1:1 King David was very old; ¹  even when they covered him with blankets, ²  he could not get warm. 1:2 His servants advised ³  him, “A young virgin must be found for our master, the king, ⁴  to take care of the king’s needs ⁵  and serve as his nurse. She can also sleep with you ⁶  and keep our master, the king, warm.” ⁷  1:3 So they looked through all Israel ⁸  for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4 The young woman was very beautiful; she became the king’s nurse and served him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her. ⁹ 

1:5 Now Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, ¹⁰  was promoting himself, ¹¹  boasting, ¹²  “I will be king!” He managed to acquire ¹³  chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard. ¹⁴  1:6 (Now his father had never corrected ¹⁵  him ¹⁶  by saying, “Why do you do such things?” He was also very handsome and had been born right after Absalom. ¹⁷ ) 1:7 He collaborated ¹⁸  with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported ¹⁹  him. ²⁰  1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s elite warriors ²¹  did not ally themselves ²²  with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, cattle, and fattened steers at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, ²³  as well as all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the elite warriors, ²⁴  or his brother Solomon.

1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you ²⁵  that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? ²⁶  1:12 Now ²⁷  let me give you some advice as to how ²⁸  you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit ²⁹  King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise ³⁰  your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 1:14 While ³¹  you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive ³²  and verify your report.” ³³ 

1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. ³⁴  (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before ³⁵  the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 1:17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 1:18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, ³⁶  my master the king, are not even aware of it! ³⁷  1:19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, 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 your servant Solomon. 1:20 Now, ³⁸  my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. ³⁹  1:21 If a decision is not made, ⁴⁰  when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, ⁴¹  my son Solomon and I ⁴²  will be considered state criminals.” ⁴³ 

1:22 Just then, ⁴⁴  while she was still speaking to the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 1:23 The king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Nathan entered and bowed before the king with his face to the floor. ⁴⁵  1:24 Nathan said, “My master, O king, did you announce, ‘Adonijah will be king after me; he will sit on my throne’? 1:25 For today he has gone down and sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, the army commanders, and Abiathar the priest. At this moment ⁴⁶  they are having a feast ⁴⁷  in his presence, and they have declared, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ ⁴⁸  1:26 But he did not invite me – your servant – or Zadok the priest, or Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or your servant Solomon. 1:27 Has my master the king authorized this without informing your servants ⁴⁹  who should succeed my master the king on his throne?” ⁵⁰ 

1:28 King David responded, ⁵¹  “Summon Bathsheba!” ⁵²  She came and stood before the king. ⁵³  1:29 The king swore an oath: “As certainly as the Lord lives (he who has rescued me ⁵⁴  from every danger), 1:30 I will keep ⁵⁵  today the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on my throne.’” 1:31 Bathsheba bowed down to the king with her face to the floor ⁵⁶  and said, “May my master, King David, live forever!”

1:32 King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, ⁵⁷  and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” They came before the king, 1:33 and he ⁵⁸  told them, “Take your master’s ⁵⁹  servants with you, put my son Solomon on my mule, and lead him down to Gihon. ⁶⁰  1:34 There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint ⁶¹  him king over Israel; then blow the trumpet and declare, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 1:35 Then follow him up as he comes and sits on my throne. He will be king in my place; I have decreed ⁶²  that he will be ruler over Israel and Judah.” 1:36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada responded ⁶³  to the king: “So be it! ⁶⁴  May the Lord God of my master the king confirm it! ⁶⁵  1:37 As the Lord is with my master the king, so may he be with Solomon, and may he make him an even greater king than my master King David!” ⁶⁶ 

1:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites ⁶⁷  went down, put Solomon on King David’s mule, and led him to Gihon. 1:39 Zadok the priest took a horn filled with olive oil ⁶⁸  from the tent and poured it on ⁶⁹  Solomon; the trumpet was blown and all the people declared, “Long live King Solomon!” 1:40 All the people followed him up, playing flutes and celebrating so loudly they made the ground shake. ⁷⁰ 

