1:1And king David is old, entering into days, and they cover him with garments, and he hath no heat,

1:2and his servants say to him, `Let them seek for my lord the king a young woman, a virgin, and she hath stood before the king, and is to him a companion, and hath lain in thy bosom, and my lord the king hath heat.'

1:3And they seek a fair young woman in all the border of Israel, and find Abishag the Shunammite, and bring her in to the king,

1:4and the young woman is very very fair, and she is to the king a companion, and serveth him, and the king hath not known her.

1:5And Adonijah son of Haggith is lifting himself up, saying, `I do reign;' and he prepareth for himself a chariot and horsemen, and fifty men running before him,

1:6and his father hath not grieved him all his days, saying, `Wherefore thus hast thou done?' and he also is of a very good form, and his mother bare him after Absalom.

1:7And his words are with Joab son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they help after Adonijah;

1:8and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty ones whom David hath, have not been with Adonijah.

1:9And Adonijah sacrificeth sheep and oxen and fatlings near the stone of Zoheleth, that is by En-Rogel, and calleth all his brethren, sons of the king, and for all the men of Judah, servants of the king;

1:10and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty ones, and Solomon his brother, he hath not called.

1:11And Nathan speaketh unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, saying, `Hast thou not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith hath reigned, and our lord David hath not known?

1:12and now, come, let me counsel thee, I pray thee, and deliver thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon;

1:13go and enter in unto king David, and thou hast said unto him, Hast thou not, my lord, O king, sworn to thy handmaid, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne? and wherefore hath Adonijah reigned?

1:14Lo, thou are yet speaking there with the king, and I come in after thee, and have completed thy words.'

1:15And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto the king, to the inner chamber, and the king is very aged, and Abishag the Shunammite is serving the king:

1:16and Bath-Sheba boweth and doth obeisance to the king, and the king saith, `What -- to thee?'

1:17And she saith to him, `My lord, thou hast sworn by Jehovah thy God to thy handmaid: Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;

1:18and now, lo, Adonijah hath reigned, and now, my lord, O king, thou hast not known;

1:19and he sacrificeth ox, and fatling, and sheep in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab head of the host -- and for Solomon thy servant he hath not called.

1:20And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on thee, to declare to them who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him;

1:21and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon -- reckoned sinners.'

1:22And lo, she is yet speaking with the king, and Nathan the prophet hath come in;

1:23and they declare to the king, saying, `Lo, Nathan the prophet;' and he cometh in before the king, and boweth himself to the king, on his face to the earth.

1:24And Nathan saith, `My lord, O king, thou hast said, Adonijah doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne;

1:25for he hath gone down to-day, and doth sacrifice ox, and fatling, and sheep, in abundance, and calleth for all the sons of the king, and for the heads of the host, and for Abiathar the priest, and lo, they are eating and drinking before him, and they say, Let king Adonijah live!

1:26`And for me -- me, thy servant, and for Zadok the priest, and for Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, and for Solomon thy servant, he hath not called;

1:27if from my lord the king this thing hath been, then thou hast not caused thy servant to know who doth sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.'

1:28And king David answereth and saith, `Call for me for Bath-Sheba;' and she cometh in before the king, and standeth before the king.

1:29And the king sweareth and saith, `Jehovah liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity;

1:30surely as I sware to thee by Jehovah, God of Israel, saying, Surely Solomon thy son doth reign after me, and he doth sit on my throne in my stead; surely so I do this day.'

1:31And Bath-Sheba boweth -- face to the earth -- and doth obeisance to the king, and saith, `Let my lord, king David, live to the age.'

1:32And king David saith, `Call for me for Zadok the priest, and for Nathan the prophet, and for Benaiah son of Jehoiada;' and they come in before the king.

1:33And the king saith to them, `Take with you the servants of your lord, and ye have caused Solomon my son to ride on mine own mule, and caused him to go down unto Gihon,

1:34and anointed him there hath Zadok the priest -- and Nathan the prophet -- for king over Israel, and ye have blown with a trumpet, and said, Let king Solomon live;

1:35and ye have come up after him, and he hath come in and hath sat on my throne, and he doth reign in my stead, and him I have appointed to be leader over Israel, and over Judah.'

