the
Shunamite was caring for him. When David said, "What do you wish?" she
said to him, "My lord, you solemnly promised your servant by Jehovah:
'Solomon your son shall rule after me.' But now Adonijah has been made
ruler without your knowledge, my lord! Now, my lord, all the Israelites
are looking to you, to tell them who shall rule after you. If you do not
tell them, then, when my lord dies, I and my son Solomon will be treated
as criminals."

While she was still talking with David, Nathan the prophet came in. And
they told David, "Nathan the prophet is here." So he came in and bowed
before David with his face to the ground. Then Nathan said, "My lord,
have you said, 'Adonijah shall rule after me?' For he has gone down this
day and killed many oxen and fat beasts and sheep and has invited all
your sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest; and
there they are eating and drinking before him and saying, 'May the new
ruler Adonijah live!' But he has not invited me, even me your servant,
nor Zadok, the priest, nor Benaiah nor your servant Solomon. If you have
done this, my lord, you have failed to show your servants who is to rule
after my lord."

David answered, "Call Bathsheba to me." So she came in and stood before
him. Then David made this solemn promise; "As surely as Jehovah lives,
who has delivered me from all trouble, as I have solemnly promised to
you by Jehovah, the God of Israel, saying, 'Solomon your son shall rule
after me'; so I will certainly do to-day." Then Bathsheba bowed her face
to the earth and said, "May my lord live forever."

Then David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." When they came before him, he said to
them, "Take with you the servants of your lord. Let Solomon my son ride
upon my own mule, bring him down to Gihon, and there let Zadok the
priest and Nathan the prophet make him ruler over Israel and blow the
trumpet and say, 'May Solomon the ruler live!' Then you shall go up
after him, and he shall go in and sit upon my throne, for he shall rule
after me; and I have appointed him to be chief over Israel and Judah."
Benaiah answered David, "So may it be! May Jehovah confirm the words of
my lord. As Jehovah has been with my lord, even so may he be with
Solomon, and may he make his throne greater than the throne of my lord
David!"

Then Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah together with the Philistine
body-guards, went down and pu