1 Kings 1 5-1 Kings 1 18
Adonijah son of Haggith kept exalting himself, saying,“ I will be king!” He prepared chariots, cavalry, and 50 men to run ahead of him.But his father had never once reprimanded him by saying,“ Why do you act this way?” In addition, he was quite handsome and was born after Absalom.He conspired with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. They supported Adonijah,but Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s warriors did not side with Adonijah.Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king,but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors, or his brother Solomon.Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother,“ Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it?Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.Go, approach King David and say to him,‘ My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne? So why has Adonijah become king?’At that moment, while you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in after you and confirm your words.”So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him.Bathsheba bowed down and paid homage to the king, and he asked,“ What do you want?”She replied,“ My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God,‘ Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne.’Now look, Adonijah has become king. And, my lord the king, you didn’t know it.
1 Kings 2 13-1 Kings 2 25
Now Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked,“ Do you come peacefully?”“ Peacefully,” he replied,and then asked,“ May I talk with you?”“ Go ahead,” she answered.“ You know the kingship was mine,” he said.“ All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother, for the Lord gave it to him.So now I have just one request of you; don’t turn me down.” She said to him,“ Go on.”He replied,“ Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.”“ Very well,” Bathsheba replied.“ I will speak to the king for you.”So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother. So she sat down at his right hand.Then she said,“ I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.”“ Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied,“ for I won’t turn you down.”So she said,“ Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”King Solomon answered his mother,“ Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother, you might as well ask the kingship for him, for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.”Then Solomon took an oath by the Lord:“ May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life.And now, as the Lord lives, the One who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as He promised— I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!”Then King Solomon gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.