1:36And Benaiah son of Jehoiada answereth the king, and saith, `Amen! so doth Jehovah, God of my lord the king, say;

1:37as Jehovah hath been with my lord the king, so is He with Solomon, and doth make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.'

1:38And Zadok the priest goeth down, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause Solomon to ride on the mule of king David, and cause him to go unto Gihon,

1:39and Zadok the priest taketh the horn of oil out of the tent, and anointeth Solomon, and they blow with a trumpet, and all the people say, `Let king Solomon live.'

1:40And all the people come up after him, and the people are piping with pipes, and rejoicing -- great joy, and the earth rendeth with their voice.

1:41And Adonijah heareth, and all those called, who are with him, and they have finished to eat, and Joab heareth the noise of the trumpet, and saith, `Wherefore is the noise of the city roaring?'

1:42He is yet speaking, and lo, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest hath come in, and Adonijah saith, `Come in, for a man of valour thou art, and thou bearest good tidings.'

1:43And Jonathan answereth and saith to Adonijah, `Verily our lord king David hath caused Solomon to reign,

1:44and the king sendeth with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethite, and the Pelethite, and they cause him to ride on the king's mule,

1:45and they anoint him -- Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet -- for king in Gihon, and are come up thence rejoicing, and the city is moved; it is the noise that ye have heard.

1:46`And also Solomon hath sat on the throne of the kingdom,

1:47and also the servants of the king have come into bless our lord king David, saying, Thy God doth make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and his throne greater than thy throne; and the king boweth himself on the bed,

1:48and also thus hath the king said, Blessed is Jehovah, God of Israel, who hath given to-day one sitting on my throne, and mine eyes seeing.'

1:49And they tremble, and rise -- all those called who are for Adonijah -- and go, each on his way;

1:50and Adonijah feareth because of Solomon, and riseth, and goeth, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.

1:51And it is declared to Solomon, saying, `Lo, Adonijah feareth king Solomon, and lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me as to-day -- he doth not put to death his servant by the sword.'

1:52And Solomon saith, `If he becometh a virtuous man -- there doth not fall of his hair to the earth, and if evil is found in him -- then he hath died.'

1:53And king Solomon sendeth, and they bring him down from off the altar, and he cometh in and boweth himself to king Solomon, and Solomon saith to him, `Go to thy house.'

2:1And draw near do the days of David to die, and he chargeth Solomon his son, saying,

2:2`I am going in the way of all the earth, and thou hast been strong, and become a man,

2:3and kept the charge of Jehovah thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commands, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that thou dost wisely all that thou dost, and whithersoever thou turnest,

2:4so that Jehovah doth establish His word which He spake unto me, saying, If thy sons observe their way to walk before Me in truth, with all their heart, and with all their soul; saying, There is not cut off a man of thine from the throne of Israel.

2:5`And also, thou hast known that which he did to me -- Joab son of Zeruiah -- that which he did to two heads of the hosts of Israel, to Abner son of Ner, and to Amasa son of Jether -- that he slayeth them, and maketh the blood of war in peace, and putteth the blood of war in his girdle, that is on his loins, and in his sandals that are on his feet;

2:6and thou hast done according to thy wisdom, and dost not let his old age go down in peace to Sheol.

2:7`And to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite thou dost do kindness, and they have been among those eating at thy table, for so they drew near unto me in my fleeing from the face of Absalom thy brother.

2:8`And lo, with thee is Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim, and he reviled me -- a grievous reviling -- in the day of my going to Mahanaim; and he hath come down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swear to him by Jehovah, saying, I do not put thee to death by the sword;

2:9and now, acquit him not, for a wise man thou art, and thou hast known that which thou dost to him, and hast brought down his old age with blood to Sheol.'

2:10And David lieth down with his fathers, and is buried in the city of David,

2:11and the days that David hath reigned over Israel are forty years, in Hebron he hath reigned seven years, and in Jerusalem he hath reigned thirty and three years.

