1 Raja-raja 1:11-21

1:11 Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Has it been reported to you ¹  that Haggith’s son Adonijah has become king behind our master David’s back? ²  1:12 Now ³  let me give you some advice as to how ⁴  you can save your life and your son Solomon’s life. 1:13 Visit ⁵  King David and say to him, ‘My master, O king, did you not solemnly promise ⁶  your servant, “Surely your son Solomon will be king after me; he will sit on my throne”? So why has Adonijah become king?’ 1:14 While ⁷  you are still there speaking to the king, I will arrive ⁸  and verify your report.” ⁹ 

1:15 So Bathsheba visited the king in his private quarters. ¹⁰  (The king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 1:16 Bathsheba bowed down on the floor before ¹¹  the king. The king said, “What do you want?” 1:17 She replied to him, “My master, you swore an oath to your servant by the Lord your God, ‘Solomon your son will be king after me and he will sit on my throne.’ 1:18 But now, look, Adonijah has become king! But you, ¹²  my master the king, are not even aware of it! ¹³  1:19 He has sacrificed many cattle, steers, and sheep and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest, and Joab, the commander of the army, but he has not invited your servant Solomon. 1:20 Now, ¹⁴  my master, O king, all Israel is watching anxiously to see who is named to succeed my master the king on the throne. ¹⁵  1:21 If a decision is not made, ¹⁶  when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, ¹⁷  my son Solomon and I ¹⁸  will be considered state criminals.” ¹⁹ 

[1:11]  ¹ tn Heb “Have you not heard?”

[1:11]  ² tn Heb “and our master David does not know.”

[1:12]  ³ tn Heb “now, come.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.

[1:12]  ⁴ tn Or “so that.”

[1:13]  ⁵ tn Heb “come, go to.” The imperative of הָלַךְ (halakh) is here used as an introductory interjection. See BDB 234 s.v. חָלַךְ.

[1:13]  ⁶ tn Or “swear an oath to.”

[1:14]  ⁷ tn In the Hebrew text the sentence is introduced by the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh, “look”), which here draws attention to Nathan’s concluding word of assurance and support. For this use of the word, see HALOT 252 s.v. הִנֵּה.

[1:14]  ⁸ tc The Hebrew text reads, “I will come after you.”

[1:14]  ⁹ tn Heb “fill up [i.e., confirm] your words.”

[1:15]  ¹⁰ tn Or “bedroom.”

[1:16]  ¹¹ tn Heb “bowed low and bowed down to.”

[1:18]  ¹² tc Instead of עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) many Hebrew mss, along with the Old Greek, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate, have the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’attah, “you”). This reading is followed in the present translation.

[1:18]  ¹³ tn Heb “you do not know [about it].”

[1:20]  ¹⁴ tc Many Hebrew mss have עַתָּה (’attah, “now”) rather than the similar sounding independent pronoun אַתָּה (’attah, “you”).

[1:20]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the eyes of all Israel are upon you to declare to them who will sit on the throne of my master the king after him.”

[1:21]  ¹⁶ tn The words “if a decision is not made” are added for clarification.

[1:21]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “lies down with his fathers.”

[1:21]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I and my son Solomon.” The order has been reversed in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:21]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “will be guilty”; NASB “considered offenders”; TEV “treated as traitors.”