Melachim Alef
1
1 Now HaMelech Dovid was zaken and stricken in yamim; and they covered him with begadim, but he could get no warmth. 2 Wherefore his avadim said unto him, Let there be sought for adoni HaMelech a na'arah betulah; and let her stand before HaMelech, and let her care for him, and let her lie at thy kheyk (bosom), that adoni HaMelech may be warm.
3 So they sought for a na'arah yafeh throughout all the territory of Yisroel, and found Avishag HaShunammit, and brought her to HaMelech. 4 And the na'arah was yafeh ad me'od, and cared for HaMelech, and waited on him; but HaMelech knew her not.
5 Then Adoniyah Ben Chaggit put himself forward, saying, I will be Melech; and he prepared him merkavot and parashim, and chamishim ish to run before him. 6 And Aviv had not rebuked him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? And he also was tov to'ar (good looking); and* bore him after Avshalom.
7 And he conferred with Yoav Ben Tzeruyah, and with Evyatar (Abiathar) HaKohen; and they lent ezer (help), following after Adoniyah. 8 But Tzadok HaKohen, and Benayah Ben Yehoyada, and Natan HaNavi, and Shime'i, and Re'i, and the Gibborim which belonged to Dovid, were not with Adoniyah.
9 And Adoniyah sacrificed tzon and bakar and fatted bull at the Even Zochelet (Stone of Zoheleth), which is Ein-Rogel, and invited all his achim, the Bnei HaMelech, and all the anshei Yehudah who were avadim of HaMelech; 10 But Natan HaNavi, and Benayah, and the Gibborim, and Sh'lomo his brother, he invited not.
11 Wherefore Natan spoke unto Bat-Sheva em Sh'lomo, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adoniyah Ben Chaggit became Melech, and Dovid adoneinu knoweth it not? 12 Therefore come, let me, now, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own nefesh, and the nefesh of thy ben Sh'lomo. 13 Go and get thee in unto HaMelech Dovid, and say unto him, Didst not thou, adoni, O HaMelech, swear unto thine amah (maid servant, handmaid) saying, Assuredly Sh'lomo thy ben shall reign as Melech after me, and he shall sit upon my kisse? Why then doth Adoniyah reign as Melech? 14 Hinei, while thou yet speakest there with HaMelech, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy devarim.
15 And Bat-Sheva went in unto HaMelech into the cheder; and HaMelech was zaken me'od; and Avishag HaShunammit attended unto HaMelech. 16 And Bat-Sheva bowed, and did obeisance unto HaMelech. And HaMelech said, What wouldest thou? 17 And she said unto him, Adoni, thou didst swear by Hashem Eloheicha unto thine amah, saying, Assuredly Sh'lomo thy ben shall reign as Melech after me, and he shall sit upon my kisse.
18 And now, hinei, Adoniyah reigneth as Melech; and now, adoni HaMelech, thou knowest it not; 19 And he hath sacrificed shor and fatted bull and tzon in abundance, and hath invited all the Bnei HaMelech, and Evyatar (Abiathar) HaKohen, and Yoav the Sar HaTzava; but Sh'lomo thy eved hath he not invited. 20 And thou, adoni HaMelech, the eyes of kol Yisroel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the kisse adoni HaMelech after him. 21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when adoni HaMelech shall lie with his avot, that I and beni (my son) Sh'lomo shall be counted chatta'im.
22 And, hinei, while she yet was speaking with HaMelech, Natan HaNavi also came in. 23 And they told HaMelech, saying, Hinei Natan HaNavi! And when he was come in before HaMelech, he bowed himself before HaMelech with his face to the ground. 24 And Natan said, Adoni HaMelech, hast thou said, Adoniyah shall reign as Melech after me, and he shall sit upon my kisse? 25 For he has gone down this day, and hath sacrificed shor and fatted bull and tzon in abundance, and hath invited all the Bnei HaMelech, and the sarei hatzava, and Evyatar (Abiathar) HaKohen; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, Yechi HaMelech Adoniyahu (long live HaMelech Adoniyah)! 26 But me, even me thy eved, and Tzadok HaKohen, and Benayah Ben Yehoyada, and thy eved Sh'lomo, hath he not invited. 27 Is this thing done by adoni HaMelech, and thou hast not showed it unto thy eved, even who should sit on the kisse adoni HaMelech after him?