2:12And Solomon hath sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom is established greatly,

2:13and Adonijah son of Haggith cometh in unto Bath-Sheba, mother of Solomon, and she saith, `Is thy coming peace?' and he saith, `Peace.'

2:14And he saith, `I have a word unto thee,' and she saith, `Speak.'

2:15And he saith, `Thou hast known that the kingdom was mine, and towards me set their faces had all Israel for reigning, and the kingdom is turned round about, and is my brother's, for from Jehovah it was his;

2:16and now, one petition I am asking of thee -- turn not back my face;' and she saith unto him, `Speak.'

2:17And he saith, `Speak, I pray thee, to Solomon the king, for he doth not turn back thy face, and he doth give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.'

2:18And Bath-Sheba saith, `Good; I do speak for thee unto the king.'

2:19And Bath-Sheba cometh in unto king Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, and the king riseth to meet her, and boweth himself to her, and sitteth on his throne, and placeth a throne for the mother of the king, and she sitteth at his right hand.

2:20And she saith, `One small petition I ask of thee, turn not back my face;' and the king saith to her, `Ask, my mother, for I do not turn back thy face.'

2:21And she saith, `Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a wife.'

2:22And king Solomon answereth and saith to his mother, `And why art thou asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? also ask for him the kingdom -- for he is mine elder brother -- even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.'

2:23And king Solomon sweareth by Jehovah, saying, `Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add -- surely against his soul hath Adonijah spoken this word;

2:24and now, Jehovah liveth, who hath established me, and causeth me to sit on the throne of David my father, and who hath made for me an house as He spake -- surely to-day is Adonijah put to death.'

2:25And king Solomon sendeth by the hand of Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he falleth upon him, and he dieth.

2:26And to Abiathar the priest said the king, `To Anathoth go, unto thy fields; for a man of death thou art, but in this day I do not put thee to death, because thou hast borne the ark of the Lord Jehovah before David my father, and because thou wast afflicted in all that my father was afflicted in.'

2:27And Solomon casteth out Abiathar from being priest to Jehovah, to fulfil the word of Jehovah which He spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

2:28And the report hath come unto Joab -- for Joab hath turned aside after Adonijah, though after Absalom he did not turn aside -- and Joab fleeth unto the tent of Jehovah, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar.

2:29And it is declared to king Solomon that Joab hath fled unto the tent of Jehovah, and lo, near the altar; and Solomon sendeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, `Go, fall upon him.'

2:30And Benaiah cometh in unto the tent of Jehovah, and saith unto him, `Thus said the king, Come out;' and he saith, `Nay, but here I die.' And Benaiah bringeth back the king word, saying, `Thus spake Joab, yea, thus he answered me.'

2:31And the king saith to him, `Do as he hath spoken, and fall upon him, and thou hast buried him, and turned aside the causeless blood which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father;

2:32and Jehovah hath turned back his blood on his own head, who hath fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and slayeth them with the sword, -- and my father David knew not -- Abner son of Ner, head of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, head of the host of Judah;

2:33yea, turned back hath their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed to the age; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace unto the age, from Jehovah.'

2:34And Benaiah son of Jehoiada goeth up and falleth upon him, and putteth him to death, and he is buried in his own house in the wilderness,

2:35and the king putteth Benaiah son of Jehoiada in his stead over the host, and Zadok the priest hath the king put in the stead of Abiathar.

2:36And the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith to him, `Build for thee a house in Jerusalem, and thou hast dwelt there, and dost not go out thence any where;

2:37and it hath been, in the day of thy going out, and thou hast passed over the brook Kidron, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die -- thy blood is on thy head.'

2:38And Shimei saith to the king, `The word is good; as my lord the king hath spoken so doth thy servant do;' and Shimei dwelleth in Jerusalem many days.

2:39And it cometh to pass, at the end of three years, that flee do two of the servants of Shimei unto Achish son of Maachah, king of Gath, and they declare to Shimei, saying, `Lo, thy servants are in Gath;'

2:40and Shimei riseth, and saddleth his ass, and goeth to Gath, unto Achish, to seek his servants, and Shimei goeth and bringeth his servants from Gath.