1:41 Now Adonijah and all his guests heard the commotion just as they had finished eating. ⁷¹  When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “Why is there such a noisy commotion in the city?” ⁷²  1:42 As he was still speaking, Jonathan ⁷³  son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for ⁷⁴  an important man like you must be bringing good news.” ⁷⁵  1:43 Jonathan replied ⁷⁶  to Adonijah: “No! ⁷⁷  Our master ⁷⁸  King David has made Solomon king. 1:44 The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites, and the Pelethites and they put him on the king’s mule. 1:45 Then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed ⁷⁹  him king in Gihon. They went up from there rejoicing, and the city is in an uproar. That is the sound you hear. 1:46 Furthermore, Solomon has assumed the royal throne. ⁸⁰  1:47 The king’s servants have even come to congratulate ⁸¹  our master ⁸²  King David, saying, ‘May your God ⁸³  make Solomon more famous than you and make him an even greater king than you!’ ⁸⁴  Then the king leaned ⁸⁵  on the bed 1:48 and said ⁸⁶  this: ‘The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because ⁸⁷  today he has placed a successor on my throne and allowed me to see it.’” ⁸⁸ 

1:49 All of Adonijah’s guests panicked; ⁸⁹  they jumped up and rushed off their separate ways. 1:50 Adonijah feared Solomon, so he got up and went and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. ⁹⁰  1:51 Solomon was told, “Look, Adonijah fears you; ⁹¹  see, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘May King Solomon solemnly promise ⁹²  me today that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’” 1:52 Solomon said, “If he is a loyal subject, ⁹³  not a hair of his head will be harmed, but if he is found to be a traitor, ⁹⁴  he will die.” 1:53 King Solomon sent men to bring him down ⁹⁵  from the altar. He came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon told him, “Go home.” ⁹⁶ 

2:1 When David was close to death, ⁹⁷  he told ⁹⁸  Solomon his son: 2:2 “I am about to die. ⁹⁹  Be strong and become a man! 2:3 Do the job the Lord your God has assigned you ¹⁰⁰  by following his instructions ¹⁰¹  and obeying ¹⁰²  his rules, commandments, regulations, and laws as written in the law of Moses. Then you will succeed in all you do and seek to accomplish, ¹⁰³  2:4 and the Lord will fulfill his promise to me, ¹⁰⁴  ‘If your descendants watch their step ¹⁰⁵  and live faithfully in my presence ¹⁰⁶  with all their heart and being, ¹⁰⁷  then,’ he promised, ¹⁰⁸  ‘you will not fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’ ¹⁰⁹ 

2:5 “You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me – how he murdered two commanders of the Israelite armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. ¹¹⁰  During peacetime he struck them down like he would in battle; ¹¹¹  when he shed their blood as if in battle, he stained his own belt and the sandals on his feet. ¹¹²  2:6 Do to him what you think is appropriate, ¹¹³  but don’t let him live long and die a peaceful death. ¹¹⁴ 

2:7 “Treat fairly ¹¹⁵  the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and provide for their needs, ¹¹⁶  because they helped me ¹¹⁷  when I had to flee from your brother Absalom.

2:8 “Note well, you still have to contend with Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, ¹¹⁸  who tried to call down upon me a horrible judgment when I went to Mahanaim. ¹¹⁹  He came down and met me at the Jordan, and I solemnly promised ¹²⁰  him by the Lord, ‘I will not strike you down ¹²¹  with the sword.’ 2:9 But now ¹²²  don’t treat him as if he were innocent. You are a wise man and you know how to handle him; ¹²³  make sure he has a bloody death.” ¹²⁴ 

2:10 Then David passed away ¹²⁵  and was buried in the city of David. ¹²⁶  2:11 David reigned over Israel forty years; he reigned in Hebron seven years, and in Jerusalem ¹²⁷  thirty-three years.

2:12 Solomon sat on his father David’s throne, and his royal authority ¹²⁸  was firmly solidified.