28 Then HaMelech Dovid answered and said, Call me Bat-Sheva. And she came into the presence of HaMelech, and stood before HaMelech. 29 And HaMelech swore a shevu'a (oath), and said, As Hashem liveth, that hath redeemed my nefesh out of kol tzarah, 30 Even as I swore a shevu'a unto thee by Hashem Elohei Yisroel, saying, Assuredly Sh'lomo thy ben shall reign as Melech after me, he shall sit upon my kisse in my place; so will I certainly do this day.
31 Then Bat-Sheva bowed with her face to eretz, and did reverence to HaMelech, and said, Yechi adoni HaMelech Dovid l'olam (long live adoni HaMelech forever)!
32 And HaMelech Dovid said, Call me Tzadok HaKohen, and Natan HaNavi, and Benayah Ben Yehoyada. And they came before HaMelech. 33 HaMelech also said unto them, Take with you the avadim of adoneichem, and have Sh'lomo beni (my son) to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gichon;† 34 And let Tzadok HaKohen and Natan HaNavi mashach (anoint) him there Melech over Yisroel; and blow ye with the shofar, and say, Yechi HaMelech Sh'lomo. 35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my kisse; for he shall be Melech in my place; and I have appointed him to be Nagid (ruler) over Yisroel and over Yehudah.
36 And Benayah Ben Yehoyada answered HaMelech, and said, Omein; And so may Hashem Elohei adoni HaMelech say. 37 As Hashem hath been with adoni HaMelech, even so may He be with Sh'lomo, and make his kisse greater than the kisse of adoni HaMelech Dovid.
38 So Tzadok HaKohen, and Natan HaNavi, and Benayah Ben Yehoyada, and the Kereti, and the Peleti, went down, and had Sh'lomo ride upon the mule of HaMelech Dovid, and brought him to Gichon. 39 And Tzadok HaKohen took a keren of shemen out of the ohel, and mashach (anointed) Sh'lomo. And they blew the shofar; and kol HaAm shouted, Yechi HaMelech Sh'lomo! 40 And kol HaAm came up after him, and the people played chalilim (flutes), and rejoiced with simchah gedolah, so that ha'aretz split with the sound of them.
41 And Adoniyah and kol hakeru'im (all the invited ones) that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Yoav heard the kol hashofar, he said, Why is the sound of the Ir in an uproar?
42 And while he yet spoke, hinei, Yonatan Ben Evyatar (Abiathar) HaKohen came; and Adoniyah said unto him, Come, for thou art an ish chayil, and tov tevaser (bringest good tidings). 43 And Yonatan answered and said to Adoniyah, Just the opposite! Verily adoneinu HaMelech Dovid hath made Sh'lomo Melech! 44 And HaMelech hath sent with him Tzadok HaKohen, and Natan HaNavi, and Benayah Ben Yehoyada, and the Kereti, and the Peleti, and they have had him ride upon pirdah (mule) of HaMelech: 45 And Tzadok HaKohen and Natan HaNavi have anointed him Melech at Gichon; and they are come up from there rejoicing, so that the city rang out. This is the noise that ye have heard. 46 And also Sh'lomo sitteth on the kisse hameluchah. 47 And moreover the avadim of HaMelech came to make a brocha on adoneinu HaMelech Dovid, saying, May your G-d make the shem of Sh'lomo more famous than thy shem, and make his kisse greater than thy kisse. And HaMelech bowed himself upon the mishkav (bed). 48 Also so said HaMelech, Baruch Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Who hath given one to sit on my kisse this day, mine eyes even seeing it.
49 And kol hakeruvim (all the invited ones) that were with Adoniyah were terrified, and rose up, and went every ish his own derech.‡ 50 And Adoniyah feared because of Sh'lomo, and arose, and went, and caught hold of the karnayim of the Mizbe'ach.
51 And it was told Sh'lomo, saying, Hinei, Adoniyah feareth HaMelech Sh'lomo; for, hinei, he hath caught hold of the karnayim of the Mizbe'ach, saying, Let Melech Sh'lomo swear a shevua (oath) unto me today that he will not slay his eved with the cherev.
52 And Sh'lomo said, If he will show himself a ben chayil (a son of worthiness), there shall not a hair of him fall to ha'aretz; but if ra'ah (wickedness) shall be found in him, he shall die.§
53 So HaMelech Sh'lomo sent, and they brought him down from the Mizbe'ach. And he came and bowed himself to Melech Sh'lomo; and Sh'lomo said unto him, Go to thine bais.
* 1:6 immo † 1:33 See Yn 12:14 ‡ 1:49 See Isa 53:6 § 1:52 Ro 6:23