12
1 The
LORD sent Nathan
to David. He
came to him,
and said to him,
“There were two
men in one
city: the one
rich, and the
other poor.
2 The
rich man had
very many flocks
and herds,
3 but
the poor man
had nothing,
except one little
ewe lamb, which
he had bought
and raised. It
grew up together
with him and
with his children.
It ate of his
own food, drank of
his own cup,
and lay in
his bosom, and
was like a
daughter to him.
4 A
traveler came to
the rich man,
and he didn’t want
to take of
his own flock and
of his own herd
to prepare for
the wayfaring man
who had come to
him, but took
the poor man’s
lamb and prepared
it for the
man who had come
to him.”
5 David’s anger
burned hot against
the man, and
he said to Nathan,
“As the LORD
lives, the man
who has done
this deserves to
die!
6 He
must restore the
lamb fourfold, because
he did this
thing and because
he had no
pity!”
7 Nathan said
to David, “You
are the man! This
is what the
LORD, the God
of Israel, says:
‘I anointed you
king over Israel,
and I delivered
you out of
the hand of
Saul.
8 I
gave you your
master’s house and
your master’s wives
into your bosom,
and gave you
the house of
Israel and of
Judah; and if that
would have been too
little, I would
have added to
you many more such
things.
9 Why
have you despised
the LORD’s word,
to do that
which is evil
in his sight?
You have
struck Uriah the
Hittite with the
sword, have taken
his wife to be
your wife, and
have slain him
with the sword
of the children
of Ammon.
10 Now
therefore the
sword will never
depart from your
house, because you
have despised me
and have
taken Uriah the
Hittite’s wife to
be your wife.’
11 “This
is what the
LORD says: ‘Behold,
I will raise
up evil against
you out of
your own house;
and I will
take your wives
before your eyes
and give them
to your neighbor,
and he will
lie with your wives
in the sight
of this sun.
12 For
you did this
secretly, but I
will do this
thing before all
Israel, and before
the sun.’ ”
13 David said
to Nathan, “I
have sinned
against the LORD.”
Nathan said to
David, “The LORD
also has put
away your sin.
You will not
die.
14 However,
because by this
deed you have
given great
occasion to the
LORD’s enemies to
blaspheme, the
child also who
is born to
you will surely
die.”
15 Then
Nathan departed to
his house.
The LORD struck
the child
that Uriah’s wife bore
to David, and
he was very sick.
16 David
therefore begged God for
the child; and
David fasted, and
went in and
lay all night
on the ground.
17 The
elders of his
house arose beside
him, to raise
him up from
the earth; but
he would not, and
he didn’t eat
bread with them.
18 On
the seventh day,
the child died.
David’s servants
were afraid to
tell him that
the child was
dead, for they
said, “Behold,
while the child
was yet alive,
we spoke to
him and he didn’t
listen to our
voice. How will
he then harm
himself if we
tell him that
the child is
dead?”
19 But
when David saw
that his servants
were whispering together,
David perceived
that the child
was dead; and
David said to his
servants, “Is the
child dead?”
They said, “He is
dead.”
20 Then
David arose from
the earth, and
washed and
anointed himself,
and changed his
clothing; and he
came into the
LORD’s house, and
worshiped. Then he
came to his own
house; and when
he requested, they
set bread before
him and he ate.
21 Then
his servants said
to him, “What
is this that
you have done?
You fasted and
wept for the
child while he
was alive, but
when the child
was dead, you
rose up and ate
bread.”
22 He said, “While
the child was
yet alive, I
fasted and wept;
for I said, ‘Who
knows whether the
LORD will not
be gracious to
me, that the
child may live?’
23 But
now 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 David
comforted Bathsheba
his wife, and went
in to her,
and lay with
her. She bore
a son, and
he called his
name Solomon. The
LORD loved him;
25 and
he sent by
the hand of
Nathan the prophet,
and he named
him Jedidiah,
for the LORD’s
sake.
26 Now Joab
fought against
Rabbah of the
children of Ammon,
and took the
royal city.
27 Joab
sent messengers to
David, and said, “I
have fought
against Rabbah.
Yes, I 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 by
my name.”
29 David
gathered all the
people together
and went to
Rabbah, and fought
against it and
took it.
30 He
took the crown
of their king
from off his
head; and its
weight was a
talent
of gold, and
in it were
precious stones; and
it was set
on David’s head.
He brought a
great quantity of
plunder out of
the city.
31 He
brought out the
people who were
in it, and
put them to
work under saws,
under iron picks,
under axes of
iron, and made
them go to
the brick kiln;
and he did
so to all
the cities of
the children of
Ammon. Then David
and all the
people returned to
Jerusalem.