2 Samuel 12

1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

2 The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,

3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him.

4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.”

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

6 Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.

9 Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight.

12 You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.

14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.

17 The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.”

19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.

20 Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate.

21 “What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.”

22 David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child

25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.

26 Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.

27 Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.

28 Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”

29 So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.

30 Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.

31 David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

1 ¶ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 The rich [man] had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3 But the poor [man] had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, [As] the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this [thing] shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.

15 ¶ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

17 And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed [himself], and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing [is] this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, [while it was] alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell [whether] GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

26 ¶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof [was] a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was [set] on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31 And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and put [them] under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And when he was come unto him, he said unto him, There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.

2 the rich man had a great many sheep and oxen;

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little lamb, which he had bought: and he nourished it, and it waxed great with him, and with his children at the same time; it did eat of his meat, and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom; and he kept it as a daughter.

4 And when a stranger came to the rich man, he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the stranger that came to him: and he took the poor man's sheep, and dressed them for the man that came to him.

5 And David was wroth with great wrath against the man, and said unto Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this is the child of death.

6 And he shall pay the sheep fourfold, because he hath done this thing, and hath not spared it.

7 And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over Israel, and have delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8 And I have given thee the house of thy master, and his wives into thy bosom; and I have given thee the house of Israel and Judah: and if that be not enough, I will add this and that.

9 Wherefore then hast thou despised the word of the LORD, to do this evil in his sight? Thou hast slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword; thou hast taken his wife to wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 Now therefore the sword shall not depart from thine house for ever, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and will take thy wives before thine eyes, and will give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall sleep with thy wives in the bright sun.

12 For thou hast done it secretly: but I will do it before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, So hath the LORD taken away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14 But because thou hast blasphemed the enemies of the LORD by this thing, the son that is born unto thee shall surely die.

15 And Nathan went home. And the LORD smote the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, that he died.

16 And David besought GOD for the babe, and fasted; and went in, and lay upon the ground all night.

17 And the elders of his house arose, and would have lifted him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat with them.

18 And on the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead. For they thought: Behold, when the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice: how much more shall it hurt him, if we say, The child is dead?

19 And when David saw that his servants spake softly, and perceived that the child was dead, he said unto his servants: Is the child dead? And they said: Yes.

20 And David arose from the earth, and washed himself, and anointed himself, and put on other raiment, and went into the house of the LORD, and worshipped. And when he was come home again, he set him bread, and did eat.

21 And his servants said unto him, What is this thing that thou doest? When the child was alive, thou fastedst and wept; but now that he is dead, risest thou and eatest?

22 And he said, For the child I fasted, and wept when he was alive: for I thought: Who knoweth whether the LORD will have mercy on me, that the child may live?

23 But now that it is dead, what shall I fast? Can I fetch it again? I will go to him, but he will not come to me again.

24 And when David had comforted Bathsheba his wife, he went in unto her, and slept with her. And she bare a son, and called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him.

25 And he put him under the hand of Nathan the prophet, who called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the king's city.

27 And he sent messengers unto David, saying, I have fought against Rabbah, and have gained the city of waters.

28 Now therefore take ye the remnant of the people, and besiege the city, and take it, lest I take it, and I have the name thereof.

29 So David took all the people together, and went and fought against Rabbah, and took them.

30 And they took the crown of their king from off his head, which weighed a talent of gold, and precious stones, and was set upon David's head: and he brought forth out of the city much spoil.

31 And he brought out the people that were within, and put them under saws of iron, and under prongs of iron, and under wedges of iron, and burned them in brickkilns. So did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.