Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, August 24th, 2025
the Week of Proper 16 / Ordinary 21
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Easy-to-Read Version

1 Kings 1:21

If you don't decide, then after you are buried, these men will say that Solomon and I are criminals."

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bath-Sheba (Bathsheba);   Civil Service;   Intercession;   Petition;   Politics;   Solomon;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Nathan;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Adonijah;   Ancestors;   Bathsheba;   Solomon;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Bath-Sheba;   David;   Solomon;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba;   Nathan;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Adonijah;   Benaiah;   Nathan;   Queen;   Wheel;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Adonijah;   Bathsheba;   Firstborn;   Israel;   Nathan;   Solomon;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Bathsheba ;   Benaiah ;   Jehoiada ;   Nathan ;   Zadok ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Adonijah;   Bath-sheba;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Da'vid;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Daniel, Book of;   Offence;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be regarded as criminals.”
Hebrew Names Version
Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Shlomo shall be counted offenders.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders."
New Century Version
As soon as you die, Solomon and I will be treated as criminals."
New English Translation
If a decision is not made, when my master the king is buried with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be considered state criminals."
Amplified Bible
"Otherwise it will come about when my lord the king lies down [in death] with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered political enemies."
New American Standard Bible
"Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king lies down with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders."
Geneva Bible (1587)
For els when my lord the King shall sleepe with his fathers, I and my sonne Salomon shalbe reputed vile.
Legacy Standard Bible
Otherwise it will be, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders."
Contemporary English Version
If you don't, they will say that Solomon and I have rebelled. They will treat us like criminals and kill us as soon as you die.
Complete Jewish Bible
If you don't, then, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, I and my son Shlomo will be considered criminals."
Darby Translation
Otherwise it shall come to pass when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.
George Lamsa Translation
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers in peace, I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
Good News Translation
If you don't, as soon as you are dead, my son Solomon and I will be treated as traitors."
Lexham English Bible
It shall be that when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be considered as sinners."
Literal Translation
And it will be, when my lord the king lies with his fathers, that I, my son Solomon and I, shall be offenders.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And wha my lorde the kynge slepeth with his fathers then shal I and my sonne Salomon be fayne to be synners.
American Standard Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
Bible in Basic English
For as things are, it will come about, when my lord the king is sleeping with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son will be made outlaws.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
For els when my lorde the king shall sleepe with his fathers, I & my sonne Solomon shalbe synners.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.'
King James Version (1611)
Otherwise it shall come to passe, when my lord the king shal sleepe with his fathers, that I and my sonne Solomon shall be counted offenders.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and Solomon my son shall be offenders.
English Revised Version
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.
Berean Standard Bible
Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and it schal be, whanne my lord the kyng hath slepte with hise fadris, Y and my sone Salomon schulen be synneris.
Young's Literal Translation
and it hath been, when my lord the king lieth with his fathers, that I have been, I and my son Solomon -- [reckoned] sinners.'
Update Bible Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.
New King James Version
Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders."
New Living Translation
If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died."
New Life Bible
Or else as soon as my lord the king is dead, I and my son Solomon will be thought of as wrong-doers."
New Revised Standard
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his ancestors, that my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, then shall I and my son Solomon be counted, offenders.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king sleepeth with his fathers, that I, and my son, Solomon, shall be accounted offenders.
Revised Standard Version
Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders."

