A reading from the book of First Kings. Now King David was old and advanced in years,

and although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. Therefore his servant said to him,

let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service.

Let her lie in your arms that my lord the king may be warm.

So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel

and found Abishag the Shunamite and brought her to the king.

The young woman was very beautiful,

and she was of service to the king and attended to him,

but the king knew her not.

Now Adonijah, the son of Haggoth, exalted himself, saying, I will be king.

And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.

His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, Why have you done thus and so? He was also a very handsome man,

and he was born next after Absalom. He conferred with Joab, the son of Zeruya, and with

Abithar the priest, and they followed

Adonijah and helped him.

But Zadok the priest and Beniah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimeai,

and Re'i and David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.

Adonigia sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the serpent's

stone, which is beside Enrogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and

all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Beniah, or the

mighty men, or Solomon, his brother. Then Nathan said

to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith,

...