2:41And it is declared to Solomon that Shimei hath gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and doth return,

2:42and the king sendeth and calleth for Shimei, and saith unto him, `Have I not caused thee to swear by Jehovah -- and I testify against thee, saying, In the day of thy going out, and thou hast gone anywhere, thou dost certainly know that thou dost surely die; and thou sayest unto me, The word I have heard is good?

2:43and wherefore hast thou not kept the oath of Jehovah, and the charge that I charged upon thee?'

2:44And the king saith unto Shimei, `Thou hast known all the evil that thy heart hath known, which thou didest to David my father, and Jehovah hath turned back thine evil on thy head,

2:45and king Solomon is blessed, and the throne of David is established before Jehovah unto the age.'

2:46And the king chargeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he goeth out and falleth on him, and he dieth, and the kingdom is established in the hand of Solomon.

3:1And Solomon joineth in marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and taketh the daughter of Pharaoh, and bringeth her in unto the city of David, till he completeth to build his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

3:2Only, the people are sacrificing in high places, for there hath not been built a house for the name of Jehovah till those days.

3:3And Solomon loveth Jehovah, to walk in the statutes of David his father -- only, in high places he is sacrificing and making perfume --

3:4and the king goeth to Gibeon, to sacrifice there, for it is the great high place; a thousand burnt-offerings cause to ascend doth Solomon on that altar.

3:5In Gibeon hath Jehovah appeared unto Solomon, in a dream of the night, and God saith, `Ask -- what do I give to thee?'

3:6And Solomon saith, `Thou hast done with Thy servant David my father great kindness, as he walked before Thee in truth and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with Thee, and Thou dost keep for him this great kindness, and dost give to him a son sitting on his throne, as at this day.

3:7And now, O Jehovah my God, Thou hast caused thy servant to reign instead of David my father; and I am a little child, I do not know to go out and to come in;

3:8and Thy servant is in the midst of thy people, whom Thou hast chosen, a people numerous, that is not numbered nor counted for multitude,

3:9and Thou hast given to Thy servant an understanding heart, to judge Thy people, to discern between good and evil; for who is able to judge this Thy great people?'

3:10And the thing is good in the eyes of the Lord, that Solomon hath asked this thing,

3:11and God saith unto him, `Because that thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thee many days, nor asked for thee riches, nor asked the life of thine enemies, and hast asked for thee discernment to understand judgment,

3:12lo, I have done according to thy words; lo, I have given to thee a heart, wise and understanding, that like thee there hath not been before thee, and after thee there doth not arise like thee;

3:13and also, that which thou hast not asked I have given to thee, both riches and honour, that there hath not been like thee a man among the kings all thy days;

3:14and if thou dost walk in My ways to keep My statutes, and My commands, as David thy father walked, then I have prolonged thy days.'

3:15And Solomon awaketh, and lo, a dream; and he cometh in to Jerusalem, and standeth before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and causeth to ascend burnt-offerings, and maketh peace-offerings. And he maketh a banquet for all his servants,

3:16then come in do two women, harlots, unto the king, and stand before him,

3:17and the one woman saith, `O, my lord, I and this woman are dwelling in one house, and I bring forth with her, in the house;

3:18and it cometh to pass on the third day of my bringing forth, that this woman also bringeth forth, and we are together, there is no stranger with us in the house, save we two, in the house.

3:19And the son of this woman dieth at night, because she hath lain upon it,

3:20and she riseth in the middle of the night, and taketh my son from beside me -- and thy handmaid is asleep -- and layeth it in her bosom, and her dead son she hath laid in my bosom;

3:21and I rise in the morning to suckle my son, and lo, dead; and I consider concerning it in the morning, and lo, it was not my son whom I did bear.'

3:22And the other woman saith, `Nay, but my son is the living, and thy son the dead;' and this one saith, `Nay, but thy son is the dead, and my son the living.' And they speak before the king.

3:23And the king saith, `This one saith, This is my son, the living, and thy son is the dead; and that one saith, Nay, but thy son is the dead, and my son the living.'