Contextual Overview

11 When Nathan heard about this, he went to Solomon's mother Bathsheba and asked her, "Have you heard what Haggith's son, Adonijah, is doing? He is making himself king. And our master, King David, knows nothing about it. 12 You and your son Solomon are in danger, but I will tell you what to do to save yourself. 13 Go to King David and tell him, ‘My lord and king, you promised me that my son Solomon would be the next king after you. So why is Adonijah becoming the new king?' 14 Then while you are still talking with him, I will come in. After you leave I will tell the king what has happened. This will show that what you said is true." 15 So Bathsheba went in to see the king in his bedroom. The king was very old. Abishag, the girl from Shunem, was caring for him there. 16 Bathsheba bowed down before the king. The king asked, "What can I do for you?" 17 Bathsheba answered, "Sir, you used the name of the Lord your God and made a promise to me. You said, ‘Your son Solomon will be the next king after me. He will sit on my throne.' 18 Now, you don't know this, but Adonijah is making himself king. 19 He is giving a big fellowship meal. He has killed many cattle and the best sheep, and he has invited all of your sons to the meal. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joab, the commander of your army, but he did not invite your faithful son Solomon. 20 Now, my lord and king, all the Israelites are watching you. They are waiting for you to decide who will be the next king after you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sleep: 1 Kings 2:10, Genesis 15:15, Deuteronomy 31:16

that I: That is, when Adonijah is established on the throne, I and my son Solomon shall be put to death as state criminals. The history of the world demonstrates, that the lust of dominion has tempted men to commit the most enormous crimes. A father has destroyed his son, a son deposed a father, and a brother murdered a brother, in order to obtain a crown!

offenders: Heb. sinners, 1 Kings 2:15, 1 Kings 2:22-24

Reciprocal: Genesis 43:9 - will be 1 Samuel 10:24 - God save the king 2 Samuel 7:12 - sleep 1 Kings 1:12 - save 1 Kings 11:43 - slept 2 Kings 10:35 - Jehu slept 2 Kings 13:13 - slept 2 Kings 14:16 - Jehoash 1 Chronicles 17:11 - go to be 2 Chronicles 9:31 - slept 2 Chronicles 32:33 - slept 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - which are

Cross-References

Genesis 1:18
He put them in the sky to rule over the day and over the night. They separated the light from the darkness. And God saw that this was good.
Genesis 1:24
Then God said, "Let the earth produce many kinds of living things. Let there be many different kinds of animals. Let there be large animals and small crawling animals of every kind. And let all these animals produce more animals." And all these things happened.
Genesis 1:25
So God made every kind of animal. He made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling things. And God saw that this was good.
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, "Now let's make humans who will be like us. They will rule over all the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. They will rule over all the large animals and all the little things that crawl on the earth."
Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good. There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the sixth day.
Genesis 6:20
Two of every kind of bird, animal, and creeping thing will come to you so that you might keep them alive.
Genesis 7:14
They and every kind of animal on the earth were in the boat. Every kind of cattle, every kind of animal that crawls on the earth, and every kind of bird were in the boat.
Genesis 8:17
Bring every living animal out of the boat with you—all the birds, animals, and everything that crawls on the earth. These animals will make many more animals, and they will fill the earth again."
Genesis 8:19
All the animals, everything that crawls, and every bird left the boat. All the animals came out of the boat in family groups.
Genesis 9:7
"Have many children and fill the earth with your people."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers,.... That is, shall die, and be buried in the sepulchre of his ancestors, where he shall lie till he awakes in the morning of the resurrection:

that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders; or "sinners" g; not as if she would be reckoned an adulteress, and her son as illegitimate, as some think, and so be branded and treated as such; but as being traitors, making pretensions to the throne, she on the behalf of her son, and he for himself, when he had no right to it, being the younger son, and not declared successor by his father.

g הטאים "peccatores", V. L. Pagninus, Montanus, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Shall sleep - This euphemism for death, rare in the early Scriptures - being found only once in the Pentateuch (margin reference.), and once also in the historical books before Kings 2 Samuel 7:12 - becomes in Kings and Chronicles the ordinary mode of speech (see 1 Kings 2:10; 1 Kings 11:43, etc.; 2Ch 9:31; 2 Chronicles 12:16, etc.). David uses the metaphor in one psalm Psalms 13:3. In the later Scriptures it is, of course, common. (Jeremiah 51:39; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 9:24; John 11:11; 1 Corinthians 11:30; 1Co 15:51; 1 Thessalonians 4:14, etc.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 1:21. Shall be counted offenders. — When Adonijah and his party shall find that I and my son have had this promise from thee by oath, he will slay us both.


 
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