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Aravnah said to David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up anything that seems good to him. Here are the oxen for the burnt offering; you can use the threshing-sledges and the yokes for the oxen as firewood.

But the king said to Aravnah, "No; I insist on buying it from you at a price. I refuse to offer to Adonai my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing-floor and the oxen for one-and-a-quarter pounds of silver shekels.

His servants said to him, "Let us try to find a young virgin for my lord the king. She can wait on the king and be a companion for him, and she can lie next to you, so that my lord the king will get some heat."

After looking through all of Isra'el's territory for a beautiful girl, they found Avishag the Shunamit and brought her to the king.

The girl was very beautiful and became a companion for the king. She took care of him, but the king did not have sexual relations with her.

As for you, my lord the king, all Isra'el is watching you; they are waiting for you to tell them who is to sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

For he has gone down today and killed oxen, fattened calves and sheep in great numbers; and he has summoned all the king's sons, the commanders of the army and Evyatar the cohen; right now they are eating and drinking in his presence and proclaiming, ‘Long live King Adoniyah!'

Then escort him back; he is to come and sit on my throne; for he is to take my place as king. I have appointed him to rule over Isra'el and Y'hudah."

The time came near for David to die; so he commissioned Shlomo his son as follows:

David had ruled Isra'el for forty years — seven years in Hevron and thirty-three years in Yerushalayim.

He said, "Please speak to Shlomo the king — for he won't say ‘No' to you — and ask him to give me Avishag the Shunamit as my wife."

So Bat-Sheva went to King Shlomo to speak to him on behalf of Adoniyah. The king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne set up for the king's mother, so that she sat at his right.

King Shlomo answered his mother, "Why are you asking Avishag the Shunamit for Adoniyah? Ask the kingdom for him too! After all, he's my older brother! Yes, for him, and for Evyatar the cohen and for Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah!"

Now therefore, as Adonai lives, who has established me, put me on the throne of David my father and set up a dynasty for me, as he promised, Adoniyah will certainly be put to death today."

When the news came to Yo'av, he fled to the tent of Adonai and took hold of the horns of the altar; for Yo'av had given his support to Adoniyah, even though he had not supported Avshalom.

The king answered him, "Do what he said — strike him down, and bury him. In this way you will take away from me and my father's family the blood which Yo'av shed for no reason.

In this way their blood will return on the head of Yo'av and his descendants forever; but for David, his descendants, his family and his throne there will be peace forever from Adonai ."

Know for a fact that on the day you go out and cross Vadi Kidron, you will certainly die; your blood will be on your own head."

Shim‘i answered the king, "What you have said is good; as my lord the king has said, so will your servant do." So Shim‘i lived in Yerushalayim for a long time.

So Shim‘i set out, saddled his donkey and went to Akhish in Gat to look for his slaves; then Shim‘i returned, bringing his slaves from Gat.