Haftarah Chayei Sarah
1 Melachim 1:1 - 1:31

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David's Last Days


1:1 Vehamelech David zaken ba bayamim vayechasuhu babegadim velo yicham lo.
And King David was old, advanced in years; they covered him with garments, but he did not become warm.

2 Vayomeru lo avadav yevakshu l'adoni hamelech na'arah betulah ve'amdah lifnei hamelech utehi-lo sochenet veshachvah vecheikecha vecham l'adoni hamelech.
And his servants said to him, "Let there be sought for my master, the king, a virgin girl, who will stand before the king and be his attendant; she will lie in your bosom and my master the king will be warmed."

3 Vayevakshu na'arah yafah bechol gevul Yisrael vayimtze'u et-Avishag haShunamit vayavi'u otah lamelech.
And they sought a beautiful girl throughout the boundary of Yisrael, and they found Avishag the Shunamit and brought her to the king.

4 Vehana'arah yafah ad-me'od vatehi lamelech sochenet vatesharetehu vehamelech lo yeda'ah.
The girl was exceedingly beautiful, and she became the king's attendant and she served him, but the king was not intimate with her.

5 Va'Adoniya ven-Chaggit mitnase lemor ani emloch vaya'as lo rechev ufarashim vachamishim ish ratzim lefanav.
And Adoniya son of Chaggit exalted himself, saying, "I shall reign!" And he provided himself with a chariot and riders, and fifty men running before him.

6 Velo-atzavo aviv miyamav lemor madua kachah asita vegam-hu tov-to'ar me'od ve'oto yaldah acharei Avshalom.
All his life his father had never saddened him by saying, "Why do you do this?" Moreover, he was very handsome and he was born after Avshalom.

7 Vayihyu devarav im Yo'av ben-Tzruya ve'im Evyatar hakohen vayazru acharei Adoniya.
And he held discussions with Yo'av the son of Tzruya and with Evyatar the Priest; and they supported and followed Adoniya.

8 VeTzadok hakohen uBenayahu ven-Yehoyada veNatan hanavi veShim'i veRe'i vehagiborim asher le-David lo hayu im Adoniyahu.
But Tzadok the Priest, Benayahu son of Yehoyada, Natan the prophet, Shim'i, Re'i, and David's mighty men were not with Adoniyahu.

9 Vayizbach Adoniyahu tzon uvakar umeri im even haZochelet asher-etzel 'Ein-rogel vayikra et-kol-echav benei hamelech ulechol-anshei Yehudah avdei hamelech.
And Adoniyahu slaughtered sheep, cattle, and fattened bulls at the Zochelet stone that was near 'Ein-rogel, and he invited all of his brothers, the sons of the king; and all the men of Yehudah, the king's servants.

10 Ve'et Natan hanavi uBenayahu ve'et-hagiborim ve'et-Shlomoh achiv lo kara.
But Natan the prophet, Benayahu, the mighty men, and his brother Shlomoh he did not invite.

11 Vayomer Natan el-Bat-sheva em-Shlomo lemor halo shamat ki malach Adoniyahu ven-Chaggit va'adoneinu David lo yada.
And Natan spoke to Bat-sheva, Shlomo's mother, saying, "Have you not heard that Adoniyahu son of Chaggit has reigned? - and our master David does not know.

12 Ve'atah lechi iyatzech na etzah umalti et-nafshech ve'et-nefesh benech Shlomo.
So now come, I wil counsel you now; save your life and the life of your son Shlomo.

13 Lechi uvo'i el-hamelech David ve'amart elav halo-atah adoni hamelech nishbata la'amatcha lemor ki-Shlomo venech yimloch acharai vehu yeshev al-kis'i umadua malach Adoniyahu.
Go and come to King David and say to him, 'Have you, my master, the king, not sworn to your maidservant saying, "Your son Shlomo will reign after me and he will sit on my throne?" Why has Adoniyahu reigned?'

14 Hineh odach medaberet sham im-hamelech va'ani avo acharaich umileti et-devaraich.
Behold! - while you are still speaking there with the king, I will come in after you and supplement your words."

15 Vatavo Bat-sheva el-hamelech hachadrah vehamelech zaken me'od va'Avishag haShunamit mesharat et-hamelech.
So Bat-sheva came to the king in the chamber; the king was very old and Avishag the Shunammit served the king.

