TTHE FIRST BOOK OF THE KINGS, COMMONLY CALLED, THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS. CHAPTER I. Abishag cherisheth David in his extreme age. 5 Adonijah, David's darling, usurpeth the kingdom. 11 By the counsel of Nathan, 15 Bath-sheba moveth the king, 22 and Nathan secondeth her. 28 David reneweth his oath to Bath-sheba. 32 Solomon, by David's appointment, being anointed king by Zadok and Nathan, the people triumph. 41 Jonathan bringing these news, Adonijah's guests fy. 50 Adonijah, flying to the horns of the altar, upon his good behaviour is dismissed by Solomon. NOW king David was old and Before CHRIST 1015. stricken in years; and they + Heb. entercovered him with clothes, but he ed into days. 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, and found Abishag a a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. + Heb. Let virgin. unto him. a Josh. 19. 6 And his father had not dis- d and his mother bare him after d 2 Sam. 3. 7 And the conferred with Joab 3. 2. words were e 2 Sam. 20. 25. 28. Before CHRIST 1015. Ji Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? 12 Now therefore come, let me, i2 Sam. 3. 4. I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. k 1 Chr. 22. + Heb. fill up. + Heb. What to thee? 1 ver. 13, 30. m ver. 7, 8, 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, k As suredly 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. 15 T 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. 16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said,†What wouldest thou? 17 And she said unto him, My lord, 1 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. 18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: 19 m 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. 20 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. 21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall n sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted + Heb. sin-t offenders. 8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and fch. 2. 22, Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, Heb. help-In Deut. 31. and Rei, and h the mighty men ed after 4-16. ch. 2. 10. which belonged to David, were not donijah. with Adonijah. g ch. 4. 18. 9 And Adonijah slew sheep, and h 2 Sam. 23.ners. oxen, and fat cattle, by the stone of 8. Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: 10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon 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 Or, the well Rogel. 2 Sam. 17. 17. David sweareth to make Solomon king. CHAPTER I. 30 r Even as I sware unto theer ver. 17. 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, Lets Neh. 2. 3. my lord king David live for ever. 32 T 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. Dan. 2. 4. 33 The king also said unto them, tTake with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my con to ride upon † mine own mule, and bring him down to u Gihon: 34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet x anoint him there king over Israel: and y blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God I Sam. 10. save king Solomon. Esth. 6. 8. u 2 Chr. 32. 30. 1. & 16. 3, 12. 2 Sam. 2. 4. & 5. 3. 35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit up-ch. 19. 16. on my throne; for he shall be king 2 Kings 9. 3. in my stead: and I have appointed & 11. 12. him to be ruler over Israel and y 2 Sam. 15. 10. 2 Kings over Judah. 9. 13. & 11. 14. 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 z As the LORD hath been with z Josh. 1. 5, my lord the king, even so be he with 17. 1 Sam. Solomon, and a make his throne 20. 13. greater than the throne of my lord a ver. 47. king David. * 38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, band Benaiah the b2 Sam. 8. son of Jehoiada, and the Chere- 18. & 23. 20, thites, and the Pelethites, went-23. down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David's mule, and brought him to Gihon. c Ex. 30. 23, 39 And Zadok the priest took an 25, 32. Ps. horn of coil out of the tabernacle, 189. 20. Before CHRIST 1015. 11 Chr. 29. 22. 24. 1 Sam. 10. Or, flutes. Solomon is anointed king and danointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; e 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? 42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for if 2 Sam. 18. thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. 27. g 1 Chr. 29. 23. liver. 37. li Gen. 47. 31. kch. 3. 6. Ps. 132. 11, 12. ! ch. 2. 28. m 1 Sam. 14. 45. 2 Sam. 14. 11. Acts 27. 34. 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 g sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king's ser vants 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. 48 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. 49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50 T And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, say. ing, 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. 52 And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, m there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 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. David's last charge to Solomon. CHAPTER II. David, having given a charge to Solomon, 3 of religiousness, 5 of Joab, 7 of Barzillai, 8 of Shimei, 10 dieth. 12 Solomon succeedeth. 13 Adonijah, moving Bath-sheba to sue unto Solomon for Abishag, is put to death. 26 Abiathar, having his life given him, is deprived of the priesthood. 28 Joab fleeing to the horns of the altar is there slain. 35 Benaiah is put in Joab's room, and Zadok in Abiathar's. 36 Shimei, confined to Jerusalem, by occasion of going thence to Gath, is put to death. Now a the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, say ing bI go the way of all the earth: cbe 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 d prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. 4 That the LORD may e continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, fIf thy children take heed to their way, to g walk before me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul, h there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. 5 Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah i did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto 1 Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. 6 Do therefore m according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 7 But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that o eat at thy table: for so P they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. d Deut. 29.9. 1 Chr. 22. 25. Before CHRIST 1015. David's death. Hebron, and thirty and three years 12 Ta Then sat Solomon upon a 1 Chr. 29.the throne of David his father: 1. 1014. 13 And Adonijah the son of b 1 Sam. 16.b Comest thou peaceably? And he 4, 5. c ch. 1. 5. d 1 Chr. 22. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for dit was his from the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition of 21. 30. Dan. thee, † deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. 2. 21. + Heb. turn 17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me e Abishag the Shunammite to wife. 18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; 1 19 T Bath-sheba therefore went 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 hAbiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. 