< Kings II 12 >

1 And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David; and he went in to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 And the rich [man] had very many flocks and herds.
The rich [man] had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 But the poor [man had] only one little ewe lamb, which he had purchased, and preserved, and reared; an it grew up with himself and his children in common; it ate of his bread and drank of his cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.
But the poor [man] had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 And a traveller came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the traveller that came to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that came to him.
And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David was greatly moved with anger against the man; and David said to Nathan, [As] the Lord lives, the man that did this thing shall surely die.
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:
6 And he shall restore the lamb sevenfold, because he has not spared.
And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, You are the man that has done this. Thus says the Lord God of Israel, I anointed you to be king over Israel, and I rescued you out the hand of Saul;
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 out of the hand of Saul;
8 and I gave you the house of your lord, and the wives of your lord into your bosom, and I gave to you the house of Israel and Juda; and if that had been little, I would have given you yet more.
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 unto thee such and such things.
9 Why have you set at nothing the word of the Lord, to do that which is evil in his eyes? you have slain Urias the Chettite with the sword, and you have taken his wife to be your wife, and you have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Wherefore 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.
10 Now therefore the sword shall not depart from your house for ever, because you has set me at nothing, and you have taken the wife of Urias the Chettite, to be your wife.
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus says the Lord, Behold, I will raise up against you evil out of your house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and will give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and before the sun.
For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, And the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 Only because you have given great occasion of provocation to the enemies of the Lord by this thing, your son also that is born to you shall surely die.
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.
15 And Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child, which the wife of Urias the Chettite bore to David, and it was ill.
And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16 And David enquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose [and went] to him to raise him up from the ground, but he would not [rise], nor did he eat bread with them.
And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 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 listened not to our voice; and you should we tell him that the child is dead?—so would he do [himself] harm.
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 spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 And David understood that his servants were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead: and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is dead.
But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20 Then David rose up from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his raiment, and went into the house of God, and worshipped him; and went into his own house, and called for bread to eat, and they set bread before him and he ate.
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 bread before him, and he did eat.
21 And his servants said to him, What [is] this thing that you have done concerning the child? while it was yet living you did fast, and weep, and watch: and when the child was dead you did rise up, and did eat bread, and drink.
Then said his servants unto 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 and eat bread.
22 And David said, While the child yet lived, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows if the Lord will pity me, and the child live?
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?
23 But now it is dead, why should I fast thus? shall I be able to bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bersabee his wife, and he went in to her, and lay with her; and she conceived and bore a son, and he called his named Solomon, and the Lord loved him.
And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Jeddedi, for the Lord's sake.
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbath, and taken the city of waters.
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
28 And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, an take it beforehand; lest I take the city first, and my name be called upon it.
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.
29 And David gathered all the people, and went to Rabbath, and fought against it, and took it.
And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30 And he took the crown of Molchom their king from off his head, and the weight of it was a talent of gold, with precious stones, and it was upon the head of David; and he carried forth very much spoil of the city.
And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof [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.
31 And he brought forth the people that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under iron harrows, and axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and put [them] under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

< Kings II 12 >