1 Kings 1:11-31 - Solomon's Intercessors

¹¹ And Nathan speaketh unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, saying, 'Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath reigned, and our lord David hath not known? ¹² and now, come, let me counsel thee, I pray thee, and deliver thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon; ¹³ go and enter in unto king David, and thou hast said unto him, Hast thou not, my lord, O king, sworn to thy handmaid, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne? and wherefore hath Adonijah reigned? ¹⁴ Lo, thou are yet speaking there with the king, and I come in after thee, and have completed thy words.'

¹⁵ And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto the king, to the inner chamber, and the king is very aged, and Abishag the Shunammite is serving the king: ¹⁶ and Bath-Sheba boweth and doth obeisance to the king, and the king saith, 'What -- to thee?'

¹⁷ And she saith to him, 'My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid: Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne; ¹⁸ and now, lo, Adonijah hath reigned, and now, my lord, O king, thou hast not known; ¹⁹ and he sacrificeth ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host -- and for Solomon thy servant he hath not called. ²⁰ And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on thee, to declare to them who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him; ²¹ and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon -- reckoned sinners.'

²² And lo, she is yet speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet hath come in; ²³ and they declare to the king, saying, 'Lo, Nathan the prophet;' and he cometh in before the king, and boweth himself to the king, on his face to the earth.

²⁴ And Nathan saith, 'My lord, O king, thou hast said, Adonijah doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne; ²⁵ for he hath gone down to-day, and doth sacrifice ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and lo, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let king Adonijah live! ²⁶ And for me -- me, thy servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and for Solomon thy servant, he hath not called; ²⁷ if from my lord the king this thing hath been, then thou hast not caused thy servant to know who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.'

²⁸ And king David answereth and saith, 'Call for me for Bath-Sheba;' and she cometh in before the king, and standeth before the king. ²⁹ And the king sweareth and saith, 'Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity; ³⁰ surely as I sware to thee by Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne in my stead; surely so I do this day.'

³¹ And Bath-Sheba boweth -- face to the earth -- and doth obeisance to the king, and saith, 'Let my lord, king David, live to the age.'