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 an house, as he k promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died. 26 T And unto Abiathar the priest ark of the Lord Gop before David 281 Then tid 29 And it was ever: but upon Es seed, and upon and dwell there, N LORD; that he might o fulfil the o1 Sam. 2. word of the LORD, which he spake 31,-35. concerning the house of Eli in Shi loh. 28 T Then tidings came to Joab: (for Joab p had turned after Adoni-p ch. 1. 7. jah, though he turned not after Absalom;) and Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and q caught hold on the horns of the q ch. 1. 50. altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab 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, Before CHRIST 1011. Shimei is put to death, of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of g1 Sam. 27. Gath: and they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 2. 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 saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. 43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 44 The king said moreover to h 2 Sam. 16. Shimei, Thou knowest hall the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall i return thy wickedness upon thine own head; r Do as he hath said, and fall upon r Ex. 21. 14.5. him, and bury him; s that thous Num. 35. mayest take away the innocent 33. Deut. 19. blood which Joab shed, from me, 13. & 21., and from the house of my father. 9. 22 And the LORD t shall returnt Judg. 9 24 his blood upon his own head, who 57. Ps. 7 16. fell upon two men more righteous u and better than he, and slew them u 2 Chr. 21. with the sword, my father David 13. not knowing thereof, to wit, x Ab-x 2 Sam. 3. ner the son of Ner, captain of the 27. host of Israel, and y Amasa the sony 2 Sam. 20. of Jether, captain of the host of 10. Judah. 1014. Ps. 7. 16. Ezek. 17. 19. k Prov. 25. 5. ver. 12. 2 Chr. 1. 1. 1014. a ch. 7. 8. & 9. 24. 45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and k the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 46 So the king commanded Be naiah 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. 1 Solomon marrieth Pharaoh's daughter. 2 High places being in use, Solomon sacrificeth at Gibeon. 5 Solomon at Gibeon, in the choice which God gave him, preferring wisdom, obtaineth wisdom, riches, and honour. 16 Solomon's judgment between the two harlots maketh him renowned. ND a Solomon made AND affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and b 2 Sam. 5. brought her into the b city of David, until he had made an end of building bis own house, and d the house of the LORD, and e the wall of Jerusalem round about. 7. 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 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and b Zadok the b Num. 25. priest did the king put in the room 11, 12, 13. of c Abiathar. 1 Sam. 2. 35. f Lev. 17. 3, See 1 Chr. 6. 53. & 24. 3.4, 5. Deut. c ver. 27. 12. 2, 4, 5. 36 And the king sent and called for d Shimei, and said unto him, c ch. 7. 1. jd ch. 6. e ch. 9. 15, 19. Build thee an house in Jerusalem, d 2 Sam. 16.ch. 22. 43. and dwell there, and go not forth 5. ver. 8. thence any whither. 37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over e the brook Kidron, thou shalt e 2 Sam. 15. 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 } 2 f Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. the 3 And Solomon g loved LORD, h walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; k for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. 5 In Gibeon the LORD ap peared to Solomon m in a dream by 20. & 2. 13, night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 1011. 119. Solomon asketh wisdom of God. 6n 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 P hast 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: q and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. hast 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou chosen, a great people, t that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 u Give therefore thy servant an tunderstanding heart x 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 y Heb. 5. 14. thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast z not asked for thyself z James 4. 3. long life; neither hast asked + Heb. riches for thyself, nor hast asked many days. the life of thine enemies: but hast. asked for thyself understanding † to discern judgment; Heb. to hear. 14, 15. b ch. 4. 29, 12 a Behold, I have done accord-a 1 John 5. ing to thy word: blo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding 30, 31. & 5. heart; so that there was none like 12. & 10. 24. thee before thee, neither after thee Eccles. 1. shall any arise like unto thee. 16. 20. 13 And I have also given theec Matt. 6. that which thou hast not asked, 33. Eph. 3. both driches, and honour: so that a ch. 4. 21, there shall not be any among the 24. & 10. 23, kings like unto thee all thy days. 14 And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, e as thy father David did walk, then I will f lengthen thy days. 25, &c. Prov. 3. 16. i Or, hath not been. e ch. 15. 5. f Ps. 91. 16. Prov. 3. 2. g So Gen. 41. 7. 15 And Solomon g awoke; and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt-offerings, and offered peace-offerings, and h made a feast to all his ser-h So Gen. 40. 20. ch. vants. 8. 65. Esth. 16 Then came there two wo-1. 3. Dan. 5. men, that were harlots, unto the 1. Mark 6. king, and i stood before him. 17 And the one woman said, Oi 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 21. Num. 27. 2. Before CHRIST 1014. Or, the chief officer. | Or, secretaries. a 2 Sam. 8. 16. & 20. 24. Or, remembran cer. c See ch. 2. b ch. 2. 35. 27. d ver. 7. e 2 Sam. 8. 18. & 20. 26. f 2 Sam. 15. 37. & 16. 16. 1 Chr. 27. 33. g ch. 5. 14. Or, levy. Or, Or, His judgment between two harlots. 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 arose 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; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son. Thus they spake before the king. 23 Then said the king, The one saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead; and the other saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living. 24 And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. 25 And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. 26 Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for k her bowels † yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. 27 Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. 28 And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw that the 1 wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment. CHAPTER IV. 1 Solomon's princes. 7 His twelve officers for provision. 20, 24 The peace and largeness of his kingdom. 22 His daily provision. 26 His stables. 29 His wis dom. SO king Solomon was king over all Israel. 2 And these were the princes which he had: Azariah the son of Zadok the priest; 3 Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; a Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder. 4 And b Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and c Abiathar were the priests: 5 And Azariah the son of Nathan was over d the officers: and Zabud the son of Nathan was e principal officer, and f the king's friend: 6 And Ahishar was over the household: and g Adoniram the son of Abda was over the || tribute. 7 ¶ And Solomon had twelve of ficers over all Israel, which provided victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made provision. 8 And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim: 9 The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and Elon-beth-hanan: Ben-hesed. 10 The son of Hesed, in Aru Or, |