11 Now King David was old , advanced in age ; and they covered him with clothes , but he could not keep warm . 2 So his servants said to him, "Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king , and let her [1]attend e the king and become his nurse ; and let her lie in your bosom , that my lord the king may keep warm ." 3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel , and found Abishag the Shunammite , and brought her to the king . 4 The girl was very beautiful ; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not [2]cohabit with her.
5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying , "I will be king ." So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. 6 His father had never [3]crossed him at any time by asking , "Why have you done so ?" And he was also a very handsome e man , and [4] he was born after Absalom . 7 [5]He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest ; and following Adonijah they helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , Nathan the prophet , Shimei , Rei , and the mighty men who belonged to David , were not with Adonijah . 9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the [6]stone of Zoheleth , which is beside En-rogel ; and he invited all his brothers , the king's sons , and all the men of Judah , the king's servants . 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet , Benaiah , the mighty men , and Solomon his brother .
11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon , saying , "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king , and David our lord does not know it? 12 "So now come , please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon . 13 "Go [7]at once to King David and say to him, 'Have you not, my lord , O king , sworn to your maidservant , saying , " Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne "? Why then has Adonijah become king ?' 14 "Behold , while you are still there speaking with the king , I will come in after you and confirm your words ." 15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom . Now the king was very old , and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king . 16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself [8]before the king . And the king said , "What [9]do you wish?" 17 She said to him, "My lord , you swore to your maidservant by the Lord your God , saying, ' Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne .' 18 "Now , behold , Adonijah is king ; and now , my lord the king , you do not know it. 19 " He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance , and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army , but he has not invited Solomon your servant . 20 "As for you now, my lord the king , the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 "Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers , that I and my son Solomon will be considered [10]offenders ." 22 Behold , while she was still speaking with the king , Nathan the prophet came in. 23 They told the king , saying , "Here is Nathan the prophet ." And when he came in before the king , he prostrated himself [11]before the king with his face to the ground . 24 Then Nathan said , "My lord the king , have you said , 'Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne '? 25 " For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance , and has invited all the king's sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest , and behold , they are eating and drinking before him; and they say , ' Long live King Adonijah !' 26 " But me, even me your servant , and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon , he has not invited . 27 "Has this thing been done by my lord the king , and you have not shown to your [12]servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
28 Then King David said , "Call Bathsheba to me." And she came into the king's presence and stood before the king . 29 The king vowed and said , " As the Lord lives , who has redeemed my life from all distress , 30 surely as I vowed to you by the Lord the God of Israel , saying , 'Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place '; I will indeed do so this day ." 31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground , and prostrated herself [13]before the king and said , " May my lord King David live forever ."
32 Then King David said , "Call to me Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ." And they came into the king's presence . 33 The king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord , and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule , and bring him down to Gihon . 34 "Let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there as king over Israel , and blow the trumpet and say , ' Long live King Solomon !' 35 "Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne and be king in my place ; for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah ." 36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said , "Amen ! Thus may the Lord , the God of my lord the king , say . 37 " As the Lord has been with my lord the king , so may He be with Solomon , and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David !" 38 So Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , the Cherethites , and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David's mule , and brought him to Gihon . 39 Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon . Then they blew the trumpet , and all the people said , " Long live King Solomon !" 40 All the people went up after him, and the people [14]were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy , so that the earth [15]shook at their noise .
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating . When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet , he said , "Why [16]is the city making such an uproar ?" 42 While he was still speaking , behold , Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came . Then Adonijah said , "Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news ." 43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah , "No ! Our lord King David has made Solomon king . 44 "The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest , Nathan the prophet , Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , the Cherethites , and the Pelethites ; and they have made him ride on the king's mule . 45 "Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon , and they have come up from there rejoicing , so that the city is in an uproar . This is the noise which you have heard . 46 "Besides , Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom . 47 "Moreover , the king's servants came to bless our lord King David , saying , 'May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne !' And the king bowed himself on the bed . 48 "The king has also said thus , 'Blessed be the Lord , the God of Israel , who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it."' 49 Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified ; and they arose and each went on his way . 50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon , and he arose , went and took hold of the horns of the altar . 51 Now it was told Solomon , saying , "Behold , Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon , for behold , he has taken hold of the horns of the altar , saying , 'Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword .' " 52 Solomon said , "If he is a worthy man , not one of his hairs will fall to the ground ; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die ." 53 So King Solomon sent , and they brought him down from the altar . And he came and prostrated himself [17]before King Solomon , and Solomon said to him, "Go to your house ."
21 As David's time to die drew near , he charged Solomon his son , saying , 2 " I am going the way of all the earth . Be strong , therefore, and show yourself a man . 3 "Keep the charge of the Lord your God , to walk in His ways , to keep His statutes , His commandments , His ordinances , and His testimonies , according to what is written in the Law of Moses , that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever e e you turn , 4 so that the Lord may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying , ' If your sons are careful of their way , to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul , you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel .' 5 "Now you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel , to Abner the son of Ner , and to Amasa the son of Jether , whom he killed ; he also shed the blood of war in peace . And he put the blood of war on his belt about his waist , and on his sandals on his feet . 6 " So act according to your wisdom , and do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace . 7 "But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite , and let them be among those who eat at your table ; for they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother . 8 "Behold , there is with you Shimei the son of Gera the Benjamite , of Bahurim ; now it was he who cursed me with a violent curse on the day I went to Mahanaim . But when he came down e to me at the Jordan , I swore to him by the Lord , saying , 'I will not put you to death with the sword .' 9 "Now therefore, do not let him go unpunished , for you are a wise man ; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood ."
