Now, King David, was old, advanced in days, - and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.

Wherefore his servants said unto him - Let there be sought for my lord the king, a young woman - a virgin, so shall she stand before the king, that she may become his companion, - and she shall lie in thy bosom, and my lord the king shall get, heat.

So they sought a fair young woman, throughout all the bounds of Israel, - and found Abishag, the Shunammite, and brought her in, unto the king.

Now, the young woman, was exceeding fair, - so she became unto the king a companion, and ministered unto him, but, the king, knew her not.

And, Adonijah son of Haggith, exalted himself, saying - I, will be king. Therefore prepared he for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

Now his father had not displeased him all his days, by saying - Why, thus, hast thou done? Moreover also, he, was of exceeding handsome appearance, and, him, did his mother bear, after Absolom.

So then he had speech with Joab, son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, - and they gave help, following Adonijah.

But, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and heifers, near the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, - and invited all his brethren, sons of the king, and all the men of Judah, servants of the king;

but, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he invited not.

Then spake Nathan unto Bath-sheba mother of Solomon, saying - Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath become king, and, our lord David, knoweth it not?

Now, therefore, come; let me give thee counsel, I pray thee, - so shalt thou rescue thine own life, and the life of thy son, Solomon.

Go, and get thee in unto King David, and thou shalt say unto him - Didst not, thou thyself, my lord O king, swear unto thy handmaid, saying - Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, yea, he, shall sit upon my throne? Why, then, hath, Adonijah, become king?

Lo! while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I also, will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.

So Bath-sheba went in unto the king, into the chamber, now, the king, was very old, - and Abishag the Shunammite, was ministering unto the king.

And Bath-sheba bowed, and did homage unto the king, - and the king said - What aileth thee?

And she said unto him - My lord, thou thyself, didst swear by Yahweh thy God, unto thy handmaid, Assuredly, Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, - yea, he, shall sit upon my throne.

and he hath sacrificed oxen and heifers and sheep, in abundance, and hath invited all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab general of the army, - but, Solomon thy servant, hath he not invited.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, then shall I and my son Solomon be counted, offenders.

And lo! while yet she was speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet, came in.

So they told the king, saying, Lo! Nathan the prophet! And, when he had come in before the king, he bowed himself down to the king with his face to the ground.

For he hath gone down to-day, and hath sacrificed oxen and heifers and sheep, in abundance, and hath invited all the sons of the king, and the generals of the army, and Abiathar the priest, and, there they are - eating and drinking before him, - and they have said - Long live King Adonijah!

But, me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Solomon thy servant, hath he not invited.

If, of my lord the king, this thing had been brought to pass, then wouldest thou not have made known unto thy servant, who should sit upon the throne of my lord the king, after him?

Then responded King David, and said, Call me Bath-sheba. So she came in before the king, and stood before the king.

And the king sware, and said, - By the life of Yahweh, who hath redeemed my life out of every strait,

even as I sware unto thee by Yahweh, God of Israel, saying, Assuredly, Solomon thy son, shall become king after me, yea, he, shall sit upon my throne, in my stead, even so, will I do this day.

Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the ground, and did homage unto the king, - and said - Let my lord, King David, live to times age-abiding!

Then said King David - Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada. And they came in before the king.

Then said the king unto them - Take ye with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon the mule which pertaineth unto myself, - and bring him down unto Gihon;

then shall Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel, - and ye shall blow with the horn, and say - Long live King Solomon!

Then shall ye come up after him, and he shall enter, and sit upon my throne, yea, he, shall become king in my stead; even, him, have I charged to become leader, over Israel, and over Judah.

Then did Benaiah son of Jehoiada make response unto the king, and say - Amen! so, say Yahweh, God of my lord the king.

As Yahweh hath been with my lord the king, so, let him he with Solomon, - and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord, King David.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, with the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon the mule of King David, - and they escorted him to Gihon.

Then took Zadok the priest, the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon, - and they blew with a ram's horn, and all the people said, Long live King Solomon!

And all the people came up after him, the people themselves also, playing with flutes, and rejoicing with great joy, - so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

And Adonijah, and all the guests who were with him, heard it, just as, they, had made an end of eating, - and, when Joab heard the sound of a horn, he said - Wherefore the noise of the city, in tumult?

