THE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS, COMMONLY CALLED, THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS. B. C. 1015. it Heb. entered into days. + Heb. Let them seek. + Heb, a damsei, a virgin. ↑ Heb. be a cherisher unto Aim. CHAPTER I. Abishag cherisheth David in his extreme age. 5 Adonijah aspireth to the kingdom. 11 Nathan and Bathsheba induce the king to secure the succession to Solomon. 32 Solomon anointed king. 41 At the ti dings thereof, Adonijah fleeth to the horns of the altar. 51 He is spared by Solomon. TOW aiah, and the mighty men, and Solo- | B. C. 1015. mon his brother, he called not. 11 ¶ Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth Now king David was old and reign, and David our lord knoweth 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 ta 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. 3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, Josh. 19. 18. and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 2 Sam. 3. 4. a 4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him but the king knew her not. 5 T Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will + be king: and he prepared him char2 Sam. 15. 1. iots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. + Heb. reign. Heb. from his days. 425am. 3.3, 4. 1 Chr. 3, 2. + Heb. his words were C 6 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. 7 And the conferred with Joab the with Joab. son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar Heb helped the priest: and 'they † following Adonijah helped him. after Adoni • 2 Sam. 20. 25. fch. 2. 22, 28. fch. 4. 18. 2 Sam. 23.8. 10. The well Rogel 2 Sam. 17. 17. 8 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. 9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's serv ants: i 2 Sam. 3. 4. 13 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 k 1 Chr. 22. 9. Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? 14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. + Heb. fill up. 15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. 10 But Nathan the prophet, and Ben- | after him. m ver. 7, 8, 9, 25. o ver. 19. also came in. 23 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. 24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 25 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; P1 Sam. 10. 24. and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, P† God save king Adonijah. + Heb. Let king Adonijah live. 26 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 it unto thy servant, 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 + Heb. before came into the king's presence, and stood before the king. the king. q 2 Sam. 4. 9. r ver. 17. 8 Neh. 2. 3. Dan. 2. 4. t 2 Sam. 20. 6. u 2 Chr. 32. 30. 1 Sam. 10. 1. & 16. 3, 12. 5. 3. ch. 19. 16. 2 Kings 9. 3. & 11. 12 + Heb. which belongeth to me. See Esth. 6. 8. y 2 Sam. 15. 10. 29.13. 29 And the king sware, and said, 4s the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 30 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. 31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence 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 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 : 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over İsrael: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon. 35 Then ye shall come up after him, Solomon is anointed king. that he may come and sit upon B. C. 1015. my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. 36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen : the LORD God of my lord the 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 a ver. 47. than the throne of my lord king David. & 23, 20-23. 38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of b 2 Sam. 8. 15. Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. 39 And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, 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? Ex. 30. 23,25, 32. Ps. 89. 20. 4 1 Chr. 29. 22. 1 Sam. 10. 24 I Or, flutes. 42 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 12 Sam. 18. 27. 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 81 Chr. 29. 25. throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, "God make the name of Solo- ver. 57. mon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon Gen. 47. S1. the bed. 48 And also thus said the king, Bless Adonijah is spared by him. B. C. 1015. ch. 3. 6. Ps. 152. 11, 12 1 ch. 2. 28. 1 Sam. 14. 45 Nam 14. I. KINGS. ed be the LORD God of Israel, which 50 T And Adonijah feared because 51 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. m 52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there 11. Acts 27. shall not a hair of him fall to the earth but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 34. Gen 47.29. Deut. 31. 14. Josh. 23. 14. 53 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. CHAPTER II. David's charge to Solomon. 5 His directions concern ing Joab, 7 Barzillai, 8 and Shimei. 10 His death. OW drew The petition of Adonijah. that was about his loins, and in his 6 Do therefore "according to thy 7 But shew kindness unto the sons of " Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. 8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Baburim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: 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. 12 ¶ Then sat Solomon upon the 1 Chr. 29. 23. throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. 13¶ And Adonijah of Hag Now that days of Diev, and the gith came to Baul-sheba the mother charged Solomon his son, saying, 2 I go the way of all the earth: Deut. 17. 19, 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 judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest | prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: 4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, 2 Kings 20. saying, 'If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with Heb. be cut all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said he, a man on the throne of Israel. 16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she saidt Heb. turn 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 Abishag the Shunammite to wife. e 18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19 Bath-sheba therefore went unto not away my face, Ps. 132. 10. e ch. 1. 3, 4. king Solomon, to speak unto him for B. C. 1014. mother; and she sat on his right hand. g See Ps. 45.9. h ch. 1. 7. i Ruth 1. 17. 20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother; for I will not say thee nay. 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 Abishag 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. h 23 Then king Solomon 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 therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a k 2 Sam. 7. 11, house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 13. 1 Chr. 22. 10. 1 Josh. 21. 18. + Heb. a man of death. m 1 Sam. 23.6. 2 Sam. 15. 24, 29. n 1 Sam. 22. 20, 23. 2 Sam. 15. 24. o 1 Sam. 2. 31-35. P ch. 1. 7. q ch. 1. 50. r Ex. 21. 14. k 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died. m 26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art + 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 hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. n 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh. 28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab Phad turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon that Jcab was fled unto the tabernacle 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 tabernacle 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 Joab is slain at the altar. 33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the 22 Sam. 3. 29. head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 34 So 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 T And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the Num. 25. king put in the room of Abiathar. 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 Maachah 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 a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou f Lev. 20. 9. Josh. 2. 19. 2 Sam. 1. 16. 1011. 1 Sam. 27. 2. 1014. 1 ch. 7. 8. & 9. 2 Sam. 5. 7. 45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon. CHAPTER III. Solomon marrieth Pharaoh's daughter. 2 High places being in use, Solomon sacrificeth at Gibeon the great high place. 5 His prayer for wisdom. 10 God's an swer. 16 Solomon's decision between the two mothers. t The answer of God to him. thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may y discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a 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 understanding to discern judgment; a 12 Behold, I have done according to thy word: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. c Matt. 6. 33. Eph. 3. 20. AND' Solomon made affinity with shall not be any among the kings "been not b Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, ch. 9. 15, 19. and the wall of Jerusalem round tch. 7. 1. 1 ch. 6. ! Lev. 17. 3, 4, á Deut 12 2.4.5. 8 Deat 6, 5, & S. 16, 20. Pa. 31. 23. 38.28. 1 Cor. 8. 3. bver. 6, 14. 2 Chr. 1.3. Chr. L. 3. about. d 2 'Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. 3 And Solomon loved the LORD, bwalking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to Chr. 16. 39. sacrifice there; for that was the great high place a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 1.9.2 2 Chr. 1.7. Wae Nain. 12. 6. Mart. 1.20. 2. 13, 19. 12 Chr. 18, &c. 1 Or, bounty. 2494 15mgs 20.3. Pa 15. 2. ch. 1. 48. 11 Chr. 29. 1. m 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 said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, 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 Phast 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: and I am but a Num. 27. 17. little child: I know not how to go out or come in. r 8 And thy servant is in the midst of 16 Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, O 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 that 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; h So Gen. 40. 20. ch. 8.65. Esth. 1. 3. Dan. 5. 1. Mark 6. 21. i Num. 27. 2. |