king at once, and thus put an end to the plans of
these men."

So at David's command they brought out the mule on which no one but the
king was allowed to ride; and they placed Solomon upon it; and with the
king's guards, and the nobles, and the great men, they brought the young
Solomon down to the valley of Gihon, south of the city.

And Zadok, the priest, took from the Tabernacle the horn filled with
holy oil, that was used for anointing or pouring oil on the head of the
priests when they were set apart for their work. He poured oil from this
horn on the head of Solomon, and then the priests blew the trumpets, and
all the people cried aloud, "God save King Solomon."

All this time Adonijah and Joab, and their friends were not far away,
almost in the same valley, feasting and making merry, intending to make
Adonijah king. They heard the sound of the trumpets, and the shouting of
the people. Joab said: "What is the cause of all this noise and uproar?"

A moment later, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, came running in. Jonathan
said to the men who were feasting:

"Our lord King David has made Solomon king, and he has just been
anointed in Gihon; and all the princes, and the heads of the army, are
with him, and the people are shouting, 'God save King Solomon!' And
David has sent from his bed a message to Solomon, saying, 'May the Lord
make your name greater than mine has been! Blessed be the Lord, who has
given me a son to sit this day on my throne!'"

When Adonijah and his friends heard this they were filled with fear.
Every man went at once to his house, except Adonijah. He hastened to the
altar of the Lord, and knelt before it, and took hold of the horns that
were on its corners in front. This was a holy place, and he hoped that
there Solomon might have mercy on him. And Solomon said:

"If Adonijah will do right, and be faithful to me as the king of Israel,
no harm shall come to him; but if he does wrong, he shall die."

Then Adonijah came and bowed down before King Solomon, and promised to
obey him, and Solomon said, "Go to your own house."

[Illustration: _Solomon on his throne_]

Not long after this David sent for Solomon, and from his bed he gave his
last advice to Solomon. And soon after that David died, an old man,
having reigned in all forty years, seven years over the tribe of Judah,
at Hebron, and thirty-three years over all Israel, in Jerusalem. He was
buried in great honor on Mount Zion, and his tomb