< 2 Samuel 12 >

1 Then the Lord sent Nathan vnto Dauid, who came to him, and sayd vnto him, There were two men in one citie, the one riche, and the other poore.
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 The rich man had exceeding many sheepe and oxen:
The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
3 But the poore had none at all, saue one litle sheepe which he had bought, and nourished vp: and it grew vp with him, and with his children also, and did eate of his owne morsels, and dranke of his owne cup, and slept in his bosome, and was vnto him as his 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 like a daughter to him.
4 Now there came a stranger vnto the rich man, who refused to take of his owne sheepe, and of his owne oxen to dresse for the stranger that was come vnto him, but tooke the poore mans sheepe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
A traveler came to the rich man, and he did not want to take of his own flock and of his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 Then Dauid was exceeding wroth with the man, and sayde to Nathan, As the Lord liueth, the man that hath done this thing, shall surely dye,
David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!
6 And he shall restore the lambe foure folde, because he did this thing, and had no pitie thereof.
He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity!”
7 Then Nathan sayd to Dauid, Thou art the man. Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, I anoynted thee King ouer Israel, and deliuered thee out of 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 gaue thee thy lordes house, and thy lords wiues into thy bosome, and gaue thee the house of Israel, and of Iudah, and would moreouer (if that had bene too litle) haue giuen thee such and such things.
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 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord, to doe euill in his sight? thou hast killed Vriah the Hittite with ye sworde, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slaine him with the sworde of the children of Ammon.
Why have you despised the LORD’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sworde shall neuer depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’
11 Thus sayth the Lord, Behold, I will rayse vp euil against thee out of thine owne house, and will take thy wiues before thine eyes, and giue them vnto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wiues in the sight of this sunne.
“This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, 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 thou diddest it secretly: but I will doe this thing before all Israel, and before the sunne.
For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’”
13 Then Dauid sayde vnto Nathan, I haue sinned against the Lord. And Nathan sayde vnto Dauid, The Lord also hath put away thy sinne, thou shalt 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 Howbeit because by this deede thou hast caused the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the childe that is borne vnto thee shall surely die.
However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the LORD’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.”
15 So Nathan departed vnto his house: and the Lord stroke the childe that Vriahs wife bare vnto Dauid, and it was sicke.
Then Nathan departed to his house. The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
16 Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted and went in, and lay all night vpon the earth.
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.
17 Then the Elders of his house arose to come vnto him, and to cause him to rise from the groud: but he would not, neither did he eate meate with them.
The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he did not eat bread with them.
18 So on the seuenth day the child dyed: and the seruants of Dauid feared to tell him that the childe was dead: for they sayde, Beholde, while the childe was aliue, we spake vnto him, and he woulde not hearken vnto our voyce: how then shall we say vnto him, The childe is dead, to vexe him more?
On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants 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 did not listen to our voice. How will he then harm himself if we tell him that the child is dead?”
19 But when Dauid sawe that his seruantes whispered, Dauid perceiued that the childe was dead: therefore Dauid sayde vnto his seruants, Is the childe dead? And they sayd, He is dead.
But when David saw 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 Dauid arose from the earth, and washed and anoynted himselfe, and changed his apparell, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped, and afterward came to his owne house, and bade that they should set bread before him, and he did eate.
Then David arose from the earth, and washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the LORD’s house, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him and he ate.
21 Then saide his seruants vnto him, What thing is this, that thou hast done? thou diddest fast and weepe for the childe while it was aliue, but when the childe was dead, thou diddest rise vp, and eate meate.
Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”
22 And he sayde, While the childe was yet aliue, I fasted, and wept: for I sayde, Who can tell whether God will haue mercy on me, that the childe may liue?
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 being dead, wherefore shoulde I now fast? Can I bring him againe any more? I shall goe to him, but he shall not returne to me.
But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”
24 And Dauid comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in vnto her, and lay with her, and she bare a sonne, and he called his name Salomon: also the Lord loued 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 For the Lord had sent by Nathan the Prophet: therefore he called his name Iedidiah, because the Lord loued him.
and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for the LORD’s sake.
26 Then Ioab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and tooke the citie of the kingdome.
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 Therefore Ioab sent messengers to Dauid, saying, I haue fought against Rabbah, and haue taken the citie of waters.
Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.
28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and besiege the city, that thou mayest take it, lest the victorie be attributed to me.
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 by my name.”
29 So Dauid gathered al the people together, and went against Rabbah, and besieged it, and tooke it.
David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.
30 And he tooke their Kings crowne from his head, (which weighed a talent of golde, with precious stones) and it was set on Dauids head: and he brought away the spoyle of the citie in exceeding great abundance.
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 a great quantity of plunder out of the city.
31 And he carryed away the people that was therein, and put them vnder sawes, and vnder yron harowes, and vnder axes of yron, and cast them into the tyle kylne: euen thus did he with all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then Dauid and all the people returned vnto Ierusalem.
He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them go to the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

< 2 Samuel 12 >