2:13 Haggith’s son Adonijah visited Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come in peace?” He answered, “Yes.” ¹²⁹  2:14 He added, ¹³⁰  “I have something to say to you.” She replied, “Speak.” 2:15 He said, “You know that the kingdom ¹³¹  was mine and all Israel considered me king. ¹³²  But then the kingdom was given to my brother, for the Lord decided it should be his. ¹³³  2:16 Now I’d like to ask you for just one thing. Please don’t refuse me.” ¹³⁴  She said, “Go ahead and ask.” ¹³⁵  2:17 He said, “Please ask King Solomon if he would give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, for he won’t refuse you.” ¹³⁶  2:18 Bathsheba replied, “That’s fine, ¹³⁷  I’ll speak to the king on your behalf.”

2:19 So Bathsheba visited King Solomon to speak to him on Adonijah’s behalf. The king got up to greet ¹³⁸  her, bowed to her, and then sat on his throne. He ordered a throne to be brought for the king’s mother, ¹³⁹  and she sat at his right hand. 2:20 She said, “I would like to ask you for just one small favor. ¹⁴⁰  Please don’t refuse me.” ¹⁴¹  He said, ¹⁴²  “Go ahead and ask, my mother, for I would not refuse you.” 2:21 She said, “Allow Abishag the Shunammite to be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.” 2:22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why just request Abishag the Shunammite for him? ¹⁴³  Since he is my older brother, you should also request the kingdom for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

2:23 King Solomon then swore an oath by the Lord, “May God judge me severely, ¹⁴⁴  if Adonijah does not pay for this request with his life! ¹⁴⁵  2:24 Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty ¹⁴⁶  for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!” 2:25 King Solomon then sent ¹⁴⁷  Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he killed Adonijah. ¹⁴⁸ 

2:26 The king then told Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your property ¹⁴⁹  in Anathoth. You deserve to die, ¹⁵⁰  but today I will not kill you because you did carry the ark of the sovereign Lord before my father David and you suffered with my father through all his difficult times.” ¹⁵¹  2:27 Solomon dismissed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, ¹⁵²  fulfilling the decree of judgment the Lord made in Shiloh against the family of Eli. ¹⁵³ 

2:28 When the news reached Joab (for Joab had supported ¹⁵⁴  Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom), he ¹⁵⁵  ran to the tent of the Lord and grabbed hold of the horns of the altar. ¹⁵⁶  2:29 When King Solomon heard ¹⁵⁷  that Joab had run to the tent of the Lord and was right there beside the altar, he ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, ¹⁵⁸  “Go, strike him down.” 2:30 When Benaiah arrived at the tent of the Lord, he said to him, “The king says, ‘Come out!’” But he replied, “No, I will die here!” So Benaiah sent word to the king and reported Joab’s reply. ¹⁵⁹  2:31 The king told him, “Do as he said! Strike him down and bury him. Take away from me and from my father’s family ¹⁶⁰  the guilt of Joab’s murderous, bloody deeds. ¹⁶¹  2:32 May the Lord punish him for the blood he shed; ¹⁶²  behind my father David’s back he struck down and murdered with the sword two men who were more innocent and morally upright than he ¹⁶³  – Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 2:33 May Joab and his descendants be perpetually guilty of their shed blood, but may the Lord give perpetual peace to David, his descendants, his family, ¹⁶⁴  and his dynasty.” ¹⁶⁵  2:34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and executed Joab; ¹⁶⁶  he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 2:35 The king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada to take his place at the head of ¹⁶⁷  the army, and the king appointed Zadok the priest to take Abiathar’s place. ¹⁶⁸ 

2:36 Next the king summoned ¹⁶⁹  Shimei and told him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem ¹⁷⁰  and live there – but you may not leave there to go anywhere! ¹⁷¹  2:37 If you ever do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die! You will be responsible for your own death.” ¹⁷²  2:38 Shimei said to the king, “My master the king’s proposal is acceptable. ¹⁷³  Your servant will do as you say.” ¹⁷⁴  So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. ¹⁷⁵ 

