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Saturday, September 13th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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Read the Bible

Douay-Rheims Bible

1 Kings 1:12

Now then, come, take my counsel, and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bath-Sheba (Bathsheba);   Civil Service;   Nathan;   Politics;   Solomon;   Statecraft;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nathan;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Adonijah;   Bathsheba;   Nathan;   Solomon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Solomon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba;   Nathan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Adonijah;   Benaiah;   Nathan;   Queen;   Wheel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Adonijah;   Bathsheba;   Firstborn;   Israel;   Nathan;   Solomon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba ;   Benaiah ;   Jehoiada ;   Nathan ;   Zadok ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Adonijah;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Heir;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Now please come and let me advise you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
Hebrew Names Version
Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life, and the life of your son Shlomo.
King James Version
Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
English Standard Version
Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
New Century Version
I strongly advise you to save yourself and your sons.
New English Translation
Now let me give you some advice as to how you can save your life and your son Solomon's life.
Amplified Bible
"Come now, please let me advise you and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
New American Standard Bible
"So now come, please let me give you advice, and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now therefore come, and I will now giue thee counsell, howe to saue thine owne life, and the life of thy sonne Salomon.
Legacy Standard Bible
So now come, please let me give you counsel and provide escape for your life and the life of your son Solomon.
Contemporary English Version
You and your son Solomon will be killed, unless you do what I tell you.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now, come, please let me give you advice, so that you can save both your own life and that of your son Shlomo.
Darby Translation
And now, come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
Easy-to-Read Version
You and your son Solomon are in danger, but I will tell you what to do to save yourself.
George Lamsa Translation
Now therefore come, let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
Good News Translation
If you want to save your life and the life of your son Solomon, I would advise you to
Lexham English Bible
So then, come, let me advise you please, that you may save your life and the life of your son, Solomon.
Literal Translation
And now, come, please let me counsel you with counsel, and save your life, and the life of your son Solomon.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Come now therfore, I wyll geue the councell, that thou mayest delyuer thy soule and the soule of thy sonne Salomon.
American Standard Version
Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
Bible in Basic English
So now, let me make a suggestion, so that you may keep your life safe and the life of your son Solomon.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Nowe therfore come, and I will geue thee counsell howe to saue thyne owne lyfe, and the lyfe of thy sonne Solomon.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
King James Version (1611)
Now therefore come, let mee, I pray thee, giue thee counsell, that thou mayest saue thine owne life, and the life of thy sonne Solomon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And now come, let me, I pray, give thee counsel, and thou shalt rescue thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
English Revised Version
Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
Berean Standard Bible
Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Now therfor come thou, take thou counsel of me, and saue thi lijf, and of Salomon thi sone.
Young's Literal Translation
and now, come, let me counsel thee, I pray thee, and deliver thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon;
Update Bible Version
Now therefore come, let me, I pray you, give you counsel, that you may save your own life, and the life of your son Solomon.
Webster's Bible Translation
Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thy own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.
World English Bible
Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life, and the life of your son Solomon.
New King James Version
Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
New Living Translation
If you want to save your own life and the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice.
New Life Bible
So now come, let me give you words of wisdom and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
New Revised Standard
Now therefore come, let me give you advice, so that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Now, therefore, come; let me give thee counsel, I pray thee, - so shalt thou rescue thine own life, and the life of thy son, Solomon.
Revised Standard Version
Now therefore come, let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon.

Contextual Overview

11 And Nathan said to Bethsabee, the mother of Solomon: Hast thou not heard that Adonias, the son of Haggith, reigneth, and our lord David knoweth it not? 12 Now then, come, take my counsel, and save thy life, and the life of thy son Solomon. 13 Go, and get thee in to king David, and say to him: Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear to me, thy handmaid, saying: Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne? why then doth Adonias reign? 14 And while thou art yet speaking there with the king, I will come in after thee, and will fill up thy words. 15 So Bethsabee went in to the king into the chamber. Now the king was very old, and Abisag, the Sunamitess, ministered to him. 16 Bethsabee bowed herself, and worshipped the king. And the king said to her: What is thy will? 17 She answered, and said: My lord, thou didst swear to thy handmaid, by the Lord thy God, saying: Solomon, thy son, shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne. 18 And behold, now Adonias reigneth, and thou, my lord the king, knowest nothing of it. 19 He hath killed oxen, and all fat cattle, and many rams, and invited all the king’s sons, and Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the general of the army: but Solomon, thy servant, he invited not. 20 And now, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldst tell them, who shall sit on thy throne, my lord the king, after thee.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let me: Proverbs 11:14, Proverbs 20:18, Proverbs 27:9, Jeremiah 38:15

save: 1 Kings 1:21, Genesis 19:17, Acts 27:31

the life: Judges 9:5, 2 Kings 11:1, 2 Chronicles 21:4, 2 Chronicles 22:10, Matthew 21:38

Cross-References

Genesis 1:10
And God called the dry land, Earth; and the gathering together of the waters, he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:11
And he said: let the earth bring forth green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind, which may have seed in itself upon the earth. And it was so done.
Genesis 1:24
And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done.
Genesis 1:26
And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness: and let him have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the air, and the beasts, and the whole earth, and every creeping creature that moveth upon the earth.
Isaiah 61:11
For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth her seed to shoot forth: so shall the Lord God make justice to spring forth, and praise before all the nations.
Mark 4:28
For the earth of itself bringeth forth fruit, first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear.
Luke 6:44
For every tree is known by its fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns: nor from a bramble bush do they gather the grape.
2 Corinthians 9:10
And he that ministereth seed to the sower will both give you bread to eat and will multiply your seed and increase the growth of the fruits of your justice:
Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived: God is not mocked.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel,.... How to conduct in this affair, which she being a woman, and no doubt surprised and confounded at this relation, might be at a loss what to do; wherefore Nathan, being a wise man, and a faithful friend, offers to give the best advice he could, and desires her attention to it: says he,

that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon; which would be the usurper's first care to take away, that he might have no rival, and none to disturb him in his government; which step has been often taken by usurpers to secure themselves, see Judges 9:5.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It would have been in accordance with general Eastern custom for Solomon to suffer death, if Adonijah had succeeded in his attempt. But to have executed his mother also would have been an unusual severity. Still, such cases sometimes occurred: Cassander put to death Roxana, the widow of Alexander the Great, at the same time with her son, the young Alexander.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 1:12. Save thine own life, and the life of thy son — Nathan took for granted that Adonijah would put both Bath-sheba and Solomon to death as state criminals, if he got established on the throne. O cursed lust of rule! a father will destroy his son, a son depose his father, and a brother murder a brother, in order to obtain a crown! At this time the monarchy of Israel was unsettled; no man knew who was to succeed to the crown, and the minds of the people were as unsettled as the succession. I have examined both systems, and find that, with all its alleged disadvantages, hereditary monarchy has a high balance of evidence in its favour beyond that which is elective, and is every way more safe for the state and more secure for the subject.


 
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