Study Desk

When David got up in the morning, the Lord spoke his word to Gad, who was a prophet and David's seer.

When the angel raised his arm toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord felt very sorry about the terrible things that had happened. He said to the angel who was destroying the people, "That is enough! Put down your arm!" The angel of the Lord was then by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Araunah looked and saw the king and his servants coming to him. So he went out and bowed facedown on the ground before the king.

He built an altar to the Lord there and offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered his prayer for the country, and the disease in Israel stopped.

At this time King David was very old, and although his servants covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm.

Adonijah was the son of King David and Haggith, and he was very proud. "I will be the king," he said. So he got chariots and horses for himself and fifty men for his personal bodyguard.

Then Adonijah killed some sheep, cows, and fat calves for sacrifices at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, to come, as well as all the men of Judah.

But Adonijah did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, his father's special guard, or his brother Solomon.

So Bathsheba went in to see the aged king in his bedroom, where Abishag, the girl from Shunam, was caring for him.

All the king's officers have come to tell King David that he has done a good thing. They are saying, ‘May your God make Solomon even more famous than you and an even greater king than you.'" Jonathan continued, "And King David bowed down on his bed to worship God,

So Solomon answered, "Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise he will not lose even a single hair from his head. But if he does anything wrong, he will die."

Since it was almost time for David to die, he gave his son Solomon his last commands.

Obey the Lord your God. Follow him by obeying his demands, his commands, his laws, and his rules that are written in the teachings of Moses. If you do these things, you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.

"Also, you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the two commanders of Israel's armies: Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He did this as if he and they were at war, although it was a time of peace. He put their blood on the belt around his waist and on his sandals on his feet.

Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem.

Solomon became king after David, his father, and he was in firm control of his kingdom.

So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. When Solomon saw her, he stood up to meet her, then bowed down, and sat on the throne. He told some servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat down at his right side.

King Solomon answered his mother, "Why do you ask me to give him Abishag? Why don't you also ask for him to become the king since he is my older brother? Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah would support him!"

Then King Solomon swore by the name of the Lord , saying, "May God punish me terribly if this doesn't cost Adonijah his life!

By the Lord who has given me the throne that belonged to my father David and who has kept his promise and given the kingdom to me and my people, Adonijah will die today!"