16. Bath-sheba bowed and prostrated herself to the king. The king asked, “What troubles you?”
17. She said to him: “My lord, you swore by Adonai your God to your handmaid: ‘Surely, Solomon your son will be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’
18. Yet now, behold, Adonijah reigns, though you do not know it—my lord the king.
19. He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the kohen and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant.
20. As for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21. Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered traitors.”
22. Then behold, while she was still talking with the king, the prophet Nathan came in,
23. and they informed the king, saying: “Behold the prophet Nathan is here.” When he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground.
24. Then Nathan said: “My lord the king, did you say: ‘Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne?’
25. For he has gone down today, slain oxen, fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, the captains of the army and Abiathar the kohen—and behold, they are eating and drinking with him, and they are saying: ‘Long live King Adonijah!’
26. But he did not invite me, your servant, Zadok the kohen, Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your servant Solomon.
27. Was this thing done by my lord the king, without letting your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
28. Then King David answered and said: “Summon Bath-sheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.
29. Then the king swore an oath: “As Adonai lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all distress,
30. as surely as I swore to you by Adonai, the God of Israel, saying that your son Solomon will be king after me and will sit on my throne in my place. Thus I will surely fulfill it this day!”
31. Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the ground and prostrated herself before the king, and said: “Let my lord King David live forever!”
32. Then King David said: “Summon to me Zadok the kohen, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king,
33. the king said to them: “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have my son Solomon ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.