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Da Kong David var gammel og til års, kunne han ikke blive varm, skønt man dækkede ham til med Tæpper.

Så søgte de efter en smuk ung Pige i hele Israels Land og fandt Abisjag fra Sjunem og bragte hende til Kongen.

Hun var en såre smuk Pige: og hun plejede kongen og gik ham til Hånde; men Kongen havde ikke Omgang med hende.

Han underhandlede med Joab, Zerujas Søn, og Præsten Ebjatar; de tog Adonijas Parti og støttede ham,

mens Præsten Zadok, Jojadas Søn Benaja, Profeten Natan, Sjim i og Re'i og Davids Kærnetropper ikke sluttede sig til Adonija.

Adonija lod nu slagte Små kvæg, Hornkvæg og Fedekvæg ved Slangestenen, der står ved Rogelkilden, og indbød alle sine Brødre, Kongesønnerne, og alle de judæiske Mænd, der stod i Kongens Tjeneste;

men Profeten Natan, Benaja, Kærnetropperne og sin Broder Salomo indbød han ikke.

Lad mig nu give dig et Råd, for at du kan redde dit eget og din søn Salomos Liv:

Du skal gå ind til Kong David og sige til ham: Herre konge, du har jo tilsvoret din Trælkvinde: Din Søn Salomo skal være Konge efter mig og sidde på min Trone! Hvorfor har da Adonija opkastet sig til Konge?

Da gik Batseba ind til kongen i hans Værelse - Kongen var meget gammel, og Abisjag fra Sjunem gik ham til Hånde -

Men se, nu har Adonija opkastet sig til Konge uden dit Vidende, Herre Konge!

Han har ladet slagte Hornkvæg, Fedekvæg og Småkvæg i Mængde og indbudt alle Kongesønnerne, Præsten Ebjatar og Hærføreren Joab, men din Træl Salomo har han ikke indbudt.

På dig, Herre Konge, er hele Israels Øjne rettet, for at du skal give dem til Kende, hvem der skal være din Efterfølger og sidde på min Herre Kongens Trone.

Medens hun endnu talte med Kongen, kom Profeten Natan,

Thi han er i Dag draget ned og har ladet slagte Hornkvæg, Fedekvæg og Småkvæg i Mængde og indbudt alle Kongesønnerne, Hærførerne og Præsten Ebjatar, og nu spiser og drikker de sammen med ham og råber: Leve Kong Adonija!

Men han har hverken indbudt mig, din Træl, eller Præsten Zadok eller Benaja, Jojadas Søn, eller din Træl Salomo!

Der skal Præsten Zadok og Profeten Natan salve ham til Konge over Israel, og I skal støde i Hornet og råbe: Leve Kong Salomo!

Derpå drog Præsten Zadok, Profeten Natan og Benaja, Jojadas Søn, og Kreterne og Pleterne ned og satte Salomo på Kong Davids Muldyr og førte ham til Gihon;

Så fulgte hele Folket ham op og Folket spillede på Fløjter og jublede højt, så at Jorden var ved at revne af deres Råb.

Kongen sendte Præsten Zadok, Profeten Natan, Benaja, Jojadas Søn, og Kreterne og Pleterne med ham, og de satte ham på Kongens Muldyr;

og Præsten Zadok og Profeten Natan salvede ham til Konge ved Gihon; derefter drog de under Jubel op derfra, og der blev Røre i Byen; det var den Larm, I hørte.

Salomo satte sig også på Kongetronen;

tilmed kom Kongens Folk og lykønskede vor Herre Kong David med de Ord: Måtte din Gud gøre Salomos Navn endnu herligere end dit og hans Trone mægtigere end din! Og Kongen tilbad på sit Leje;

Da blev alle Adonijas Gæster skrækslagne og brød op og gik hver sin Vej;

men Adonija frygtede for Salomo og ilede hen og greb fat om Alterets Horn.

Now king David was old {and} stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. {stricken...: Heb. entered into days}

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 let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. {Let there...: Heb. Let them seek} {a young...: Heb. a damsel, a virgin} {cherish...: Heb. be a cherisher unto him}

So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

And the damsel {was} very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not.

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. {be king: Heb. reign}

And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also {was a} very goodly {man}; and {his mother} bare him after Absalom. {at any...: Heb. from his days}

And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped {him}. {he...: Heb. his words were with} {following...: Heb. helped after Adonijah}

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

And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which {is} by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: {Enrogel: or, the well Rogel}

But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth {it} not?

Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?

Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. {confirm: Heb. fill up}

And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

And Bathsheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? {What...: Heb. What to thee?}

And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, {saying}, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest {it} not:

And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel {are} upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. {offenders: Heb. sinners}

And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?

For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle 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 say, God save king Adonijah. {God...: Heb. Let king Adonijah live}

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

Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed {it} unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?

Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. {into...: Heb. before the king}

And the king sware, and said, {As} the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

Then Bathsheba bowed with {her} face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.

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.

The king also said 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: {mine...: Heb. which belongeth to me}

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.

Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so {too}.

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.

So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

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. {pipes: or, flutes}

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?

And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou {art} a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

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:

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.

And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

And also thus said the king, Blessed {be} the LORD God of Israel, which hath given {one} to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing {it}.

And all the guests that {were} with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.

And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.

And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.

So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.