1 Kings 1

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 King David was now a very old man, and though wrapped in bedclothes he could not keep warm.	1 Now king David was old, and advanced in years: and when he was covered with clothes, he was not warm.
2 So his servants said to him, 'Let us find a young girl for my lord the king, to wait on the king and lookafter him; she wil lie close beside you and this wil keep my lord the king warm.'	2 His servants therefore said to him: Let us seek for our lord the king, a young virgin, and let her stand before the king, and cherish him, and sleep in his bosom, and warm our lord the king.
3 Having searched for a beautiful girl throughout the territory of Israel, they found Abishag of Shunem andbrought her to the king.	3 So they sought a beautiful young woman in all the coasts of Israel, and they found Abisag a Sunamitess, and brought her to the king.
4 The girl was very beautiful. She looked after the king and waited on him but the king did not haveintercourse with her.	4 And the damsel was exceeding beautiful, and she slept with the king: and served him, but the king did not know her.
5 Now Adonijah son of Haggith was growing pretentious and saying, 'I shal be king!' Accordingly, heprocured a chariot and team with fifty guards to run ahead of him.	5 And Adonias the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying: I will be king. And he made himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.
6 Never once in his life had his father crossed him by saying, 'Why are you behaving like that?' He wasvery handsome too; his mother had given birth to him after Absalom.	6 Neither did his father rebuke him at any time, saying: Why hast thou done this? And he also was very beautiful, the next in birth after Absalom.
7 He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, who both ral ied to Adonijah's cause;	7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Sarvia, and with Abiathar the priest, who furthered Adonias's side.
8 but neither Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor the prophet Nathan, nor Shimei and Rei,nor David's champions, supported Adonijah.	8 But Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Semei, and Rei, and the strength of David's army was not with Adonias.
9 One day when Adonijah was sacrificing sheep, oxen and fattened calves at the Sliding Stone which isbeside the Ful er's Spring, he invited al his brothers, the royal princes, and al the men of Judah in the king'sservice;	9 And Adonias having slain rams and calves, and all fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which was near the fountain Rogel, invited all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Juda, the king's servants:
10 but he did not invite the prophet Nathan, or Benaiah, or the champions, or his brother Solomon.	10 But Nathan the prophet, and Banaias, and all the valiant men, and Solomon his brother, he invited not.
11 Nathan then said to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, 'Have you not heard that, unknown to our lordDavid, Adonijah son of Haggith has become king?	11 And Nathan said to Bethsabee the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias the son of Haggith reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not?
12 Wel , this is my advice to you if you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.	12 Now then come, take my counsel and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
13 Go straight in to King David and say, "My lord king, did you not make your servant this promise onoath: Your son Solomon is to be king after me; he is the one who is to sit on my throne? How is it, then, thatAdonijah is king?"	13 Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord O king, swear to me thy handmaid, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign?
14 And while you are stil there talking to the king, I shal come in after you and confirm what you say.'	14 And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words.
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his room (he was very old and Abishag of Shunem was in attendanceon him).	15 So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber: now the king was very old, and Abisag the Sunamitess ministered to him.
16 She knelt, prostrated herself before the king, and the king said, 'What do you want?'	16 Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will?
17 'My lord,' she replied, 'you swore to your servant by Yahweh your God, "Your son Solomon is to beking after me; he is the one who is to sit on my throne."	17 She answered and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.
18 And now here is Adonijah king, and you, my lord king, knowing nothing about it!	18 And behold now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it.
19 He has sacrificed quantities of oxen, fattened calves and sheep, and invited all the royal princes, thepriest Abiathar, and Joab the army commander; but he has not invited your servant Solomon.	19 He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the general of the army: but Solomon thy servant he invited not.
20 Yet you are the man, my lord king, to whom al Israel looks, to tel them who is to succeed my lord theking.	20 And now, my lord O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.
21 And when my lord the king fal s asleep with his ancestors, Solomon and I shal be made to suffer forthis.'	21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
22 She was stil speaking to the king when the prophet Nathan came in.	22 As she was yet speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came.
23 The king was told, 'The prophet Nathan is here'; and he came into the king's presence and prostratedhimself on his face before the king.	23 And they told the king, saying: Nathan the prophet is here. And when he was come in before the king, and had worshipped, bowing down to the ground,
24 'My lord king,' said Nathan, 'is this, then, your decree, "Adonijah is to be king after me; he is the onewho is to sit on my throne"?	24 Nathan said: My lord O king, hast thou said: Let Adonias reign after me, and let him sit upon my throne?
25 For he has gone down today and sacrificed quantities of oxen, fattened calves and sheep, and invitedal the royal princes, the army commanders, and the priest Abiathar; and they are there now, eating and drinkingin his presence and shouting, "Long live King Adonijah!"	25 Because he is gone down to day, and hath killed oxen, and fatlings, and many rams, and invited all the king's sons, and the captains of the army, and Abiathar the priest: and they are eating and drinking before him, and saying: God save king Adonias:
26 He has not, however, invited me your servant, Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, or yourservant Solomon.	26 But me thy servant, and Sadoc the priest, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and Solomon thy servant he hath not invited.
27 Can it be that this is done with my lord the king's approval and that you have not told those loyal to youwho is to succeed to the throne of my lord the king?'	27 Is this word come out from my lord the king, and hast thou not told me thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?
