1 Kings 1:13
ESV
Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, "Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then is Adonijah king?’
NIV
Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
NASB
Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord the king, sworn to your servant, saying, 'Solomon your son certainly shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne'? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
CSB
Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the one who is to sit on my throne? So why has Adonijah become king?’
NLT
Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, didn’t you make a vow and say to me, 'Your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne'? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
KJV
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?
NKJV
Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne“? Why then has Adonijah become king?’
What does 1 Kings 1:13 mean?
Nathan needs David to crown Solomon king immediately. David's older son Adonijah wants the throne and is, at this very moment, throwing a huge coronation party for himself (1 Kings 1:5–10). David is so frail, he doesn't know what's happening in his own city (1 Kings 1:1–4). So, Nathan conspires to tell the king and encourage him to take strong action.First, he enlists Bathsheba to tell David what is happening and how this will threaten his family. David promised to give Solomon the crown. If David doesn't act quickly, the priest Abiathar and the military commander Joab will help Adonijah become king. That will lead to the execution of Adonijah's political enemies: Bathsheba and Solomon (1 Kings 1:15–21).
Next, Nathan will present the same information to different potential victims. Nathan, Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, the bodyguard commander, remain faithful to David. And because they are faithful, their lives are at risk (1 Kings 1:22–27).
Nathan coaches Bathsheba to be courteously gentle, asking rather than telling: "Did you not…swear to your servant?" Whether because of fear, political naivete, or strong feelings, Bathsheba is direct: "My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God…" (1 Kings 1:17). Her bold words compel David to act on her behalf.
We don't know if Nathan sent Bathsheba first because he thinks she'll get David's attention or because access to David in his weakened state is limited. Most likely, it's about attention, since Nathan seems to have no trouble meeting with David after Bathsheba (1 Kings 1:22). Nathan knows David's love for his sons sometimes keeps him from making hard choices (2 Samuel 13:21; 15:13–14; 18:5). By clearly presenting the potential consequences, Bathsheba and Nathan convince David to act.
