2 Samuel 12
1 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.
And the Lord sent Nathan unto David, and he came unto him and said to him, Two men were once in one city, the one rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had huge numbers of flocks and herds,
The rich man had flocks and herds, in great abundance.
3 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.
But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe, which he had bought; and he nourished it, and it grew up with him and with his children together; of his bread it used to eat, and out of his cup it used to drink, and in his bosom it used to lie, and it was to him as a daughter.
4 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.”
And there came a traveler unto the rich man; and he felt compunction to take from his own flocks and from his own herds to dress for the wayfarer that was come to him; but he took the ewe of the poor man, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 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.
And the anger of David was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, surely the man that hath done this deserveth to die;
6 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.”
And the ewe he shall pay fourfold, for punishment that he hath done this thing, and because he had no compassion.
7 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.
Then said Nathan to David, Thou art the man! Thus hath said the Lord, the God of Israel, It is I who anointed thee as king over Israel, and it is I who delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 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.
And I gave unto thee the house of thy master, and [put] the wives of thy master into thy bosom, and gave unto thee the house of Israel and Judah: and if this be too little, I could bestow on thee yet many more like these things.
9 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.
Wherefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord to do what is evil in his eyes? Uriyah the Hittite hast thou smitten with the sword, and his wife hast thou taken unto thee for wife; but him hast thou slain with the sword of the children of 'Ammon.
10 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.'
And now, the sword shall not depart from thy house for ever; for the reason that thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriyah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 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.
Thus hath said the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against thee evil out of thy own house, and I will take away thy wives before thy eyes, and I will give them unto thy neighbor; and he shall lie with thy wives before the face of this sun.
12 For you committed your sin secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, in the sunlight.'”
For thou hast done it in secret; but I will surely do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 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.
Then said David unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, Also the Lord hath caused thy sin to pass away: thou shalt not die.
14 However, because by this act you have despised Yahweh, the child who is born to you will surely die.”
Nevertheless, because thou hast given great cause to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme through this thing, the child also that hath been born unto thee shall surely die.
15 Then Nathan left and went home. Yahweh attacked the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
And Nathan went to his house; and the Lord struck the child that Uriyah's wife had born unto David, that it became very sick.
16 David then implored God for the boy. David fasted and went inside and lay all night on the floor.
And David besought God in behalf of the lad; and David kept a fast, and came home, and lay over night upon the earth.
17 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.
And the elders of the house arose about him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he did not partake of any bread with them.
18 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?!”
And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died; and the servants of David 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 would not hearken to our voice: how then shall we say to him, The child is dead! he might do [himself] a hurt.
19 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.”
But when David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, David understood that the child was dead; wherefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, he is dead.
20 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.
David then rose up from the earth, and washed and anointed himself, and changed his garments, and went into the house of the Lord and prostrated himself; and then he came to his own house, and asked that they should set food before him, and he ate.
21 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.”
And his servants then said unto him, What is this thing which thou hast done? On account of the child when living thou didst fast and weep; but as soon as the child was dead thou didst arise and eat bread!
22 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?'
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; because I said, Who knoweth, but that the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 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.”
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast then? can I restore him again? I am going to him; but he will not return to me.
24 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
And David comforted Bath-sheba' his wife, and he went in unto her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and called his name Solomon; and the Lord loved him.
25 and he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah, because Yahweh loved him.
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name, Yedideyah in behalf of the Lord.
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and he captured the royal city.
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of 'Ammon, and captured the royal city.
27 So Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city's water supply.
And Joab sent messengers to David; and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have also captured the water-town.
28 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.”
And now gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and capture it: lest I capture the city myself, and it be called by my name.
29 So David gathered all the army together and went to Rabbah; he fought against the city and captured it.
And David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and captured it.
30 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.
And he took the crown of Malkam from off his head, and its weight was a talent of gold, and [on it was] a precious stone, and it was set on the head of David; and the booty of the city he brought out in great abundance.
31 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.
And the people that were therein he brought forward, and put them under saws, and under iron threshing-wagons, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through brick-kilns; and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of 'Ammon: and David returned with them with all the people unto Jerusalem.
