Quotes About Power

Foreigners lose heart and come trembling from their strongholds.

the God who avenges me and brings down nations beneath me,

At that time Adonijah, Davidís son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.

So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him.

But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.

Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it?

Go at once to King David and say, ëMy lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?í

So Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him.

But now, behold, Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, did not know it.

And he has sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the other sons of the king, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon.

“My lord the king,” said Nathan, “did you say, ëAdonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throneí?

For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, saying, ëLong live King Adonijah!í

At this, all the guests of Adonijah arose in terror and scattered.

But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.

It was reported to Solomon: “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ëLet King Solomon first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword.í”

Adonijah replied, “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”

So Bathsheba said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”

King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my older brother, you might as well request the kingdom for him and for Abiathar the priest and for Joab son of Zeruiah!”

So King Solomon sent the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.

Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon.

And Solomon reigned over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These kingdoms offered tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life.

Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses.

King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of gold went into each shield.

Additionally, the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.