2 Samuel 12
1 So the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, "Tell me how you judge this case. There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
The Lord sent Nathan to see David. When he got there, he said, “Once there were two men living in the same town. One was rich, and one was poor.
2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
The rich man had many thousands of sheep and cattle,
3 but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had acquired. And he raised it and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and sleep in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.
but the poor man didn't have anything but one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He cared for it, and it grew up with him and his children. It would eat from his plate and drank from his cup. It slept on his lap and was like a daughter to him.
4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd to prepare for the traveler who had come to him, but took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."
One day the rich man had a visitor. He didn't want to take one of his own sheep or cattle to feed his visitor. He took the poor man's lamb instead to prepare a meal for his visitor.”
5 Then David became very angry with that man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves death.
David became absolutely furious with what that man did, and angrily told Nathan. “As the Lord lives, the man who did this should be put to death!
6 He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
He must repay that lamb with four of his own for doing this, for being so heartless.”
7 Then 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.
“You are that man!” Nathan told David. “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel, and I saved you from Saul.
8 I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your care, 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.
I gave your master's house to you and placed your master's wives in your lap. I gave you the kingdom of Israel and Judah, and if that hadn't been enough, I would have given you so much more.
9 Why have you despised the LORD, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hethite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
So why have you treated what Lord said with contempt by doing evil in his sight? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword and stole his wife—you killed him using 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 Hethite to be your wife.'
So your descendants will always face the sword that kills because you treated me with contempt and stole Uriah's wife.
11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Look, 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.
This is what the Lord says: I'm going to bring disaster in you from your own family. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to someone else, and he will sleep openly with your wives where everyone can see.
12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.'"
You did it all in secret, but I will do it openly where everyone in all of Israel can see.”
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.
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” “The Lord has forgiven your sins. You're not going to die,” Nathan replied.
14 However, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."
“But because by doing this you have treated the Lord with complete contempt, the son you have will die.”
15 Then Nathan went to his home. And God struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick.
Then Nathan went home. The Lord made the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David become very sick.
16 Then David sought from God on behalf of the child. And David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.
David pleaded with God on behalf of the boy. He fasted, went to his bedroom, and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.
17 And the elders of his house approached him to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling, and he would not eat food with them.
His senior officials approached him and tried to help him up from the ground, but he didn't want to, and he refused their appeals to eat.
18 It happened on the seventh day, that the child died. The servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, "Look, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to our voice. How will he then harm himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?"
On the seventh day the child died. But David's officials were scared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said to each other, “Look, while the child was still alive, we talked with him, and he refused to listen to us. How on earth can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something really bad!”
19 But when David noticed 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."
But David saw his officials were whispering among themselves, he realized that the child was dead. So he asked his officials, “Did the child die?” “Yes, he died,” they replied.
20 Then David arose from the ground, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the house of the LORD, and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and he asked for bread to eat. And they set bread before him, and he ate.
David got up from the ground, washed and put on scented oils, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Afterwards he went back home, and asked for some food. So they served him a meal which he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, "What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept and kept vigil for the child while he was alive; but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread."
“Why are you acting like this?” his officials asked him. “While the child was still alive, you fasted and cried aloud, but now that he's dead, you get up and eat.”
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?'
David replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and cried aloud, for I thought to myself, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will be gracious to me and let him live.’
23 But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."
But now that he's dead, what's the point for me to go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? One day I will die and go to him, but he will never come back 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;
David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and he made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and named him Solomon. The Lord loved the child,
25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for the LORD's sake.
so he sent a message through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah, because the Lord loved him.
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.
At this time Joab had been fighting against the Ammonite town of Rabbah, and had captured the royal fortress.
27 Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, and have also taken the water supply of the city.
Joab sent messengers to David to tell him, “I have attacked Rabbah and I have also captured its water supply.
28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and besiege the city and capture it yourself, or I will capture the city, and it will be named after me."
So please call up the rest of the army, besiege the town, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and I will get the credit.”
29 David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
So David called up the rest of the army and marched on Rabbah. He attacked it and captured 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 out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David's head. It weighed a talent of gold and was decorated with precious stones. David took a large amount of plunder from the town.
31 He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, and iron picks, and iron axes, and to labor at the brick kiln. And he did the same to all the cities of the people of Ammon. David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
David took the inhabitants and forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he also made them work making bricks. He did the same in all the Ammonite towns. Then David and the whole Israelite army returned to Jerusalem.
