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- Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm.
- So his servants said to him, "Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm."
- So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
- The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not cohabit with her.
- Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king " So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him.
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- When King David was old and well advanced in years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.
- So his servants said to him, "Let us look for a young virgin to attend the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm."
- Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
- The girl was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her.
- Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, "I will be king." So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.
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- His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.
- He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him.
- But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.
- Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants.
- But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.
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- (His father had never interfered with him by asking, "Why do you behave as you do?" He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
- Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support.
- But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David's special guard did not join Adonijah.
- Adonijah 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 men of Judah who were royal officials,
- but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.
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- Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it?
- "So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
- "Go at once to King David and say to him, 'Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?'
- "Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words."
- So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king.
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- Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king without our lord David's knowing it?
- Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
- Go 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?'
- While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm what you have said."
- So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him.
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- Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, "What do you wish?"
- She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, 'Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.'
- "Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it.
- "He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.
- "As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
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- Bathsheba bowed low and knelt before the king. "What is it you want?" the king asked.
- She 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.'
- But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it.
- He 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.
- My 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.
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- "Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders."
- Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
- They told the king, saying, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.
- Then Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne'?
- "For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, 'Long live King Adonijah!'
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- Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals."
- While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived.
- And they told the king, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
- Nathan said, "Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne?
- Today 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!'
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- "But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.
- "Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
- Then King David said, "Call Bathsheba to me." And she came into the king's presence and stood before the king.
- The king vowed and said, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,
- surely as I vowed to you by the LORD the God of Israel, saying, 'Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place'; I will indeed do so this day."
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- But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite.
- Is 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?"
- Then King David said, "Call in Bathsheba." So she came into the king's presence and stood before him.
- The king then took an oath: "As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble,
- I will surely carry out today 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."
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- Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and prostrated herself before the king and said, "May my lord King David live forever."
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- Then Bathsheba bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the king, said, "May my lord King David live forever!"
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