a Josh. 19. 18. 2 Sam. 15. 1. THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS. I Now king David was old I and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and cherish him; and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag the "Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 And the damsel was very fair; and she cherished the king, and ministered to him; but the king b2 Sam. 3. 4. knew her not. 5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 And his father had not displeased him 1at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he was d? Sam. 3. also a very goodly man; and he was born after Absalom. 7 And he conferred with Joab the son of J2 Sam. 20. Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest and they following Adonijah helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the See 2 Sam. mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 9 And Adonijah 2 slew sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, Josh. 15. 7. which is beside En-rogel; and he called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: 10 but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the 12 Sam. 12. mighty men, and 'Solomon his brother, he called not. 11 Then Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? 12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy 1 Chr. 3. 2. e 2 Sam. 2. 13, 18. 25. 92 Sam. 8. 18. k 2 Sam. 12. 1. i ch. 4. 18. 23.8-39. 2 Sam. 17. 17. 24. m m ver. 30. 23.9. son Solomon. 13 Go and get thee 1 Or, all his life 2 Or, sacrificed S Another reading is, and now, my lord the king, thou &c. och. 2. 10. 2 Sam. 7.12. Cp. Deut. 31. 16. 10. 24. q ver. 8, 10, 32. r See Ruth 3. 13. Neh. 2. 3. Dan. 2. 4 & 3.9 & 5. 10 & 6. 6, 21. fatlings and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and » See 1Sam. Say, P God save king Adonijah. 269 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. 27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed unto thy 1 servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? 28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. 29 And the king sware, and said, "As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed s ver. 13, 17. my soul out of all adversity, 30 verily as I sware unto thee by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; verily so will I do this day. 31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did obeisance to the king, and said, 'Let my lord king David live for ever. 32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 33 And the king said 2 Sam. 11. unto them, Take with you "the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: 34 and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet "anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, "God save king Solomon. 35 Then ye shall come up after him, and he See 1 Sam. shall come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be 2 prince over Israel and over Judah, 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD, the God of my lord the z See 1 Sam. king, say so too. 37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. 38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of b See 2 Sam. Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and 1 Another reading is, servant. 2 Or, leader 11 & 20. 6. 30 2 Chr. 32. & 33. 14. 10. 1. See 1 Sam. a 2 Sam. 15. 10. 2 Kin. 9. 13 & 11. 14. y Cp. ver.25. 10. 24. 20. 13. a ver. 47. 8. 18. v 2 e caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to "Gihon. 39 And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, "God save king Solomon. 40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. 41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? 42 While he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the e2 Sam. 15. son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said, Come in; for thou art a worthy man, and bringest good tidings. 43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king: 44 and the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule : 45 and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46 And also Solomon sitteth on the 71 Chr. 29. throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, h3 27. 23. 47. 81. jch. 3.6. Cp. Ps. 132. 11,12. Thy God make the name of Solo- hver. 37. mon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne: and the king 'bowed him- Cp. Gen. self upon the bed. 48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. 49 And all the guests of Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon; and he arose, and went, and caught & ch. 2. 28. hold on the horns of the altar. Ex. 27.2. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon for, lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me this 3 Another reading omits Thy. 4 Or, first of all " Cp. Gen. 47.29. o Josh. 23. 14. 1. 6, 7. Deut. 29.9. 1 Chr. 22. Cp. 1 Sam. 18. 5, 14, 15, 30 & mg. r 2 Sam. 7. 23. P. 132. 12. & 9.4 * ch. 8. 25 2 Sam. 7. 2 Sam. 18. 3, 12, 14. Cp. 2 Sam. 1 I Now "the days of David 2 drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 2oI go the way of all the P See Josh. earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; 3 and keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgements, and his testimonies, according to that which is written in the law of Moses, that thou may est prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 4 that the LORD may restablish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, "If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, "there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. 5 Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah "did unto me, even what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and 2 shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Cp. ver. 9. 6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 7 E But shew kindness unto the sons z Bee 2 Sam. of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be "of those that eat at thy table for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom thy brother. 8 And, behold, there is with thee Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite, of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the 42 Sam. 17. day dwhen I went to Mahanaim: e but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. 9 Now 1 Or, do wisely 2 Heb. set. 3. 33. #ver. 82. 2 Sam.3.27. z 2 Sam. 20. 10. 19. 31-38. @ 2 Sam. 9. 