2 Samuel 12
1 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and 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 very many flocks and herds:
The rich man had huge numbers of flocks and herds,
3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it fed of his own food, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to 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 there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was not willing to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to prepare for the wayfaring man that had come to him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared it for the man that had 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 was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
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 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he 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 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 I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given to thee such and such things.
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 hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite 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 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite 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, and give them to thy neighbour, 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 before all Israel, and before 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 put 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 But, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also 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 departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
Then Nathan left and went home. Yahweh attacked the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
David then implored God for the boy. David fasted and went inside and lay all night on the floor.
17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread 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, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice: how will he then be grieved, 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 that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, 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 earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set food before him, and he 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 Then said his servants to him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while he was alive; but after the child was dead, thou didst rise 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 I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that 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 he is dead, why should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, 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 Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: 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 he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
and he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah, because Yahweh loved him.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and he captured the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
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 the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after 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 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and 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 their king’s crown from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
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 he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned 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.
