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Wherefore his seruants said vnto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a yong virgin, and let her stand before the King, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosome, that my lord the King may get heate.

So they sought for a faire damosel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the King.

For hee is gone downe this day, and hath slaine oxen, and fat cattel, and sheepe in abundance, and hath called all the kings sonnes, and the captaines of the host, and Abiathar the Priest: and behold, they eate and drinke before him, and say, God saue king Adoniiah.

Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reuerence to the king, and said, Let my lord king Dauid liue for euer.

Then ye shall come vp after him, that hee may come and sit vpon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I haue appointed him to be ruler ouer Israel, and ouer Iudah.

And while hee yet spake, behold, Ionathan the sonne of Abiathar the Priest came, and Adoniiah sayde vnto him, Come in, for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

And it was tolde Solomon, saying, Behold, Adoniiah feareth King Solomon: for loe, he hath caught hold on the hornes of the Altar, saying, Let King Solomon sweare vnto mee to day, that hee will not slay his seruant with the sword.

But shewe kindnesse vnto the sonnes of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eate at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

Nowe therefore holde him not guiltlesse: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to doe vnto him, but his hoare head bring thou downe to the graue with blood.

And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdome was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should raigne: howbeit the kingdome is turned about, and is become my brothers: for it was his from the Lord.

And hee saide, Speake, I pray thee, vnto Solomon the king (for hee will not say thee nay) that he giue me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.

And Bathsheba said, Wel, I will speake for thee vnto the king.

Bathsheba therefore went vnto king Solomon, to speake vnto him for Adoniiah: and the king rose vp to meete her, and bowed himselfe vnto her, and sate downe on his throne, and caused a seate to bee set for the Kings mother, and she sate on his right hand.

Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee, I pray thee say me not nay: and the King said vnto her, Aske on, my mother, for I will not say thee nay.

And king Solomon answered, and said vnto his mother, And why doest thou aske Abishag the Shunammite for Adoniiah? Aske for him the kingdome also (for he is mine elder brother) euen for him, and for Abiathar the Priest, & for Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah.

And vnto Abiathar the Priest saide the King, Get thee to Anathoth, vnto thine own fields, for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the arke of the Lord God before Dauid my father, and because thou hast bene afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.

Then tidings came to Ioab (for Ioab had turned after Adoniiah, though hee turned not after Absalom) and Ioab fled vnto the Tabernacle of the Lord, and caught hold on the hornes of the Altar.

Their blood shall therefore returne vpon the head of Ioab, and vpon the head of his seed for euer: but vpon Dauid, and vpon his seede, and vpon his house, and vpon his throne, shall there bee peace for euer from the Lord.

And the king sent, and called for Shimei, and said vnto him, Build thee an house in Ierusalem, and dwell there, and goe not forth thence any whither.

For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, & passest ouer the brooke Kidron, thou shalt know for certaine, that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shal be vpon thine owne head.