7, 10. b2 Sam. 17. 27-29. € 2 Sam. 16. 5. 24. 2 Sam. 19. 14. 3 therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man ; and thou wilt know what thou oughtest to do unto him, and thou shalt bring his hoar head down to the grave with blood. 10 And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. II And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And 23. 1 Chr. 29. Chr. 1. 1. 12 And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. 13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, 'Com- 11 Sam. 16.4. est thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel 5,25. set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: "for it was his from the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition of thee, 4o deny me not. she said unto him, Say on. 17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me PAbishag the Shunammite to wife. pch. 1.3, 4. 18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother; and she Cp. F. sat on his right hand. 20 Then she said, I ask one small petition of thee; deny me not. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not deny thee. 21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. 22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask PAbishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. 23 Then king Solomon ? See Ruth 1. 17. 3. 13. v 2 Sam. 7. 11, 13. 1 Chr. 22. 10. w 2 Sam. 8. 18. x Josh. 21. 18. y 1 Sam. 26. 16 (mg. for mg.). 21 Sam. 23. 6. 2 Sam. 15. a See 1 Sam. 22. 20-23. 2 b Cp. ver. 35. afflicted. 2. 27-36. d ch. 1. 7. 25 с sware by the LORD, saying, 'God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 24 Now See Ruth therefore "as the LORD liveth, who hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, "as he promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him, that he died. 26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art 1 worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was b 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulc See 1 Sam. fil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. 28 And the tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned e 2 Sam. 17. after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the Tent of the LORD, and fch. 1.50. caught hold on the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon, Joab is filed unto the Tent of the LORD, and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. 30 And Benaiah came to the Tent of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. 31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the blood, which Joab shed without cause, from me and from my father's house. 32 And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, because he fell 2 Chr. 21. upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, and my father David knew it not, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, 12 Sam. 20. and 'Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. 33 So & 18. 2. 14. Cp. Ex. 21. Num. 35. Deut. 19.13 33. & 21. 8, 9. i See Judg. 9.24. 13. k ver. 5. 2 Sam.3.27. 9, 10. m ch. 4. 4. o ver. 27. p ver. 8. 23. 1. 16. shall their blood return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but unto David, and unto his seed, and unto his house, and unto his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 m And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: " and Zadok n 1 Chr. 29. the priest did the king put in the 22 room of Abiathar. 36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. 37 For on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kid- 92 Sam. 15. ron, know thou for certain that thou shalt surely die: "thy blood r See 2 Sam. shall be upon thine own head. 38 And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. 39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish, son of Maacah, Cp. 18am. king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish, to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. 42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for certain, that on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The saying that I have heard is good. 43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which See 2 Sam. thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall "return thy wickedness upon thine own head. 45 But king Solomon shall be blessed, and r ch. 7. 8 & 9. 16, 24 & 2 Chr. 8. 11. y See ch. 2. 10. z ch. 7. 1. Seech. 6. beh. 9. 15. ech. 22. 43. Cp. Deut. 12.2, 3. d Deut. 6.5 Cp. Ps. 31. 23. e ver. 6, 14. ƒ2 Chr. 1. 3, 6, 13. 16. 39 & 21. 29. 9 For ver. 5-14. see 2 Chr. 1. 7-12. A ch. 9. 2 & 11. 9. 12. 6 & Matt. 1. 20 & 2. 13, 19. j ch. 2. 4 & 9.4. Cp. Ps. 15.2. k ch. 1. 48. 1Cp. 1 Chr. 23. 5. 3 with Pharaoh king of Egypt, : e k 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the Cp. Chr. great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5 In Gibeon "the LORD appeared to Solomon 'in a dream by night and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon Cp. Num. said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great kindness, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O LORD my God, 'thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: mand I am but a little child; I know not "how to go out or come in. 8° And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, Gen. 13.16 P that cannot be numbered nor Cp. Prov. counted for multitude. 9 Give thy servant therefore an 1 understanding heart to judge thy people, that I Cp. 2 Sam. may discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this thy 2 great people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself under- 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, a and stood before him. 17 And the aNum.27.2. one woman said, Oh my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. 18 And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered, that this woman was delivered also; and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house. 19 And this woman's child died in the night; because she overlaid it. 20 And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom. 21 And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear. 22 And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. 23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Fetch me a sword. And they brought a sword before the 3 Heb. many days. 4 Heb. hear. And 5 Or, hath not been |