From: "FamilyNet Direct" 

Bible Reading for May 31

1 Kings 1
[1] Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with
clothes, but he gat no heat.
[2] Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord
the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her
cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get
heat.
[3] So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel,
and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. [4] And the
damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but
the king knew her not.
[5] Then 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.
[6] And 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.
[7] And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the
priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. [8] But 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.
[9] And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of
Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king's
sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: [10] But Nathan the
prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he
called not.
[11] Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying,
Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David
our lord knoweth it not?
[12] Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou
mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. [13] Go and
get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O
king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall
reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah
reign?
[14] Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come
in after thee, and confirm thy words.
[15] And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king
was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. [16] And
Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What
wouldest thou?
[17] And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto
thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and
he shall sit upon my throne.
[18] And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou
knowest it not:
[19] And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath
called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the
captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. [20] And
thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou
shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after
him.
[21] Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep
with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
[22] And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also
came in.
[23] And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he
was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face
to the ground.
[24] And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign
after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? [25] For he is gone down this
day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath
called all the king's sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the
priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king
Adonijah. [26] But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.
[27] Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed it
unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after
him?
[28] Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came
into the king's presence, and stood before the king. [29] And the king
sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all
distress,
[30] Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly
Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my
stead; even so will I certainly do this day. [31] Then Bath-sheba bowed
with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my
lord king David live for ever. [32] And king David said, Call me Zadok the
priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they
came before the king. [33] The 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:
[34] And 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.
[35] Then 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.
[36] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the
LORD God of my lord the king say so too. [37] As 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. [38] So 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. [39] And 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.
[40] And 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.
[41] And 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? [42] And
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.
[43] And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David
hath made Solomon king.
[44] And 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: [45] And
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. [46] And also Solomon sitteth on the
throne of the kingdom. [47] And 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. [48] And 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. [49] And all the guests that were with Adonijah were
afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way.
[50] And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and
caught hold on the horns of the altar.
[51] And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king
Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying,
Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant
with the sword.
[52] And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall
not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in
him, he shall die.
[53] So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he
came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to
thine house.

1 Kings 2
[1] Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged
Solomon his son, saying,
[2] I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
[3] And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep
his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies,
as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that
thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: [4] That the LORD may
continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children
take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and
with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the
throne of Israel. [5] Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of
Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of
Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom
he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon
his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his
feet. [6] Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head
go down to the grave in peace.
[7] But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let
them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled
because of Absalom thy brother.
[8] And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of
Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to
Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the
LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. [9] Now
therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what
thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the
grave with blood.
[10] So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
[11] And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven
years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in
Jerusalem.
[12] Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom
was established greatly.
[13] And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of
Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. [14]
He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
[15] And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all
Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is
turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD.
[16] And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto
him, Say on.
[17] And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will
not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. [18] And
Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. [19] Bath-sheba
therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the
king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his
throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on
his right hand.
[20] Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say
me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not
say thee nay.
[21] And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy
brother to wife.
[22] And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou
ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for
he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and
for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
[23] Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more
also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. [24] Now
therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the
throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised,
Adonijah shall be put to death this day. [25] And king Solomon sent by the
hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.
[26] And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto
thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time
put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David
my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father
was afflicted.
[27] So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that
he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house
of Eli in Shiloh.
[28] Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though
he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD,
and caught hold on the horns of the altar. [29] And it was told king
Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he
is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go,
fall upon him. [30] And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and
said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I
will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said
Joab, and thus he answered me.
[31] And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and
bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed,
from me, and from the house of my father. [32] And the LORD shall return
his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and
better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing
thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and
Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
[33] Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the
head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his
house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.
[34] So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew
him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. [35] And the
king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok
the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. [36] And the king sent
and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem,
and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. [37] For it shall be,
that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou
shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon
thine own head. [38] And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as
my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in
Jerusalem many days. [39] And it came to pass at the end of three years,
that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king
of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
[40] And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to
seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
[41] And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath,
and was come again.
[42] And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not
make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a
certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any wither, that
thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard
is good.
[43] Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment
that I have charged thee with?
[44] The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness
which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father:
therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; [45]
And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be
established before the LORD for ever. [46] So the king commanded Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And
the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

