1 Now King David was old and far on in years; and though they put covers over him, his body was cold.
2 So his servants said to him, Let search be made for a young virgin for my lord the king, to take care of him and be waiting on him; and you may take her in your arms, and so my lord the king will be warm.
3 So after searching through all the land of Israel for a fair young girl, they saw Abishag the Shunammite, and took her to the king.
4 Now she was very beautiful; and she took care of the king, waiting on him at all times; but the king had no connection with her.
5 Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, lifting himself up in pride, said, I will become king; and he made ready his carriages of war and his horsemen, with fifty runners to go before him.
6 Now all his life his father had never gone against him or said to him, Why have you done so? and he was a very good-looking man, and younger than Absalom.
7 And he had talk with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest; and they were on his side and gave him their support.
8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei, and David's men of war did not take the side of Adonijah.
9 Then Adonijah put to death sheep and oxen and fat beasts by the stone of Zoheleth, by En-rogel; and he sent for all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants, to come to him:
10 But he did not send for Nathan the prophet and Benaiah and the other men of war and Solomon his brother.
11 Then Nathan said to Bath-sheba, the mother of Solomon, Has it not come to your ears that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has made himself king without the knowledge of David our lord?
12 So now, let me make a suggestion, so that you may keep your life safe and the life of your son Solomon.
13 Come now, go to King David and say to him, Did you not, O my lord, take an oath to me, your servant, saying, Truly Solomon your son will be king after me, seated on the seat of my kingdom? why then is Adonijah acting as king?
14 And while you are still talking there with the king, see, I will come in after you and say that your story is true.
15 Then Bath-sheba went into the king's room; now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was waiting on him.
16 And Bath-sheba went down on her face on the earth before the king giving him honour. And he said, What is your desire?
17 And she said to him, My lord, you took an oath by the Lord your God and gave your word to your servant, saying, Truly, Solomon your son will be king after me, seated on the seat of my kingdom.
18 And now, see, Adonijah has made himself king without my lord's knowledge;
19 And has put to death oxen and fat beasts and sheep in great numbers, and has sent for all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the captain of the army; but he has not sent for Solomon your servant.
20 And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, waiting for you to say who is to take the place of my lord the king after him.
21 For as things are, it will come about, when my lord the king is sleeping with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son will be made outlaws.
22 And while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in.
23 And they said to the king, Here is Nathan the prophet. And when he came in before the king, he went down on his face on the earth.
24 And Nathan said, O my lord king, have you said, Adonijah is to be king after me, seated on the seat of my kingdom?
25 Because today he has gone down and has put to death oxen and fat beasts and sheep in great numbers, and has sent for all the king's sons to come to him, with the captains of the army and Abiathar the priest; and they are feasting before him and crying, Long life to King Adonijah!
26 But me, your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon, he has not sent for.
27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, without giving word to your servants who was to be placed on my lord the king's seat after him?
28 Then King David in answer said, Send for Bath-sheba to come to me. And she came in and took her place before the king.
29 And the king took an oath, and said, By the living Lord, who has been my saviour from all my troubles,
30 As I took an oath to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, Certainly Solomon your son will become king after me, seated on my seat in my place; so will I do this day.
31 Then Bath-sheba went down on her face on the earth before the king giving him honour, and said, May my lord King David go on living for ever.
32 And King David said, Send for Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
33 And the king said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and put Solomon my son on my beast, yes, mine, and take him down to Gihon;
34 And there let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet put the holy oil on him to make him king over Israel; and sounding the horn say, Long life to King Solomon!
35 Then come up after him and he will come in and take his place on the seat of my kingdom; for he is to be king in my place, and I have given orders that he is to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
36 And Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answering the king, said, So be it: and may the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so.
37 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon and make the seat of his authority greater than that of my lord King David.
38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down and put Solomon on King David's beast and took him to Gihon.
39 And Zadok the priest took the vessel of oil out of the Tent, and put the holy oil on Solomon. And when the horn was sounded, all the people said, Long life to King Solomon!
40 And all the people came up after him, piping with pipes, and they were glad with great joy, so that the earth was shaking with the sound.
41 And it came to the ears of Adonijah and all the guests who were with him, when their meal was ended. And Joab, hearing the sound of the horn, said, What is the reason of this noise as if the town was worked up?
42 And while the words were on his lips, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest, came; and Adonijah said, Come in; for you are a man of good faith and the news which you have for us will be good.
43 And Jonathan, answering, said to Adonijah, Not so, but our lord King David has made Solomon king:
44 And he sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they put him on the king's beast:
45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet put the holy oil on him and made him king in Gihon; and they came back from there with joy, and the town was all worked up. This is the noise which has come to your ears.