10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David . 11 The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years : seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three e years he reigned in Jerusalem .
12 And Solomon sat on the throne of David his father , and his kingdom was firmly established .
13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon . And she said , " Do you come peacefully ?" And he said , "Peacefully ." 14 Then he said , "I have something to say to you." And she said , "Speak ." 15 So he said , "You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Israel expected e me to be king ; however, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's , for it was his from the Lord . 16 "Now I am making one request of you; do not refuse me." And she said to him, "Speak ." 17 Then he said , "Please speak to Solomon the king , for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife ." 18 Bathsheba said , "Very well ; I will speak to the king for you." 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah . And the king arose to meet her, bowed before her, and sat on his throne ; then he had a throne set for the king's mother , and she sat on his right . 20 Then she said , "I am making one small request of you; do not refuse me." And the king said to her, "Ask , my mother , for I will not refuse you." 21 So she said , " Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as a wife ." 22 King Solomon answered and said to his mother , "And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah ? Ask for him also the kingdom - for he is my older brother -even for him, for Abiathar the priest , and for Joab the son of Zeruiah !" 23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord , saying , "May God do so to me and more also , if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life . 24 "Now therefore, as the Lord lives , who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and who has made me a house as He promised , surely Adonijah shall be put to death today ." 25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada ; and he fell upon him so that he died .
26 Then to Abiathar the priest the king said , " Go to Anathoth to your own field , for you deserve to die ; but I will not put you to death at this time , because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David , and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted ." 27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord , in order to fulfill the word of the Lord , which He had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh . 28 Now the news came to Joab , for Joab had followed e Adonijah , although he had not followed e Absalom . And Joab fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar . 29 It was told King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord , and behold , he is beside the altar . Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , saying , " Go , fall upon him." 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of the Lord and said to him, "Thus the king has said , 'Come out.' " But he said , "No , for I will die here ." And Benaiah brought the king word again , saying , "Thus spoke Joab , and thus he answered me." 31 The king said to him, " Do as he has spoken and fall upon him and bury him, that you may remove from me and from my father's house the blood which Joab shed without cause . 32 " The Lord will return his blood on his own head , because he fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and killed them with the sword , while my father David did not know it: Abner the son of Ner , commander of the army of Israel , and Amasa the son of Jether , commander of the army of Judah . 33 " So shall their blood return on the head of Joab and on the head of his descendants forever ; but to David and his descendants and his house and his throne , may there be peace from the Lord forever e ." 34 Then Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell upon him and put him to death , and he was buried at his own house in the wilderness .
35 The king appointed Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in his place , and the king appointed Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar . 36 Now the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, "Build for yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there , and do not go out from there to any place . 37 "For on the day you go out and cross over the brook Kidron , you will know for certain that you shall surely die ; your blood shall be on your own head ." 38 Shimei then said to the king , "The word is good . As my lord the king has said , so your servant will do ." So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days . 39 But it came about at the end of three years , that two of the servants of Shimei ran away to Achish son of Maacah , king of Gath . And they told Shimei , saying , "Behold , your servants are in Gath ." 40 Then Shimei arose and saddled his donkey , and went to Gath to Achish to look for his servants . And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath . 41 It was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath , and had returned . 42 So the king sent and called for Shimei and said to him, "Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn you, saying , 'You will know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere , you shall surely die '? And you said to me, 'The word which I have heard is good .' 43 "Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord , and the command which I have laid on you?" 44 The king also said to Shimei , " You know all the evil which you acknowledge in your heart , which you did to my father David ; therefore the Lord shall return your evil on your own head . 45 "But King Solomon shall be blessed , and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever e ." 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada , and he went out and fell upon him so that he died . Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon .
371 Do not fret because of evildoers , Be not envious toward wrongdoers . 2 For they will wither quickly like the grass And fade like the green herb . 3 Trust in the Lord and do good ; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness . 4 Delight yourself in the Lord ; And He will give you the desires of your heart . 5 Commit your way to the Lord , Trust also in Him, and He will do it. 6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday .
