< 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.
The LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to 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 very 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, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him, and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him like 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.
A traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man who had 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.
David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this is worthy to die.
6 And he shall restore the lamb sevenfold, because he has not spared.
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;
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.
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.
I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, 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.
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.
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.
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 will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hethite to be your 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.
"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.
12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and before the sun.
For you did 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.
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.
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.
However, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the child also who is born to you 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.
Then Nathan went to his home. And God struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to 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.
Then David sought from God on behalf of the child. And David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.
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 approached him to lift him up from the ground, but he was unwilling, and he would not eat food 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.
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?"
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 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."
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 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.
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 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."
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?
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?'
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, why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I shall go to him, but he will 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.
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;
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 named him Jedidiah, for the LORD's sake.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people 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.
Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, and have also taken the water supply of the city.
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 besiege the city and capture it yourself, or I will capture the city, and it will be named after me."
29 And David gathered all the people, and went to Rabbath, and fought against it, and took it.
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.
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.
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.
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.

< Kings II 12 >