While yet he was speaking, lo! Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest, came in, - and Adonijah said - Come in, for, a worthy man, thou art, and, good tidings, dost thou bring.

But Jonathan responded and said to Adonijah, - Of a truth, our lord, King David, hath made, Solomon, king.

And the king hath sent with him - Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, with the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, - and they have caused him to ride upon the mule of the king;

and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king, in Gihon, and they went up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again, - That, is the noise ye have heard.

Moreover also, the servants of the king have been in, to bless our lord King David, saying - Thy God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne, - And the king bowed himself upon his bed.

Moreover also, thus and thus, hath said the king, - Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, who hath given, to-day, one to sit upon my throne, mine own eyes also beholding it.

Then trembled and rose up, all Adonijah's guests, - and departed, every man his own way.

Adonijah also, feared because of Solomon, - and rose and went, and caught hold of the horns of the altar.

And it was told Solomon, saying, Lo! Adonijah, feareth King Solomon, - lo! therefore, he hath laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon swear unto me at once that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.

So King Solomon sent, and brought him down from the altar, and he came in, and bowed himself down to King Solomon, - and Solomon said unto him - Go to thine own house.

And, when the days of David drew near that he must die, he charged Solomon his son, saying: -

I, am going the way of all the earth, - thou must be strong, therefore, and show thyself a man;

and keep the observances of Yahweh thy God, by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments, and his regulations and his testimonies, as written in the law of Moses, - to the end thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself;

to the end that Yahweh may establish his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy sons will take heed to their way, by walking before me, in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, (then, said he) there shall not be cut off to thee a man, from off the throne of Israel.

Moreover also, thou, knowest what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with two generals of the armies of Israel - with Abner son of Ner, and with Amasa son of Jether - both of whom he slew, shedding the blood of war in peace, - and putting the blood of war upon his girdle that was on his loins, and upon his sandals, that were on his feet.

But, with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, thou wilt deal in lovingkindness, and they will be among them who eat at thy table, - for, so, drew they near unto me, when I fled from Absolom thy brother.

Lo! also, there is with thee - Shimei son of Gera a Benjamite, of Behurim, well, he, it was who cursed me with a grievous curse; on the day I journeyed to Mahanaim, - but he, came down to meet me, at the Jordan, and so I sware to him by Yahweh, saying - I will not put thee to death, with the sword.

Now, therefore do not hold him guiltless, for, a wise man, thou art, and wilt know how thou oughtest to deal with him, and wilt suffer his grey hairs to go down with blood, to hades.

So then David slept with his fathers, - and was buried in the city of David.

Now, the days that David reigned over Israel, were forty years, - in Hebron, reigned he seven years, and, in Jerusalem, reigned he thirty and three years.

And Adonijah son of Haggith came in unto Bath-sheba, mother of Solomon: And she said - Peaceably, comest thou? And he said - Peaceably.

Then said he - I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said - Say on.

And he said - Thou, knowest that, mine, was the kingdom, and, on me, had all Israel set their faces, that I should become king, - howbeit the kingdom, hath turned about, and become my brother's, for, from Yahweh, became it, his.

And she said unto him - Say on. And he said - Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, for he will not turn away thy face, - that he give me Abishag the Shunammite, to wife.

And Bath-sheba said: Good! I myself, will speak for thee, unto the king.

So Bath-sheba went in unto King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah, - and the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself down to her, and sat down upon his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the mother of the king, and she sat on his right hand.

Then said she - One small request, am I asking of thee, do not turn away my face. And the king said to her - Ask on, my mother, for I will not turn away thy face.

And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother, to wife.

Then answered King Solomon, and said to his mother - Wherefore, then, art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite, for Adonijah? ask, then, for him the kingdom, because he is mine elder brother, - even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab, son of Zeruiah.

Then swore King Solomon by Yahweh, saying, - So, let God do to me, and, so, let him add, if, at the cost of his life, Adonijah hath not spoken this word.

Now, therefore, by the life of Yahweh, who hath established me, and seated me upon the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me a household, as he had spoken, surely, to-day, shall Adonijah be put to death!