3:24And the king saith, `Take for me a sword;' and they bring the sword before the king,

3:25and the king saith, `Cut the living child into two, and give the half to the one, and the half to the other.'

3:26And the woman whose son is the living one saith unto the king (for her bowels yearned over her son), yea, she saith, `O, my lord, give to her the living child, and put it not at all to death;' and this one saith, `Let it be neither mine or thine -- cut it.'

3:27And the king answereth and saith, `Give ye to her the living child, and put it not at all to death; she is its mother.'

3:28And all Israel hear of the judgment that the king hath judged, and fear because of the king, for they have seen that the wisdom of God is in his heart, to do judgment.

4:1And king Solomon is king over all Israel,

4:2and these are the heads whom he hath: Azariah son of Zadok is the priest;

4:3Elihoreph and Ahiah sons of Shisha are scribes; Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud is remembrancer;

4:4and Benaiah son of Jehoiada is over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar are priests;

4:5and Azariah son of Nathan is over the officers; and Zabud son of Nathan is minister, friend of the king;

4:6And Ahishar is over the household, and Adoniram son of Abda is over the tribute.

4:7And Solomon hath twelve officers over all Israel, and they have sustained the king and his household -- a month in the year is on each one for sustenance;

4:8and these are their names: Ben-Hur in the hill-country of Ephraim;

4:9Ben-Dekar in Makaz, and Shaalbim, and Beth-Shemesh, and Elon-Beth-Hanan.

4:10Ben-Hesed is in Aruboth, hath Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

4:11Ben-Abinadab hath all the elevation of Dor, Taphath daughter of Solomon became his wife.

4:12Baana Ben-Ahilud hath Taanach and Megiddo, and all Beth-Shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-Shean unto Abel-Meholah, unto beyond Jokneam.

4:13Ben-Geber, in Ramoth-Gilead, hath the small towns of Jair son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; he hath a portion of Argob that is in Bashan, sixty great cities with wall and brazen bar.

4:14Ahinadab son of Iddo hath Mahanaim.

4:15Ahimaaz is in Naphtali; he also hath taken Basemath daughter of Solomon for a wife.

4:16Baanah Ben-Hushai is in Asher, and in Aloth.

4:17Jehoshaphat Ben-Paruah is in Issachar.

4:18Shimei Ben-Elah is in Benjamin.

4:19Geber Ben-Uri is in the land of Gilead, the land of Sihon king of the Amorite, and of Og king of Bashan: and one officer who is in the land.

4:20Judah and Israel are many, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing.

4:21And Solomon hath been ruling over all the kingdoms, from the River to the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt: they are bringing nigh a present, and serving Solomon, all days of his life.

4:22And the provision of Solomon for one day is thirty cors of flour, and sixty cors of meal;

4:23ten fat oxen, and twenty feeding oxen, and a hundred sheep, apart from hart, and roe, and fallow-deer, and fatted beasts of the stalls,

4:24for he is ruling over all beyond the river, from Tiphsah and unto Gaza, over all the kings beyond the river, and he hath peace from all his servants round about.

4:25And Judah dwelleth -- and Israel -- in confidence, each under his vine, and under his fig-tree, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba, all the days of Solomon.

4:26And Solomon hath forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

4:27And these officers have sustained king Solomon and every one drawing near unto the table of king Solomon, each in his month; they let nothing be lacking.

4:28And the barley and the straw, for horses and for dromedaries, they bring in unto the place where they are, each according to his ordinance.

4:29And God giveth wisdom to Solomon, and understanding, very much, and breadth of heart, as the sand that is on the edge of the sea;

4:30and the wisdom of Solomon is greater than the wisdom of any of the sons of the east, and than all the wisdom of Egypt;

4:31and he is wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, sons of Mahol, and his name is in all the nations round about.

4:32And he speaketh three thousand similes, and his songs are five, and the chief one;

4:33and he speaketh concerning the trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that is coming out in the wall, and he speaketh concerning the cattle, and concerning the fowl, and concerning the creeping things, and concerning the fishes,

4:34and there come out of all the peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth who have heard of his wisdom.