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He killed an Egyptian, an important man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand. But Benaiah went down to him with a heavy stick and took the spear from the Egyptian's hand. Then he killed him with his own spear.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things. His name was respected as well as the three strong men.

David said to Gad, "I am in much trouble. Let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His loving-kindness is great. But do not let me fall into the hand of man."

The angel put out his hand to destroy Jerusalem. But the Lord had pity on them because of their trouble. He said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough! Do no more!" The angel of the Lord was by the grain-floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants crossing over toward him. And he went out and put his face to the ground in front of the king.

Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" David answered, "To buy the grain-floor from you, to build an altar to the Lord. Then the disease may be kept away from the people."

Araunah said to David, "Let my lord the king take whatever is good in his eyes, and make a gift of it. Look, there are the bulls for the burnt gift. The tools for cleaning the grain, and the cross-pieces the bulls wear to pull loads, can be used for the wood.

So his servants said to him, "Let a young woman who has never had a man be found for my lord the king. Let her help the king and become his nurse. And let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm."

His father had never troubled him at any time by asking, "Why have you done this?" He was a very good-looking man also, and was born next after Absalom.

Adonijah killed sheep and cattle and fat animals by the stone of Zoheleth, beside En-rogel. He asked all his brothers, the king's sons and all the king's men of Judah to come.

But he did not ask Nathan the man of God, Benaiah, the strong men or his brother Solomon to come.

So Bathsheba went to the king in his room. The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was helping him.

They told the king, "Here is Nathan who speaks for God." When Nathan came in front of the king, he put his face to the ground.

May the Lord be with Solomon as He has been with my lord the king. May He make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David!"

What is more, the king's servants came to give honor to our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!' And the king put his face down upon the bed.

Then all those with Adonijah were filled with fear. Each of them got up and went his own way.

Solomon was told, "See, Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon. See, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon promise me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'"

Solomon said, "If he will be a man of worth, not one of his hairs will fall to the ground. But if he is found to be bad, he will die."

So King Solomon sent men to bring him down from the altar. Adonijah came and put his face to the ground in front of King Solomon. And Solomon said to him, "Go to your house."

When David's time to die was near, he told his son Solomon,