1st Kings — 1
Aduniyah Presumes to Be King
1 Now King Daud was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.
2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our master the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our master the king may be warm.”
3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Yashar'AL, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.
5 Then Aduniyahu the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalum.)
7 Then he conferred with Yuab the son of Zaruyahu and with Abiathar the Kuhan, and they followed and helped Aduniyahu.
8 But Zaduk the Kuhan, Banayahu the son of Yahuiada, Nathan the Nabym, Shimai, Rai, and the mighty men who belonged to Daud were not with Aduniyahu.
9 And Aduniyahu sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zuhalath, which is by An Rugal; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Yahudah, the king’s servants.
10 But he did not invite Nathan the Nabym, Banayahu, the mighty men, or Shalumah his brother.
11 So Nathan spoke to Bathshaba the mother of Shalumah, saying, “Have you not heard that Aduniyahu the son of Haggith has become king, and Daud our master does not know it?
12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Shalumah.
13 Go immediately to King Daud and say to him, ‘my master, O king, did you not swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Shalumah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Aduniyahu become king?’
14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15 So Bathshaba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.)
16 And Bathshaba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”
17 Then she said to him, “My master, you swore by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Shalumah your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’
18 So now, look! Aduniyahu has become king; and now, my master the king, you do not know about it.
19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the Kuhan, and Yuab the commander of the army; but Shalumah your servant he has not invited.
20 And as for you, my master, O king, the eyes of all Yashar'AL are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.
21 Otherwise it will happen, when my master the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Shalumah will be counted as offenders.”
22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the Nabym also came in.
23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the Nabym.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.
24 And Nathan said, “My master, O king, have you said, ‘Aduniyahu shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?
25 For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the Kuhan; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Aduniyahu!’
26 But he has not invited me your servant, nor Zaduk the Kuhan, nor Banayahu the son of Yahuiada, nor your servant Shalumah.
27 Has this thing been done by my master the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my master the king after him?”
Daud Proclaims Shalumah King
28 Then King Daud answered and said, “Call Bathshaba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.
29 And the king took an oath and said, “As 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress,
30 just as I swore to you by 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, saying, ‘Assuredly Shalumah your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”
31 Then Bathshaba bowed with her face to the Arath, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my master King Daud live forever!”
32 And King Daud said, “Call to me Zaduk the Kuhan, Nathan the Nabym, and Banayahu the son of Yahuiada.” So they came before the king.
33 The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your master, and have Shalumah my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihun.
34 There let Zaduk the Kuhan and Nathan the Nabym anoint him king over Yashar'AL; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Shalumah!’
35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Yashar'AL and Yahudah.”
36 Banayahu the son of Yahuiada answered the king and said, “So be it! May 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of my master the king say so too.
37 As 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has been with my master the king, even so may 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH be with Shalumah, and make his throne greater than the throne of my master King Daud.”
38 So Zaduk the Kuhan, Nathan the Nabym, Banayahu the son of Yahuiada, the Charathites, and the Palathites went down and had Shalumah ride on King Daud’s mule, and took him to Gihun.
39 Then Zaduk the Kuhan took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Shalumah. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Shalumah!”
40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the Arath seemed to split with their sound.
41 Now Aduniyahu and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Yuab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?”
42 While he was still speaking, there came Yunathan, the son of Abiathar the Kuhan. And Aduniyahu said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”
43 Then Yunathan answered and said to Aduniyahu, “No! Our master King Daud has made Shalumah king.
44 The king has sent with him Zaduk the Kuhan, Nathan the Nabym, Banayahu the son of Yahuiada, the Charathites, and the Palathites; and they have made Shalumah ride on the king’s mule.
45 So Zaduk the Kuhan and Nathan the Nabym have anointed Shalumah king at Gihun; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.
46 Also Shalumah sits on the throne of the kingdom.
47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to barak our master King Daud, saying, ‘May 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH make the name of Shalumah better than your name, and may 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed.
48 Also the king said thus, ‘baraked be 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’ ”
49 So all the guests who were with Aduniyahu were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.
50 Now Aduniyahu was afraid of Shalumah; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.
51 And they told Shalumah, saying, “Indeed Aduniyahu is afraid of him; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Shalumah swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”
52 Then Shalumah said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the Arath; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”
53 So King Shalumah sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Shalumah; and Shalumah said to him, “Go to your house.”