Zadok

15And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

David was king over all of Israel. He was fair to all his people and did what was right.

16And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was the leader of the army. Jehoshaphat, the son of Ahilud, was the recorder, the man who wrote down what the king did.

17And Zadok the son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

Zadok, son of Ahitub, and Ahimelech, son of Abiathar, were the priests. Priests led the people in worshiping God. Seraiah was the scribe, the man who wrote the king's letters and records.

18And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David’s sons were chief rulers.

Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, led the Cherethites and the Pelethites. They were the soldiers who guarded the king. David's sons held important jobs as leaders.

24And lo Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God: and they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city.

Zadok the priest was there as well. The Levites with him carried the ark of God's covenant. The ark was the special box that showed God was with his people. They set the ark down, and Abiathar gave offerings until everyone had left the city.

25And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me again, and shew me both it, and his habitation:

The king said to Zadok, "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If the LORD is pleased with me, he will bring me back. Then I will see the ark and God's house again."

26But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.

"But if he says, 'I am not pleased with you,' then here I am. He may do to me whatever seems right to him."

27The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

The king also said to Zadok the priest, "You are a seer, a man God shows things to. Go back to the city in peace. Take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan with you."

28See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

"I will wait at the river crossings out in the desert. I will stay there until you send me news."

29Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem. They stayed there.

35And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

"Zadok and Abiathar the priests will be there with you. Tell them everything you hear in the king's house."

36Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok’s son, and Jonathan Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear.

"Their two sons are with them, Ahimaaz and Jonathan. Send those two to me with everything you hear."

37So Hushai David’s friend came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

So Hushai, David's friend, went into the city. Absalom was arriving in Jerusalem at the same time.

15Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and thus have I counselled.

Then Hushai went to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests. Priests were men who served God for the people. He told them both plans, Ahithophel's and his own.

16Now therefore send quickly, and tell David, saying, Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over; lest the king be swallowed up, and all the people that are with him.

"Send word to David quickly. Tell him not to stay tonight by the river crossings in the desert. Tell him to cross over at once. If he waits, he and all his people may be destroyed."

17Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel; for they might not be seen to come into the city: and a wench went and told them; and they went and told king David.

Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at a spring called En-rogel. They could not let anyone see them go into the city. A servant girl brought them the news. Then they carried it to King David.

18Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom: but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man’s house in Bahurim, which had a well in his court; whither they went down.

But a young man saw them and told Absalom. So the two left fast. They came to a house in Bahurim. The man there had a well in his yard. They climbed down into it.

19And the woman took and spread a covering over the well’s mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

The man's wife spread a cover over the mouth of the well. She scattered grain on top of the cover. Nobody could tell anything was hidden there.

20And when Absalom’s servants came to the woman to the house, they said, Where is Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said unto them, They be gone over the brook of water. And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

Absalom's servants came to the woman and asked where Ahimaaz and Jonathan were. She said, "They went over the brook." The men looked but could not find them. So they went back to Jerusalem.

21And it came to pass, after they were departed, that they came up out of the well, and went and told king David, and said unto David, Arise, and pass quickly over the water: for thus hath Ahithophel counselled against you.

After the men left, the two climbed out of the well. They hurried to King David. They said, "Get up and cross the river right now. This is the plan Ahithophel made against you."

22Then David arose, and all the people that were with him, and they passed over Jordan: by the morning light there lacked not one of them that was not gone over Jordan.

So David and all his people got up. They crossed the Jordan River. By morning light, every single one of them had crossed.

11And king David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house? seeing the speech of all Israel is come to the king, even to his house.

King David sent word to Zadok and Abiathar, the priests who served God for the people. He said, "Ask the leaders of Judah this. Why are you the last to bring the king home? All Israel is already talking about it.

12Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh: wherefore then are ye the last to bring back the king?

You are my brothers. You are my own family. So why are you the last to bring the king back?"

13And say ye to Amasa, Art thou not of my bone, and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in the room of Joab.

"And tell Amasa this: You are my own family too. May God punish me if I do not make you leader of my army from now on, in place of Joab."

14And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man; so that they sent this word unto the king, Return thou, and all thy servants.

David won over the hearts of all the men of Judah. They all agreed as if they were one man. They sent word to the king, "Come back, you and all your men."

5Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

Then Adonijah decided he would make himself king. He was David's son, and his mother was Haggith. He got chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run ahead of him.

6And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom.

His father had never once corrected him or asked, "Why are you doing this?" Adonijah was very handsome. He was born right after his brother Absalom.

7And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him.

Adonijah talked with Joab, the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest. Both men agreed to help him.

8But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah.

But some men would not join Adonijah. They were Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, a man who told people what God said. Shimei, Rei, and David's best soldiers also stayed away.

9And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah the king’s servants:

Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fattened calves for a feast. He did this by the stone of Zoheleth, near a spring called En-rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the king's officials from Judah.

10But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, or Benaiah, or the best soldiers, or his brother Solomon.

32And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

King David said, "Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." So they came in to the king.

33The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:

The king said to them, "Take my servants with you. Put my son Solomon on my own mule. Then take him down to the spring called Gihon.

34And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet must pour oil on him to make him king over Israel. Then blow the ram's horn and shout, 'Long live King Solomon!'

35Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

Then come back up here with him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place. I have chosen him to be the ruler over Israel and Judah."

36And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.

Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, "Yes, let it be so. May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say the same thing.

37As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

The LORD has been with you, my lord the king. May He be with Solomon too. May He make Solomon's rule even greater than yours."

38So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went down to Gihon. The king's special guards, the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went too. They put Solomon on King David's mule and led him there.

39And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

Zadok the priest took the horn full of oil from the holy tent. He poured it on Solomon to make him king. They blew the ram's horn, and all the people shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"

40And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

All the people followed him up from the spring. They played flutes and were so happy that the ground seemed to shake with the noise.

41And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar?

Adonijah and all his guests heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the ram's horn, he asked, "Why is the city making all that noise?"

42And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.

While he was still speaking, Jonathan arrived. He was the son of Abiathar the priest. Adonijah said, "Come in. You are a good man, so you must bring good news."

43And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.

Jonathan answered, "No. Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

44And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king’s mule:

The king sent Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada with him. The Cherethites and the Pelethites went too. They put Solomon on the king's own mule.

45And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet poured oil on him at Gihon to make him king. They came back up cheering, and the whole city is ringing with the sound. That is the noise you heard.

46And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

And Solomon is now sitting on the royal throne.

47And moreover the king’s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

The king's servants also came to bless our lord King David. They said, 'May your God make Solomon's name even greater than yours. May He make his throne greater than your throne.' And the king bowed low on his bed to worship.

48And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.

The king also said, 'Praise the LORD, the God of Israel! Today He has given someone to sit on my throne, and my own eyes have seen it.'"