1 Kings 1
Open in the reader1Now King Beloved was old and well along in years, and though they covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm.
2So his servants said to him, “Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm.”
3Then they searched throughout Strives-with-God for a beautiful girl, and they found Father-of-Error the Quiet-Place-One and brought her to the king.
4The girl was unsurpassed in beauty; she cared for the king and served him, but he had no relations with her.
5At that time My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is, Beloved’s son by Festive, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.
6(His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is was also very handsome, born next after Father-of-Peace.)
7So My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is conferred with He-Who-Is-Father son of Balm and with Father-of-Abundance the priest, who supported him.
8But Righteous the priest, He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows, He-Has-Given the prophet, My-Hearing, Rei, and Beloved’s mighty men would not join My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is.
9And My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to Spring-of-the-Fuller. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Praised who were servants of the king.
10But he did not invite He-Has-Given the prophet, He-Who-Is-Has-Built, the mighty men, or his brother Peace.
11Then He-Has-Given said to Daughter-of-Oath the mother of Peace, “Have you not heard that My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is son of Festive has become king, and our lord Beloved does not know it?
12Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Peace.
13Go at once to King Beloved and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Peace will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is become king?’
14Then, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
15So Daughter-of-Oath went to see the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Father-of-Error the Quiet-Place-One was serving him.
16And Daughter-of-Oath bowed down in homage to the king, who asked, “What is your desire?”
17“My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by He-Who-Is your God: ‘Surely your son Peace will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.’
18But now, behold, My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know it.
19And he has sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the other sons of the king, as well as Father-of-Abundance the priest and He-Who-Is-Father the commander of the army. But he has not invited your servant Peace.
20And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Strives-with-God are upon you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.
21Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Peace will be counted as criminals.”
22And just then, while Daughter-of-Oath was still speaking with the king, He-Has-Given the prophet arrived.
23So the king was told, “He-Has-Given the prophet is here.” And He-Has-Given went in and bowed facedown before the king.
24“My lord the king,” said He-Has-Given, “did you say, ‘My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne’?
25For 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 Father-of-Abundance the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, saying, ‘Long live King My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is!’
26But me your servant he has not invited, nor Righteous the priest, nor He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows, nor your servant Peace.
27Has my lord the king let this happen without informing your servant who should sit on the throne after my lord the king?”
28Then King Beloved said, “Call in Daughter-of-Oath for me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.
29And the king swore an oath, saying, “As surely as He-Who-Is lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress,
30I will carry out this very day exactly what I swore to you by He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God: Surely your son Peace will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”
31Daughter-of-Oath bowed facedown in homage to the king and said, “May my lord King Beloved live forever!”
32Then King Beloved said, “Call in for me Righteous the priest, He-Has-Given the prophet, and He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows.” So they came before the king.
33“Take my servants with you,” said the king. “Set my son Peace on my own mule and take him down to Gusher.
34There Righteous the priest and He-Has-Given the prophet are to anoint him king over Strives-with-God. You are to blow the ram’s horn and declare, ‘Long live King Peace!’
35Then you shall go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. For I have appointed him ruler over Strives-with-God and Praised.”
36“Amen,” replied He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows. “May He-Who-Is, the God of my lord the king, so declare it.
37Just as He-Who-Is was with my lord the king, so may He be with Peace and make his throne even greater than that of my lord King Beloved.”
38Then Righteous the priest, He-Has-Given the prophet, and He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows, along with the Executioners and Fugitivess, went down and set Peace on King Beloved’s mule, and they escorted him to Gusher.
39Righteous the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Peace. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Peace!”
40All the people followed him, playing flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the earth was split by the sound.
41Now My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is and all his guests were finishing their feast when they heard the sound of the ram’s horn. “Why is the city in such a loud uproar?” asked He-Who-Is-Father.
42As he was speaking, suddenly He-Who-Is-Has-Given the son of Father-of-Abundance the priest arrived. “Come in,” said My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is, “for you are a man of valor. You must be bringing good news.”
43“Not at all,” He-Who-Is-Has-Given replied. “Our lord King Beloved has made Peace king.
44And with Peace, the king has sent Righteous the priest, He-Has-Given the prophet, and He-Who-Is-Has-Built son of He-Who-Is-Knows, along with the Executioners and Fugitivess, and they have set him on the king’s mule.
45Righteous the priest and He-Has-Given the prophet have anointed him king at Gusher, and they have gone up from there with rejoicing that rings out in the city. That is the noise you hear.
46Moreover, Peace has taken his seat on the royal throne.
47The king’s servants have also gone to congratulate our lord King Beloved, saying, ‘May your God make the name of Peace more famous than your own name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king has bowed in worship on his bed,
48saying, ‘Blessed be He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God! Today He has provided one to sit on my throne, and my eyes have seen it.’”
49At this, all the guests of My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is arose in terror and scattered.
50But My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is, in fear of Peace, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar.
51It was reported to Peace: “Behold, My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is fears King Peace, and he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Peace first swear to me not to put his servant to the sword.’”
52And Peace replied, “If he is a man of character, not a single hair of his will fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he will die.”
53So King Peace summoned My-Lord-Is-He-Who-Is down from the altar, and he came and bowed down before King Peace, who said to him, “Go to your home.”