2:39 Three years later two of Shimei’s servants ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. Shimei was told, “Look, your servants are in Gath.” 2:40 So Shimei got up, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to find his servants; Shimei went and brought back his servants from Gath. 2:41 When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had then returned, 2:42 the king summoned ¹⁷⁶  Shimei and said to him, “You will recall ¹⁷⁷  that I made you take an oath by the Lord, and I solemnly warned you, ‘If you ever leave and go anywhere, ¹⁷⁸  know for sure that you will certainly die.’ You said to me, ‘The proposal is acceptable; I agree to it.’ ¹⁷⁹  2:43 Why then have you broken the oath you made before the Lord and disobeyed the order I gave you?” ¹⁸⁰  2:44 Then the king said to Shimei, “You are well aware of the way you mistreated my father David. ¹⁸¹  The Lord will punish you for what you did. ¹⁸²  2:45 But King Solomon will be empowered ¹⁸³  and David’s dynasty ¹⁸⁴  will endure permanently before the Lord.” 2:46 The king then gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada who went and executed Shimei. ¹⁸⁵ 

So Solomon took firm control of the kingdom. ¹⁸⁶ 

2:1 The heavens and the earth ¹  were completed with everything that was in them. ²  2:2 By ³  the seventh day God finished the work that he had been doing, ⁴  and he ceased ⁵  on the seventh day all the work that he had been doing. 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and made it holy ⁶  because on it he ceased all the work that he ⁷  had been doing in creation. ⁸ 

2:4 This is the account ⁹  of the heavens and the earth ¹⁰  when they were created – when the Lord God ¹¹  made the earth and heavens. ¹² 

2:5 Now ¹³  no shrub of the field had yet grown on the earth, and no plant of the field ¹⁴  had yet sprouted, for the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to cultivate the ground. ¹⁵  2:6 Springs ¹⁶  would well up ¹⁷  from the earth and water ¹⁸  the whole surface of the ground. ¹⁹  2:7 The Lord God formed ²⁰  the man from the soil of the ground ²¹  and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, ²²  and the man became a living being. ²³ 

2:8 The Lord God planted an orchard ²⁴  in the east, ²⁵  in Eden; ²⁶  and there he placed the man he had formed. ²⁷  2:9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow from the soil, ²⁸  every tree that was pleasing to look at ²⁹  and good for food. (Now ³⁰  the tree of life ³¹  and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil ³²  were in the middle of the orchard.)

2:10 Now ³³  a river flows ³⁴  from Eden ³⁵  to water the orchard, and from there it divides ³⁶  into four headstreams. ³⁷  2:11 The name of the first is Pishon; it runs through ³⁸  the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. 2:12 (The gold of that land is pure; ³⁹  pearls ⁴⁰  and lapis lazuli ⁴¹  are also there). 2:13 The name of the second river is Gihon; it runs through ⁴²  the entire land of Cush. ⁴³  2:14 The name of the third river is Tigris; it runs along the east side of Assyria. ⁴⁴  The fourth river is the Euphrates.

2:15 The Lord God took the man and placed ⁴⁵  him in the orchard in ⁴⁶  Eden to care for it and to maintain it. ⁴⁷  2:16 Then the Lord God commanded ⁴⁸  the man, “You may freely eat ⁴⁹  fruit ⁵⁰  from every tree of the orchard, 2:17 but ⁵¹  you must not eat ⁵²  from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when ⁵³  you eat from it you will surely die.” ⁵⁴ 

2:18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. ⁵⁵  I will make a companion ⁵⁶  for him who corresponds to him.” ⁵⁷  2:19 The Lord God formed ⁵⁸  out of the ground every living animal of the field and every bird of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would ⁵⁹  name them, and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 2:20 So the man named all the animals, the birds of the air, and the living creatures of the field, but for Adam ⁶⁰  no companion who corresponded to him was found. ⁶¹  2:21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, ⁶²  and while he was asleep, ⁶³  he took part of the man’s side ⁶⁴  and closed up the place with flesh. ⁶⁵  2:22 Then the Lord God made ⁶⁶  a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. 2:23 Then the man said,

“This one at last ⁶⁷  is bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

this one will be called ⁶⁸  ‘woman,’

for she was taken out of ⁶⁹  man.” ⁷⁰ 

2:24 That is why ⁷¹  a man leaves ⁷²  his father and mother and unites with ⁷³  his wife, and they become a new family. ⁷⁴  2:25 The man and his wife were both naked, ⁷⁵  but they were not ashamed. ⁷⁶