2 Samuel 12
1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And when he had come to him, he said to him: “Two men were in one city: one wealthy, and the other poor.
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 wealthy man had very many sheep and oxen.
The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,
3 But the poor man had nothing at all, except one little sheep, which he had bought and nourished. And she had grown up before him, together with his children, eating from his bread, and drinking from his cup, and sleeping in his bosom. And she was like a daughter to him.
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 But when a certain traveler had come to the wealthy man, neglecting to take from his own sheep and oxen, so that he might present a feast for that traveler, who had come to him, he took the sheep of the poor man, and he prepared a meal for the man who had come to him.”
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 Then David’s indignation was enraged exceedingly against that man, and he said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son of death.
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 He shall restore the sheep fourfold, because he did this word, and he did not take pity.”
Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”
7 But Nathan said to David: “You are that man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
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 And I gave the house of your lord to you, and the wives of your lord into your bosom. And I gave the house of Israel and of Judah to you. And as if these things were small, I shall add much greater things to you.
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 Therefore, why have you despised the word of the Lord, so that you did evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword. And you have taken his wife as a wife for yourself. And you have put him to death with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
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, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
10 For this reason, the sword shall not withdraw from your house, even perpetually, because you have despised me, and you have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, so that she may be your wife.’
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 And so, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up over you an evil from your own house. And I will take your wives away before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor. And he will sleep with your wives in the sight of this sun.
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 For you acted secretly. But I will do this word in the sight of all of Israel, and in the sight of the sun.’”
You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
13 And David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David: “The Lord has also taken away your sin. You shall not die.
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 Yet truly, because you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, because of this word, the son who was born to you: dying he shall die.”
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 And Nathan returned to his own house. And the Lord struck the little one, whom the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and he was despaired of.
After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.
16 And David begged the Lord on behalf of the little one. And David fasted strictly, and entering alone, he lay upon the ground.
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 Then the elders of his house came, urging him to rise up from the ground. And he was not willing, nor would he eat a meal with them.
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 Then, on the seventh day, it happened that the infant died. And the servants of David were afraid to report to him that the little one had died. For they said: “Behold, when the child was still alive, we were speaking to him, but he would not listen to our voice. How much more will he afflict himself, if we tell him that the boy is dead?”
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 But when David had seen his servants whispering, he realized that the infant had died. And he said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they responded to him, “He is dead.”
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 Therefore, David rose up from the ground. And he washed and anointed himself. And when he had changed his clothing, he entered the house of the Lord, and he worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and he asked them to place bread before him, and he ate.
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 But his servants said to him: “What is this word that you have done? You fasted and were weeping, on behalf of the infant, while he was still alive. But when the boy was dead, you arose and ate bread.”
“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 And he said: “While he was yet alive, I fasted and wept on behalf of the infant. For I said: Who knows if the Lord may perhaps give him to me, and let the infant live?
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? Would I be able to bring him back anymore? Instead, I will go to him. Yet truly, he will not return to me.”
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 And David consoled his wife Bathsheba. And entering to her, he slept with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.
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 he sent, by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name, Beloved of the Lord, because the Lord loved him.
and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.
26 And then Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and he fought outside the royal city.
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: “I have struggled against Rabbah, and so the City of Waters will soon be seized.
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, gather the remaining portion of the people together, and besiege the city and take it. Otherwise, when the city will have been laid waste by me, the victory will be ascribed to my name.”
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 And so David gathered together all the people, and he set out against Rabbah. And after he had fought, he seized it.
So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.
30 And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, having the most precious gems. And it was placed upon the head of David. Moreover, he carried away the spoils of the city, which were very many.
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 Also, bringing forth its people, he sawed them, and he drove over them with iron wagons, and he divided them with knives, and he dragged them through brick kilns. So he did to all the citizens of the sons of Ammon. And David returned, with the entire army, to Jerusalem.
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.
