34There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. 37As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
38So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. 39Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” 40And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
41Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
42Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”
43“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, 45and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. 46Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. 47Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed 48and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’ ”
49At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. 50But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
52Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 53Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”
王位之争
1大卫王年纪老迈，虽然盖了几层被子，仍然觉得冷。 2他的臣仆建议：“不如选一位少女进宫伺候、照顾我主我王，让她睡在王怀中给王取暖。”
3于是，他们在以色列全国寻找美貌女子，找到了一位名叫雅比莎的书念少女，把她带到王那里。 4这女子长得非常美丽，她照顾、伺候王，但王没有与她同房。
5那时，哈及的儿子亚多尼雅妄自尊大，说：“我必做王。”他为自己制备了车辆和骑兵，派五十人在前面开路。 6他父亲从不责问他：“你这是做什么？”他是押沙龙的弟弟，长得英俊非凡。
7亚多尼雅与洗鲁雅的儿子约押及祭司亚比亚他商议，二人都答应支持他。 8不过，撒督祭司、耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅、拿单先知、示每、利以和大卫的勇士却没有跟随他。
9一天，亚多尼雅在隐·罗结附近的琐希列磐石那里宰了牛羊和肥牛犊献祭，并邀请了众王子和犹大的群臣。 10可是他没有邀请拿单先知、比拿雅、大卫的勇士和他的兄弟所罗门。
11拿单对所罗门的母亲拔示巴说：“你没有听说吗？哈及的儿子亚多尼雅做王了，我们的主大卫还不知道。 12事到如今，我有一个主意，可以保住你和你儿子所罗门的性命。 13你去见大卫王，对他说，‘我主我王啊，你不是起誓说让臣妾的儿子所罗门继承王位，坐你的宝座吗？怎么现在亚多尼雅做了王呢？’ 14你跟王还在说话的时候，我会进去证实你的话。”
15拔示巴就进内室去见年迈的王，书念的少女雅比莎正在伺候他。 16拔示巴向王屈身下拜。王问道：“你有什么事吗？” 17拔示巴回答说：“我主啊，你曾经凭你的上帝耶和华起誓说让臣妾的儿子所罗门继承你的王位，坐你的宝座。 18但现在亚多尼雅已经称王了，我主我王还不知道。 19他宰了许多牛羊和肥牛犊献祭，邀请众王子、亚比亚他祭司和约押元帅，却没有邀请你的仆人所罗门。 20我主我王啊！以色列举国拭目以待，等你来指定谁坐在我主我王的宝座上继承王位。 21不然，到我主我王与祖先同眠之后，我和我儿所罗门必被定为罪人。”
22她与王正说话间，拿单先知进宫来了。 23有人奏告王，说：“拿单先知来了。”拿单来到王面前，俯伏在地， 24说：“我主我王啊，你已经宣布让亚多尼雅继承你的王位，坐你的宝座吗？ 25他今天宰了许多牛羊和肥犊献祭，宴请众王子、将领和亚比亚他祭司，他们正在他那里一边吃喝一边说，‘亚多尼雅王万岁！’ 26但他没有邀请臣仆我、撒督祭司、耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅和你的仆人所罗门。 27这是我主我王的旨意吗？王还没有对臣仆们说过谁坐在我主我王的宝座上继承王位。”
28于是，大卫王召见拔示巴。拔示巴立刻晋见，侍立在王面前。 29王起誓说：“我凭救我脱离一切苦难的永活的耶和华起誓， 30我今天必实现我凭以色列的上帝耶和华向你起的誓。你的儿子所罗门必继承王位，坐在我的宝座上。”
31拔示巴就向王俯伏下拜说：“我主大卫王万岁！”
32大卫王又召见撒督祭司、拿单先知和耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅。他们都来到王面前。 33王嘱咐道：“你们要率领我的随从，让我儿所罗门骑上我的骡子，护送他下到基训。 34撒督祭司和拿单先知要在那里膏立他为以色列王。你们要吹响号角，高喊，‘所罗门王万岁！’ 35然后，你们要随他回来，他要登基，继承我的王位。我已立他做以色列和犹大的君王了。”
36耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅说：“遵命！愿我主我王的上帝耶和华成全这事。 37耶和华怎样与我主我王同在，愿祂也照样与所罗门同在，使他的王权比我主大卫王的更强大。” 38于是，撒督祭司、拿单先知、耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅，以及基利提人和比利提人请所罗门骑上大卫王的骡子，护送他前往基训。 39撒督祭司从圣幕里拿来盛膏油的角，膏立所罗门为王。他们吹响号角，民众高声欢呼：“所罗门王万岁！” 40众人浩浩荡荡地随着所罗门回京，一路上吹笛欢呼，声音震动大地。 41亚多尼雅和他的众宾客刚刚饮宴完毕，听见了这声音。约押听见号角声，便问：“城里为什么如此喧闹？” 42就在这时候，亚比亚他祭司的儿子约拿单来了，亚多尼雅说：“进来！你是个忠勇的人，一定带来了好消息。”
43约拿单说：“我们的主大卫王已经立所罗门为王了。 44王派撒督祭司、拿单先知、耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅，以及基利提人和比利提人护送所罗门骑上王的骡子。 45撒督祭司和拿单先知在基训膏立他为王，他们一路上欢呼着回来了，全城轰动。你们听到的就是他们的声音。 46所罗门已经登基掌权， 47王的臣仆也来向我们的主大卫王道喜说，‘愿你的上帝使所罗门比你名声更大，使他的王权比你的更强大。’王在床上俯伏敬拜， 48说，‘以色列的上帝耶和华当受称颂，因为祂让我亲眼看见我的继承人今天登基。’”
49亚多尼雅的众宾客听后，吓得四散而去。 50亚多尼雅惧怕所罗门，就去抓住祭坛的角。 51有人告诉所罗门：“亚多尼雅惧怕王，现在正抓住祭坛的角，要王今天起誓不要杀他。”
52所罗门说：“他若做个忠义的人，必毫发无损；他若作恶，必死无疑。” 53于是，所罗门王便派人去把亚多尼雅从祭坛上带下来。亚多尼雅前来向所罗门王俯伏下拜，所罗门对他说：“你回家去吧。”
