2 Samuel 12
1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David: and when he was come to him, he said to him: There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.
Then Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “There were once two men in a city. One man was rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many sheep and oxen.
The rich man had huge numbers of flocks and herds,
3 But the poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and which had grown up in his house together with his children, eating of his bread, and drinking of his cup, and sleeping in his bosom: and it was unto him as a daughter.
but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and fed and raised. It grew up together with him and with his children. The lamb even ate with him and drank from his own cup, and it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him.
4 And when a certain stranger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stranger, who was come to him, but took the poor man’s ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
One day a visitor came to the rich man, but the rich man was unwilling to take an animal from his own flocks and herds to provide food for him. Instead he took the poor man's ewe lamb and cooked it for his visitor.”
5 And David’s anger being exceedingly kindled against that man, he said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death.
David was hot with anger against the rich man, and he raged to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to be put to death.
6 He shall restore the ewe fourfold, because he did this thing, and had no pity.
He must pay back the lamb four times over because he did such a thing, and because he had no pity on the poor man.”
7 And Nathan said to David: Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee from the hand of Saul,
Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you out of the hand of Saul.
8 And gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda: and if these things be little, I shall add far greater things unto thee.
I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. But if that had been too little, I would have given you many other things in addition.
9 Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do evil in my sight? Thou hast killed Urias the Hethite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
So why have you despised the commands of Yahweh, so as to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your own wife. You killed him with the sword of the army of Ammon.
10 Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife.
So now the sword will never leave your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your wife.'
11 Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes I and give them to thy neighhour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
Yahweh says, 'Look, I will raise up disaster against you out of your own house. Before your own eyes, I will take your wives and give them to your neighbor, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun.
For you committed your sin secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, in the sunlight.'”
13 And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David: The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die.
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan replied to David, “Yahweh also has passed over your sin. You will not be killed.
14 Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee, shall surely die.
However, because by this act you have despised Yahweh, the child who is born to you will surely die.”
15 And Nathan returned to his house. The Lord also struck the child which the wife of Urias had borne to David, and his life was despaired of.
Then Nathan left and went home. Yahweh attacked the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
16 And David besought the Lord for the child: and David kept a fast, and going in by himself lay upon the ground.
David then implored God for the boy. David fasted and went inside and lay all night on the floor.
17 And the ancients of his house came, to make him rise from the ground: but he would not, neither did he eat meat with them.
The elders of his house arose and stood beside him, to raise him up from the floor, but he would not get up, and he would not eat 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 when the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice: how much more will he afflict himself if we tell him that the child is dead?
It came about on the seventh day that the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was still alive we spoke to him, and he did not listen to our voice. What might he do to himself if we tell him that the boy is dead?!”
19 But when David saw his servants whispering, he understood that the child was dead: and he said to his servants: Is the child dead? They answered him: He is dead.
But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead. He said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They answered, “He is dead.”
20 Then David arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and worshipped, and then he came into his own house, and he called for bread, and ate.
Then David arose from the floor and washed himself, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went to the tabernacle of Yahweh and worshiped there, and then he came back to his own palace. When he asked for it, they set food before him, and he ate.
21 And his servants said to 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 up, and eat bread.
Then his servants said to him, “Why have you done this? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you got up and ate.”
22 And he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him: for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live?
David answered, “While the child was still alive I fasted and wept. I said, 'Who knows whether or not Yahweh will be gracious to me, that the child may live?'
23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Shall I be able to bring him back any more? I shall go to him rather: but he shall not return to me.
But now he is dead, so 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 comforted Bethsabee his wife, and went in unto her, and slept with her: I and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.
David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and slept with her. Later she gave birth to a son, and the child was named Solomon. Yahweh loved him
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name, Amiable to the Lord, because the Lord loved him.
and he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah, because Yahweh loved him.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and laid close siege to the royal city.
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and he captured the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: I have fought against Rabbath, and the city of waters is about to be taken.
So Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city's water supply.
28 Now therefore gather thou the rest of the people together, and besiege the city and take it: lest when the city shall be wasted by me, the victory be ascribed to my name.
Now therefore gather the rest of the army together and camp against the city and take it, because if I take the city, it will be named after me.”
29 Then David gathered all the people together, and went out against Rabbath: and after fighting, he took it.
So David gathered all the army together and went to Rabbah; he fought against the city and captured it.
30 And he took the crown of their king from his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold, set with most precious stones, and it was put upon David’s head, and the spoils of the city which were very great he carried away.
David took the crown from their king's head—it weighed a talent of gold, and there was a precious stone in it. The crown was placed on David's own head. Then he brought out the plunder of the city in large quantities.
31 And bringing forth the people thereof he sawed them, and drove over them chariots armed with iron: and divided them with knives, and made them pass through brickkilns: so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon: and David returned, with all the army to Jerusalem.
He brought out the people who were in the city and forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes; he also made them work at brick kilns. David required all the cities of the people of Ammon to do this labor. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.