46 And now Solomon is seated on the seat of the kingdom.
47 And the king's servants came to our lord King David, blessing him and saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and the seat of his authority greater than your seat; and the king was bent low in worship on his bed.
48 Then the king said, May the God of Israel be praised, who has given one of my seed to be king in my place this day and has let my eyes see it.
49 And all the guests of Adonijah got up in fear and went away, every man to his place.
50 And Adonijah himself was full of fear because of Solomon; and he got up and went to the altar, and put his hands on its horns.
51 And they gave Solomon word of it, saying, See, Adonijah goes in such fear of King Solomon, that he has put his hands on the horns of the altar, saying, Let King Solomon first give me his oath that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.
52 And Solomon said, If he is seen to be a man of good faith, not a hair of him will be touched; but if any wrongdoing is seen in him, he is to be put to death.
53 So King Solomon sent, and they took him down from the altar. And he came and gave honour to King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, Go to your house.
1 Sendo o rei David já muito idoso, tinha enorme dificuldade em se aquecer. Mas, por mais mantas com que o cobrissem, tinha sempre frio.
2 O remédio para isso, disseram-lhe os criados, é procurar-se uma rapariga virgem que cuide do rei e se reclina nos seus braços, mantendo-o assim quente.
3 Então buscaram em todo o país uma rapariga que fosse formosa; seleccionaram Abisague, sunamita. Trouxeram-na para junto do rei; ela cuidava dele, mas não tiveram relações sexuais.
5 Por essa altura, o príncipe Adonias, cuja mãe era Hagite, decidiu por si próprio ocupar o trono, em lugar do seu pai. Reuniu carros, cavaleiros, e recrutou cinquenta homens a pé. Ele era uma pessoa que o pai nunca tinha sabido disciplinar; nunca fora contrariado nem repreendido. Era um indivíduo extremamente bem parecido. Absalão fora seu irmão mais velho. Procurou, igualmente, ganhar a confiança do general Joabe e de Abiatar, o sacerdote, os quais concordaram em colaborar nos seus intentos. Mas houve alguns que permaneceram fiéis ao rei David e que recusaram apoiar Adonias, como foi o caso dos sacerdotes Zadoque e Benaia, o profeta Natã, e ainda Simei, Reé e outras altas patentes do exército do monarca.
9 Adonias foi até En-Rogel e lá sacrificou ovelhas, vacas e bodes cevados, junto à pedra de Zolete. Então convidou todos os irmãos - os outros filhos do rei David - assim como figuras de relevo de Judá, pertencentes à casa real, pedindo-lhes que assistissem à sua coroação. Não convidou contudo nem o profeta Natã, nem Benaia, nem os chefes do exército que tinham permanecido leais, nem o seu irmão Salomão.
11 Natã, o profeta, foi ter com Bate-Seba, mãe de Salomão, e perguntou-lhe: Estás a dar-te conta do que anda a suceder? Adonias, o filho de Hagite, vai tornar-se rei sem que David, o nosso senhor, saiba sequer! Se queres conservar a tua vida e a do teu filho Salomão, faz exactamente o que te vou dizer: Vai já ter com David e põe-lhe esta questão, 'Meu senhor, não me prometeste tu que o meu filho Salomão te sucederia no trono? Por que razão está então Adonias a reinar?'
14 Enquanto estiveres a falar, chegarei eu e confirmarei o que tiveres dito.
15 Bate-Seba assim fez e entrou nos aposentos do rei. Este estava mesmo muito velho e Abisague tratava dele. Bate-Seba inclinou-se perante ele. Que pretendes?, perguntou-lhe o soberano.
17 Meu senhor, tu prometeste-me, na presença do Senhor teu Deus, que o meu filho Salomão seria rei a seguir a ti, e que se sentaria no trono. No entanto, é Adonias que está a ser o rei, e nem sequer estás informado disso. Até já celebrou a sua coroação, sacrificando vacas, bodes engordados e muitas ovelhas; convidou também todos os seus irmãos, mais o sacerdote Abiatar e o general Joabe, com a excepção contudo de Salomão. Agora, todo Israel está à espera da tua decisão, quanto a saber se Adonias é mesmo aquele que escolheste para te suceder. Se não fizeres qualquer coisa, o meu filho Salomão e eu própria seremos presos e executados como qualquer criminoso, logo que venhas a falecer.