So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, - and he fell upon him, that he died.

Also, unto Abiathar the priest, said the king - To Anathoth, get thee unto thine own fields, for, death-doomed, thou art, - but, this day, will I not put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of My Lord, Yahweh, before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto Yahweh, - to fulfil the word of Yahweh which he spake concerning the household of Eli, in Shiloh.

And, the report, came unto Joab, for, Joab, had inclined after Adonijah, although, after Solomon, he had not inclined, - so then Joab fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and laid hold of the horns of the altar.

And it was told King Solomon - Joab hath fled into the Tent of Yahweh, and, there he is, beside the altar. So Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying - Go fall upon him!

And Benaiah came into the Tent of Yahweh, and said unto him - Thus, saith the king, Come forth! And he said - Nay! but, here, will I die! So Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus, spake Joab, and, thus, he answered me.

And the king said to him - Do as he hath spoken, fall, then, upon him, and bury him, - and so put away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;

thus will Yahweh bring back his blood upon his own head, in that he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing it, - even Abner son of Ner, general of the army of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, general of the army of Judah;

thus shall their blood come back upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed unto times age-abiding, - but, David and his seed, and his house, and his throne, shall have peace, unto times age-abiding, from Yahweh.

So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and put him to death, - and he was buried in his own house, in the wilderness.

And the king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada, in his stead, over the army, - and, Zadok the priest, did the king put in the stead of Abiathar.

And the king sent, and called for Shimei, and said to him - Build thee a house, in Jerusalem, so shalt thou dwell there, - and shalt not go forth from thence, hither or thither;

but it shall be that, on the day thou goest forth, and passest over the Kidron ravine, know, that thou shalt, die, - thy blood, shall be, upon thine own head.

And Shimei said to the king - Good, is the word, as my lord the king hath spoken, so, will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

But it came to pass, at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei fled unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath, - and they told Shimei, saying - Lo! thy servants are in Gath.

So Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath, unto Achish, to seek his servants - and Shimei went and brought in his servants, from Gath.

And it was told Solomon - Shimei hath been out of Jerusalem to Gath, and returned.

Then sent the king and called for Shimei, and said unto him - Did I not put thee on oath by Yahweh, and adjure thee, saying - On the day thou goest forth and takest thy journey hither or thither, know, that thou shalt, die. Then saidst thou unto me - Good, is the word I have heard.

Why then, hast thou not kept the oath of Yahweh, - and the charge which I laid upon thee?

Then said the king unto Shimei - Thou, knowest all the wickedness which thy heart is privy to, which thou didst unto David my father, - therefore shall Yahweh bring back thy wickedness, upon thine own head.

But, King Solomon, shall be blessed, - and, the throne of David, shall be established before Yahweh, unto times age-abiding.

So the king charged Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell upon him, that he died, - and, the kingdom, was established in the hand of Solomon.

And Solomon contracted an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt, - and took the daughter of Pharaoh, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Yahweh, and the wall of Jerusalem, round about.

Save only, that the people were sacrificing in the high places, - because there had not been built a house unto the Name of Yahweh, until those days,

Solomon loved Yahweh, by walking in the statutes of David his father, - save only, that, in the high places, he himself, was sacrificing and offering incense.

So then the king went to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for, that, was the great high place, - a thousand ascending-sacrifices, did Solomon offer up on that altar.

In Gibeon, Yahweh appeared unto Solomon, in a dream by night, - and God said, Ask, what I shall give thee.

Then said Solomon - Thou, didst deal, with thy servant David my father, in great lovingkindness, 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 lovingkindness, that thou hast given unto him a son, to sit upon his throne, as it is this day.

Now, therefore, O Yahweh my God, thou, hast made thy servant king, instead of David my father, - and, I, am but a little child, I know not how to go out and come in.

And, thy servant, is in the midst of thy people, whom thou hast chosen, - a numerous people, that cannot be numbered or summed up, for multitude.

Wilt thou, then, give unto thy servant, a heart that hearkeneth, to judge thy people, to discern between good and bad, - for who is able to judge this thine honoured people?