16 Vatikod Bat-sheva vatishtachu lamelech vayomer hamelech mah-lach.
And Bat-sheva bowed and prostrated herself to the king; and the king said, "What concerns you?"

17 Vatomer lo adoni atah nishbata b'HASHEM Elokeicha la'amatecha ki-Shlomo venech yimeloch acharai vehu yeshev al-kis'i.
And she said to him, "My master, you swore to your maidservant by HASHEM, your G-d, that 'Shlomo, your son, will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.'

18 Ve'atah hineh Adoniya malach ve'atah adoni hamelech lo yadata.
And now, behold! - Adoniya has reigned - and now my master, the king, does not know!

19 Vayizbach shor umeri-vetzon larov vayikra lechol-benei hamelech ule-Evyatar hakohen ule-Yoav sar hatzava veli-Shlomo avdecha lo kara.
He has slaughtered oxen, fattened bulls, and sheep in abundance, and invited all the king's sons, as well as Evyatar the Priest and Yoav the general of the army - but he has not invited your servant Shlomo.

20 Ve'atah adoni hamelech einei chol-Yisrael aleicha lehagid lahem mi yeshev al-kise adoni-hamelech acharav.
And you, my master, the king, the eyes of all Yisrael are upon you, to tell them who will sit on the throne of my master, the king, after him.

21 Vehayah kishchav adoni-hamelech im-avotav vehayiti ani uveni Shlomo chata'im.
It will happen that when my master, the king, sleeps with his ancestors, that I and my son Shlomo will be missing."

22 Vehineh odenah medaberet im-hamelech veNatan hanavi ba.
And behold! - she was still speaking with the king when Natan the prophet arrived.

23 Vayagidu lamelech lemor hineh Natan hanavi vayavo lifnei hamelech vayishtachu lamelech al-apav artzah.
And they told the king saying, "behold - Natan the prophet!" And he came before the king and prostrated himself to the king with his face to the ground.

24 Vayomer Natan adoni hamelech atah amarta Adoniyahu yimeloch acharai vehu yeshev al-kis'i.
And Natan said, "My master, the king, have you said, 'Adoniyahu will reign after me and he will sit on my throne?'

25 Ki yarad hayom vayizbach shor umeri-vetzon larov vayikra lechol-benei hamelech ulesarei hatzava ule-Evyatar hakohen vehinam ochlim veshotim lefanav vayomeru yechi hamelech Adoniyahu.
For he has gone down today and slaughtered oxen, fattened bulls, and sheep in abundance, and he has invited all the king's sons, the generals of the army, and Avyatar the Priest, and behold they are eating and drinking before him - and they said, 'Long live King Adoniyahu.'

26 Veli ani-avdecha ule-Tzadok hakohen veli-Banayahu ven-Yehoyada veli-Shlomo avdecha lo kara.
But me - I, who am your servant - Tzadok the Priest, Benayahu son of Yehoyada, and your servant Shlomo he did not invite.

27 Im me'et adoni hamelech niheyah hadavar hazeh velo hodata et-avdecha mi yeshev al-kise adoni-hamelech acharav.
If this matter came from my master, the king, would you not have informed your servant who should sit on the throne of my master, the king, after him?"

28 Vaya'an hamelech David vayomer kir'u-li le-Vat-shava vatavo lifnei hamelech vata'amod lifnei hamelech.
And King David answered and said, "Summon Bat-sheva to me." And she came before the king and stood before the king.

29 Vayishava hamelech vayomar chai-HASHEM asher-padah et-nafshi mikol-tZara.
And the king swore and said, "As HASHEM lives, Who has redeemed my life from every trouble -

30 Ki ka'asher nishbati lach b'HASHEM Elokei Yisrael lemor ki-Shlomo venech yimloch acharai vehu yeshev al-kis'i tachtai ki ken e'eseh hayom hazeh.
as I have sworn to you by HASHEM, the G-d of Yisrael, saying, 'Shlomo your son will reign after me and he will sit on my throne in my place,' so shall I fulfill this very day."

31 Vatikod Bat-sheva apayim eretz vatishtachu lamelech vatomer yechi adoni hamelech David le'olam.
And Bat-sheva bowed with her face to the ground and prostrated herself to the king; and she said, "May my master, King David, live forever!"