22 Enquanto ela falava, os criados do rei vieram dizer-lhe: Está ali o profeta Natã que te quer falar atã entrou e fez uma profunda vénia na frente do soberano, perguntando-lhe:
24 Meu senhor, designaste Adonias para ser rei em teu lugar? É ele o príncipe que designaste para se sentar no teu trono? Hoje mesmo celebrou ele a sua coroação, sacrificando vacas, bodes gordos e um sem número de ovelhas, convidando para além disso o general Joabe e o sacerdote Abiatar a assistir a essas celebrações. Lá estão eles a festejar, a beber e a gritar - 'Viva o rei Adonias!' É bom saberes contudo que nem Zadoque o sacerdote, nem Benaia, nem Salomão, nem eu próprio fomos convidados. Terá isto sido feito com o teu conhecimento? Tu ainda não disseste uma palavra quanto a qual dos teus filhos escolheste para te suceder no trono.
28 Tornem a chamar Bate-Seba, disse David. Ela tornou a entrar nos aposentos e ali ficou na frente do monarca. Este prometeu-lhe: Tão certo como é estar vivo o Senhor que me salvou de todos os perigos, assim eu decreto que o teu filho Salomão será o rei que me sucederá no trono, tal como o tinha garantido antes, na presença do Senhor Deus de Israel.
31 Bate-Seba tornou a curvar-se perante ele e exclamou: Estou-te muito grata, senhor. Que o rei, meu senhor, viva para sempre!
32 Agora chamem o sacerdote Zadoque, ordenou o rei, mais Benaia. Que o profeta Natã torne a vir cá igualmente. Quando eles chegaram, disse-lhes: Levem Salomão mais a minha guarda real a Giom. Salomão deverá ir montado no meu cavalo pessoal. Ali, Zadoque o sacerdote e Natã o profeta deverão ungi-lo rei sobre Israel. Tocarão a trombeta e gritarão - 'Viva o rei Salomão!' Quando regressarem com ele aqui, deverá sentar-se no meu trono, como novo rei; porque foi ele quem eu ungi rei de Israel e de Judá.
36 Que assim seja! Louvado seja Deus!, respondeu Benaia; e acrescentou: Que o Senhor seja com Salomão, como foi contigo, e que o seu reinado seja ainda maior que o teu!
38 O sacerdote Zadoque, o profeta Natã, Benaia e o contingente da guarda pessoal do rei levaram então Salomão a Giom, montado no cavalo do soberano. Ali, Zadoque pegou num recipiente contendo o óleo sagrado do tabernáculo e derramou-o sobre Salomão. As trombetas tocaram e todo o povo gritou: Viva o rei Salomão!
40 Seguidamente regressaram todos a Jerusalém, desfilando no meio de muita alegria e de muita música, tendo isso durado o dia inteiro. Adonias e os seus hóspedes começaram a ouvir toda aquela euforia e aquele baraulho, na altura em que finalizavam o banquete. Que é que se está a passar?, perguntou Joabe. Que alvoroço todo é este?
42 Estava ele ainda a pronunciar estas palavras quando aparece, de rompante, Jónatas, o filho do sacerdote Abiatar. Podes entrar, disse-lhe Adonias, porque és um homem bom. Deves ter boas notícias a dar.
43 O rei David constituíu Salomão sobre o trono!, exclamou Jónatas.
44 O monarca enviou-o a Giom na companhia de Zadoque, o sacerdote, do profeta Natã e de Benaia, protegido pela guarda real. Ia montado no próprio cavalo do rei. Zadoque e Natã ungiram-no como novo rei! Neste momento já regressaram, e toda a cidade está em festa, celebrando o acontecimento. Por isso é que se ouve este barulho.
46 Salomão está já sentado no trono e o povo felicita o rei David dizendo: 'Que Deus te abençoe ainda mais através de Salomão do que te abençoou pessoalmente! Que o Senhor torne o reinado de Salomão ainda maior do que o teu!' O rei está deitado, nos seus aposentos, e aí recebe as felicitações das pessoas, dizendo também:
48 'Bendito seja o Senhor Deus de Israel, que escolheu um dos meus filhos para se sentar sobre o meu trono, mantendo-me em vida ainda para ver isso'.
49 Então Adonias e os seus hóspedes deixaram logo o banquete e fugiram com medo - receavam pela segurança das suas vida. Adonias correu para o tabernáculo e pegou nas pontas do altar sagrado. Quando chegou aos ouvidos de Salomão que Adonias estava no tabernáculo pedindo clemência, respondeu: Se se conduzir rectamente, não tem nada a temer; caso contrário morrerá.
53 O rei Salomão mandou-o vir à sua presença, e fizeram-no descer do altar. Ele veio e prostou-se perante o soberano, que apenas lhe disse: Vai para casa.