His older brother Adonijah, David's second son, realizing David would die soon and that his older brother was dead, exalted himself, saying, "I will be king!" He prepared chariots and horsemen for himself, and fifty men to run before him. David, his father, hadn't bothered him at any time by asking, 'Why are you doing this?'

Adonijah plotted with Joab the captain of David's armies, and with Abiathar the priest: and they followed Adonijah and helped him. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei and David's personal guards, didn't follow Adonijah.

Adonijah made a feast by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants to join him. But he didn't call Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, Davids' personal guards and Solomon his brother.

Nathan spoke to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, "Have you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns over Israel and David our lord doesn't even know about it? Please let me give you counsel, so that you can save your own life, and the life of Solomon you son.

"Go to king David, and say to him, 'My lord, O king, didn't you swear to your handmaid, saying, "Definitely, Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? Why then is Adonijah reigning?' Then, while you are still talking with the king, I will come in and confirm your words."

So Bathsheba went in and bowed to the king. The king said, "What is it you desire?"

And she said to him, "My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your handmaid, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.' But now Adonijah reigns and my lord the king has not even been told about it. He has made a feast for all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host, but Solomon your servant he hasn't invited. The eyes of all Israel are upon you, my lord, O king, looking to you to tell them who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders."

While she was talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in and bowed himself before the king. He said, "My lord, O king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?' For today he has slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and has called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host and Abiathar the priest. They eat and drink before him, and say, 'God save king Adonijah.' But he has not called me, Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. Has my lord the king done this and not told it to your servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

King David again promised Bathsheba, "As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress, even as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead.' even so will I certainly do this day."

Then Bathsheba bowed and did reverence to the king, and said, "Let my lord king David live forever."

King David called for Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and they came before the king.

The king said to them, "Take my personal guards, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon. When you get there, make Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel: and blow the trumpet, and say, 'God save king Solomon.'

"Then come back here so that he may sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah."

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, "So be it. May the Lord God of my lord the king agree. As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David."

So Zadok the priest, Nathan, and Benaiah, and the the king's personal guards went with Solomon riding on king David's mule, and they went to Gihon. Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon and they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, "God save king Solomon." All the people came up after him, and the people played music and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth split with the sound of them.

Adonijah and all his guests heard it as they had finished eating. Joab said, "Why is this city in such an uproar?"

Just then Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came in and Adonijah said to him, "Come in, you are a valiant man, and surely bring good news."

Jonathan answered Adonijah, "Our lord king David has made Solomon king. The king sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the the king's personal guards, and Solomon has riden upon the king's mule. Zadok and Nathan have anointed him king in Gihon and they've returned rejoicing, so that the city rang with it. Now Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

The king's servants have come to bless our lord king David, saying, 'God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and make his throne greater than your throne.'

The king bowed himself upon the bed and said, 'Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has given the right person to sit on my throne today, my eyes have seen it.'"

All Adonijah's guests were afraid, and went away. Adonijah too feared because he thought Solomon would want to kill him for trying to become king. So he went to the tabernacle, and caught hold on the horns of the altar in hopes of mercy.

Solomon was told, "Adonijah fears king Solomon - he has caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let king Solomon swear to me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.'"

And Solomon said, "If he will show himself to be a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth, but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die."

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 your house."

Old time literature, romance stories, fantasy stories, science fiction stories, and mystery stories in serial with new postings monthly by Antelope Publishing.