28 King David then spoke. 'Cal Bathsheba to me,' he said. And she came into the king's presence andstood before him.	28 And king David answered and said: Call to me Bethsabee. And when she was come in to the king, and stood before him,
29 Then the king swore this oath, 'As Yahweh lives, who has delivered me from all adversity,	29 The king swore and said: As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all distress,
30 just as I swore to you by Yahweh, God of Israel, that your son Solomon should be king after me andtake my place on my throne, so I shal bring it about this very day.'	30 Even as I swore to thee by the Lord the God of Israel, saying: Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead, so will I do this day.
31 Bathsheba knelt down, prostrated herself on her face before the king and said, 'May my lord KingDavid live for ever!'	31 And Bethsabee bowing with her face to the earth worshipped the king, saying: May my lord David live for ever.
32 Then King David said, 'Summon Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.'So they came into the king's presence.	32 King David also said: Call me Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada. And when they were come in before the king,
33 'Take the royal guard with you,' said the king, 'mount my son Solomon on my own mule and escort himdown to Gihon.	33 He said to them: Take with you the servants of your lord, and set my son Solomon upon my mule: and bring him to Gihon.
34 There Zadok the priest and the prophet Nathan are to anoint him king of Israel; then sound the trumpetand shout, "Long live King Solomon!"	34 And let Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and you shall sound the trumpet, and shall say: God save king Solomon.
35 Then you are to escort him back, and he is then to assume my throne and be king in place of me, forhe is the man whom I have appointed as ruler of Israel and of Judah.'	35 And you shall come up after him, and he shall come, and shall sit upon my throne, and he shall reign in my stead: and I will appoint him to be ruler over Israel, and over Juda.
36 Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king. 'Amen!' he said. 'And may Yahweh, God of my lord theking, confirm it!	36 And Banaias the son of Joiada answered the king, saying: Amen: so say the Lord the God of my lord the king.
37 As Yahweh has been with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon and make his throne evengreater than the throne of my lord King David!'	37 As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, so be he with Solomon, and make his throne higher than the throne of my lord king David.
38 Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and Pelethitesthen went down; they mounted Solomon on King David's mule and escorted him to Gihon.	38 So Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet went down, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi: and they set Solomon upon the mule of king David, and brought him to Gihon.
39 Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the Tent and anointed Solomon. They sounded the trumpetand all the people shouted, 'Long live King Solomon!'	39 And Sadoc the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon: and they sounded the trumpet, and all the people said: God save king Solomon.
40 The people al escorted him back, with pipes playing and loud rejoicing and shouts to split the earth.	40 And all the multitude went up after him, and the people played with pipes, and rejoiced with a great joy, and the earth rang with the noise of their cry.
41 Adonijah and his guests, who had by then finished their meal, al heard the noise. Joab too heard thesound of the trumpet and said, 'What is that noise of uproar in the city?'	41 And Adonias, and all that were invited by him, heard it, and now the feast was at an end: Joab also hearing the sound of the trumpet, said: What meaneth this noise of the city in an uproar?
42 While he was stil speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. 'Come in,' Adonijah said, 'youare an honest man, so you must be bringing good news.'	42 While he yet spoke, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonias said to him: Come in, because thou art a valiant man, and bringest good news.
43 'The truth is,' Jonathan answered, 'our lord King David has made Solomon king.	43 And Jonathan answered Adonias: Not so: for our lord king David hath appointed Solomon king.
44 With him, the king sent Zadok the priest, the prophet Nathan, Benaiah son of Jehoiada and theCherethites and Pelethites; they mounted him on the king's mule,	44 And hath sent with him Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Banaias the son of Joiada, and the Cerethi, and Phelethi, and they have set him upon the king's mule.
45 and Zadok the priest and the prophet Nathan have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have goneback again with shouts of joy and the city is now in an uproar; that was the noise you heard.	45 And Sadoc the priest, and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are gone up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again: this is the noise that you have heard.
46 What is more, Solomon is seated on the royal throne.	46 Moreover Solomon sitteth upon the throne of the kingdom,
47 And further, the king's officers have been to congratulate our lord King David with the words, "May yourGod make the name of Solomon more glorious than yours, and his throne more exalted than your own!" And theking bowed down on his bed,	47 And the king's servants going in have blessed our lord king David, saying: May God make the name of Solomon greater than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king adored in his bed:
48 and then said, "Blessed be Yahweh, God of Israel, for setting one of my own sons on the throne while Iam stil alive to see it!" '	48 And he said: Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who hath given this day one to sit on my throne, my eyes seeing
49 At this, all Adonijah's guests, taking fright, got up and made off in their several directions.	49 Then all the guests of Adonias were afraid, and they all arose and every man went his way.
50 Adonijah, in terror of Solomon, got up and ran off to cling to the horns of the altar.	50 And Adonias fearing Solomon, arose, and went, and took hold on the horn of the altar.
51 Solomon was told, 'You should know that Adonijah is terrified of King Solomon and is now clinging tothe horns of the altar, saying, "Let King Solomon first swear to me that he will not have his servant executed." '	51 And they told Solomon, saying: Behold Adonias, fearing king Solomon, hath taken hold of the horn of the altar, saying: Let king Solomon swear to me this day, that he will not kill his servant with the sword.
52 'Should he bear himself honourably,' Solomon answered, 'not one hair of his shal fal to the ground;but if he proves difficult, he shal die.'	52 And Solomon said: If he be a good man, there shall not so much as one hair of his head fall to the ground: but if evil be found in him, he shall die.
53 King Solomon then sent for him to be brought down from the altar; he came and threw himselfprostrate before King Solomon; Solomon said to him, 'Go to your house.'	53 Then king Solomon sent, and brought him out from the altar: and going in he worshipped king Solomon: and Solomon said to him: Go to thy house.