7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way , Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes . 8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath ; Do not fret ; it leads only to evildoing . 9 For evildoers will be cut off , But those who wait for the Lord , they will inherit the land . 10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more ; And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there. 11 But the humble will inherit the land And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity . 12 The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth . 13 The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming . 14 The wicked have drawn the sword and bent their bow To cast down the afflicted and the needy , To slay those who are upright in conduct . 15 Their sword will enter their own heart , And their bows will be broken . 16 Better is the little of the righteous Than the abundance of many wicked . 17 For the arms of the wicked will be broken , But the Lord sustains the righteous . 18 The Lord knows the days of the blameless , And their inheritance will be forever . 19 They will not be ashamed in the time of evil , And in the days of famine they will have abundance . 20 But the wicked will perish ; And the enemies of the Lord will be like the glory of the pastures , They vanish - like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrows and does not pay back , But the righteous is gracious and gives . 22 For those blessed by Him will inherit the land , But those cursed by Him will be cut off . 23 The steps of a man are established by the Lord , And He delights in his way . 24 When he falls , he will not be hurled headlong , Because the Lord is the One who holds his hand . 25 I have been young and now I am old , Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken Or his descendants begging bread . 26 All day long he is gracious and lends , And his descendants are a blessing . 27 Depart from evil and do good , So you will abide forever . 28 For the Lord loves justice And does not forsake His godly ones ; They are preserved forever , But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off . 29 The righteous will inherit the land And dwell in it forever . 30 The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom , And his tongue speaks justice . 31 The law of his God is in his heart ; His steps do not slip . 32 The wicked spies upon the righteous And seeks to kill him. 33 The Lord will not leave him in his hand Or let him be condemned when he is judged .
34 Wait for the Lord and keep His way , And He will exalt you to inherit the land ; When the wicked are cut off , you will see it. 35 I have seen a wicked , violent man Spreading himself like a luxuriant tree in its native soil. 36 Then he passed away , and lo , he was no more ; I sought for him, but he could not be found . 37 Mark the blameless man , and behold the upright ; For the man of peace will have a posterity . 38 But transgressors will be altogether destroyed ; The posterity of the wicked will be cut off . 39 But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord ; He is their strength in time of trouble . 40 The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.
711 In You, O Lord , I have taken refuge ; Let me never e be ashamed . 2 In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come ; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress . 4 Rescue me, O my God , out of the hand of the wicked , Out of the grasp of the wrongdoer and ruthless man , 5 For You are my hope ; O Lord GOD , You are my confidence from my youth . 6 By You I have been sustained from my birth ; You are He who took me from my mother's womb ; My praise is continually of You. 7 I have become a marvel to many , For You are my strong refuge . 8 My mouth is filled with Your praise And with Your glory all day long. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age ; Do not forsake me when my strength fails . 10 For my enemies have spoken against me; And those who watch for my life have consulted together , 11 Saying , " God has forsaken him; Pursue and seize him, for there is no one to deliver ." 12 O God , do not be far from me; O my God , hasten to my help ! 13 Let those who are adversaries of my soul be ashamed and consumed ; Let them be covered with reproach and dishonor , who seek to injure me.
14 But as for me, I will hope continually , And will praise You yet more and more . 15 My mouth shall tell of Your righteousness And of Your salvation all day long; For I do not know the sum of them. 16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD ; I will make mention of Your righteousness , Yours alone . 17 O God , You have taught me from my youth , And I still e declare Your wondrous deeds . 18 And even when I am old and gray , O God , do not forsake me, Until I declare Your strength to this generation , Your power to all who are to come . 19 For Your righteousness , O God , reaches to the heavens , You who have done great things ; O God , who is like You? 20 You who have shown me many troubles and distresses Will revive me again , And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth . 21 May You increase my greatness And turn to comfort me. 22 I will also praise You with a harp , Even Your truth , O my God ; To You I will sing praises with the lyre , O Holy One of Israel . 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; And my soul , which You have redeemed . 24 My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long; For they are ashamed , for they are humiliated who seek my hurt .
941 O Lord , God of vengeance , God of vengeance , shine forth ! 2 Rise up, O Judge of the earth , Render recompense to the proud . 3 How long e shall the wicked , O Lord , How long e shall the wicked exult ? 4 They pour forth words, they speak arrogantly ; All who do wickedness vaunt themselves. 5 They crush Your people , O Lord , And afflict Your heritage . 6 They slay the widow and the stranger And murder the orphans . 7 They have said , "The Lord does not see , Nor does the God of Jacob pay heed ." 8 Pay heed , you senseless among the people ; And when will you understand , stupid ones ? 9 He who planted the ear , does He not hear ? He who formed the eye , does He not see ? 10 He who chastens the nations , will He not rebuke , Even He who teaches man knowledge ? 11 The Lord knows the thoughts of man , That they are a mere breath .
12 Blessed is the man whom You chasten , O Lord , And whom You teach out of Your law ; 13 That You may grant him relief from the days of adversity , Until a pit is dug for the wicked . 14 For the Lord will not abandon His people , Nor will He forsake His inheritance . 15 For judgment will again be righteous , And all the upright in heart will follow it. 16 Who will stand up for me against evildoers ? Who will take his stand for me against those who do wickedness ? 17 If the Lord had not been my help , My soul would soon have dwelt in the abode of silence . 18 If I should say , " My foot has slipped ," Your lovingkindness , O Lord , will hold me up. 19 When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul . 20 Can a throne of destruction be allied with You, One which devises mischief by decree ? 21 They band themselves together against the life of the righteous And condemn the innocent to death . 22 But the Lord has been my stronghold , And my God the rock of my refuge . 23 He has brought back their wickedness upon them And will destroy them in their evil ; The Lord our God will destroy them.