1 Kings 3
[1] And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took
Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had
made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the
wall of Jerusalem round about.
[2] Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house
built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. [3] And Solomon loved
the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed
and burnt incense in high places. [4] And the king went to Gibeon to
sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt
offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. [5] In Gibeon the LORD
appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall
give thee.
[6] And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father
great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in
righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept
for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his
throne, as it is this day.
[7] And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of
David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or
come in. [8] And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast
chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.
[9] Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people,
that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy
so great a people?
[10] And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.
[11] And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast
not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor
hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself
understanding to discern judgment;
[12] Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a
wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before
thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. [13] And I have
also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so
that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
[14] And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my
commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.
[15] And Solomon awoke; and, behold, it was a dream. And he came to
Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and
offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast
to all his servants.
[16] Then came there two women, that were harlots, unto the king, and stood
before him.
[17] And the one woman said, O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one
house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house. [18] And it
came to pass the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman was
delivered also: and we were together; there was no stranger with us in the
house, save we two in the house. [19] And this woman's child died in the
night; because she overlaid it. [20] And she arose at midnight, and took my
son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom,
and laid her dead child in my bosom.
[21] And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was
dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my
son, which I did bear.
[22] And the other woman said, Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead
is thy son. And this said, No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is
my son. Thus they spake before the king. [23] Then said the king, The one
saith, This is my son that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and the other
saith, Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.
[24] And the king said, Bring me a sword. And they brought a sword before the king.
[25] And the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to
the one, and half to the other.
[26] Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her
bowels yearned upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living
child, and in no wise slay it. But the other said, Let it be neither mine
nor thine, but divide it.
[27] Then the king answered and said, Give her the living child, and in no
wise slay it: she is the mother thereof. [28] And all Israel heard of the
judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king: for they saw
that the wisdom of God was in him, to do judgment.

1 Kings 4
[1] So king Solomon was king over all Israel. [2] And these were the
princes which he had; Azariah the son of Zadok the priest,
[3] Elihoreph and Ahiah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son
of Ahilud, the recorder.
[4] And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host: and Zadok and
Abiathar were the priests:
[5] And Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers: and Zabud the son
of Nathan was principal officer, and the king's friend: [6] And Ahishar was
over the household: and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.
[7] And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, which provided
victuals for the king and his household: each man his month in a year made
provision. [8] And these are their names: The son of Hur, in mount Ephraim:
[9] The son of Dekar, in Makaz, and in Shaalbim, and Beth-shemesh, and
Elon-beth-hanan:
[10] The son of Hesed, in Aruboth; to him pertained Sochoh, and all the
land of Hepher:
[11] The son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor; which had Taphath the
daughter of Solomon to wife:
[12] Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all
Beth-shean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Beth-shean to
Abel-meholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam: [13] The son of
Geber, in Ramoth-gilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of
Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob,
which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brasen bars:
[14] Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim: [15] Ahimaaz was in Naphtali;
he also took Basmath the daughter of Solomon to wife:
[16] Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth: [17] Jehoshaphat
the son of Paruah, in Issachar: [18] Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin:
[19] Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of
Sihon king of the Amorites, and of Og king of Bashan; and he was the only
officer which was in the land.
[20] Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in
multitude, eating and drinking, and making merry. [21] And Solomon reigned
over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto
the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days
of his life. [22] And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures
of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,
[23] Ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and an hundred
sheep, beside harts, and roebucks, and fallowdeer, and fatted fowl. [24]
For he had dominion over all the region on this side the river, from
Tiphsah even to Azzah, over all the kings on this side the river: and he
had peace on all sides round about him. [25] And Judah and Israel dwelt
safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to
Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon. [26] And Solomon had forty thousand
stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
[27] And those officers provided victual for king Solomon, and for all that
came unto king Solomon's table, every man in his month: they lacked
nothing. [28] Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought
they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his
charge. [29] And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much,
and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore. [30] And
Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east
country, and all the wisdom of Egypt. [31] For he was wiser than all men;
than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, and Chalcol, and Darda, the sons of
Mahol: and his fame was in all nations round about.
[32] And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five.
[33] And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even
unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts,
and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes. [34] And there came of
all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth,
which had heard of his wisdom.

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