2 Samuel 12
1 So then Yahweh sent Nathan the prophet unto David, —who therefore came unto him and said to him—Two men, there were in a certain city, the one, rich, and, the other, poor.
YHWH 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 flocks and herds exceeding many;
The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
3 whereas the, poor, man had, nothing, —save one little lamb, which he had made his own, and sustained, and it had grown up with him and with his children, all together, —of his own morsel, used it to eat, and, out of his own cup, used it to drink, and, in his own bosom, used it to lie, and it 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 Now there came a traveller to the rich man, but he thought it a pity to take of his own flock, or his own herd, to make ready for the wayfarer who had come to him, —so he took the lamb of his poor neighbour, and made ready for the man who had come 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 Then was kindled the anger of David against the man, fiercely, —and he said unto Nathan, By the life of Yahweh, doomed to death, is the man that hath done this;
David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As YHWH lives, the man who has done this is worthy to die.
6 and, the lamb, shall he pay back sevenfold, —because he did this thing, and, for that he had no pity.
He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
7 Then said Nathan unto David: Thou, art the man! Thus, saith Yahweh, God of Israel—I, anointed thee to be king over Israel, and, I, delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
Nathan said to David, "You are the man. This is what YHWH, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
8 and gave unto thee the household of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord, into thy bosom, and gave unto thee the house of Israel and Judah. And, if this had been too little, I could have further given thee more and more of 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 word of Yahweh, by doing that which is wicked in mine eyes? Uriah the Hittite, hast thou smitten with the sword, and, his wife, hast thou taken to thyself to wife, yea, him, hast thou slain with the sword of the sons of Ammon!
Why have you despised YHWH, 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 thy house, unto age-abiding times, —because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy 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, saith Yahweh, —Behold me! raising up over thee calamity out of thine own household, and I will take thy wives, before thine eyes, and give unto thy neighbour, and he will lie with thy wives, in the eyes of this sun.
"This is what YHWH 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, thou, didst it, in secret, —but, I, will do this thing, before 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 unto Nathan, I have sinned against Yahweh. Then said Nathan unto David, —Yahweh also, hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die!
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against YHWH." Nathan said to David, "YHWH also has put away your sin. You will not die.
14 Nevertheless, because thou hast greatly blasphemed Yahweh, by this thing, the very son that is born to thee, shall, die.
However, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for YHWH, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."
15 And Nathan departed unto his own house, —and Yahweh struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne unto David, and it fell sick.
Then Nathan went to his home. And God struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick.
16 David therefore earnestly sought God in behalf of the boy, —and David kept a fast, and used to go in and pass the night, and lie 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 stood up over him, to raise him from the ground, —but he would not, neither would he eat food 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, —but the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for said they—Lo! while the child was living, we spake unto him, and he hearkened not unto our voice, how then can we say unto him, The child is dead, and so 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 But, when David saw that his servants were whispering among themselves, then understood David that the child was dead, —and David said unto his servants—Is the child, dead? And they answered—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 arose from the ground, and bathed and anointed, and changed his apparel, and, entering into the house of Yahweh, bowed himself down, —then came he into his own house, and asked, and they set before him food, and he did eat.
Then David arose from the ground, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the house of YHWH, 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 Then said his servants unto him, What is this thing that thou hast done? For the child’s sake, while living, thou didst fast and weep, but, as soon as the child was dead, thou didst arise and eat food.
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 he said, —While yet the child lived, I fasted, and wept, —for I said—Who knoweth whether Yahweh may not grant me favour, and the child live?
He said, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows whether YHWH will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?'
23 But, now, that he is dead, wherefore should I go on fasting? can I bring him back again? I am going unto him, but, he, will not come back unto 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 consoled Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her, —and she bare a son, and called his name, Solomon, and Yahweh 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. YHWH loved him;
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Jedidiah ["Beloved of Yah"], for Yahweh’s sake.
and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for YHWH's sake.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, —and captured the royal city.
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 Then Joab sent messengers unto David, —and said—I have fought against Rabbah, I have also captured the city of the waters.
Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, and have also taken the water supply of the city.
28 Now, therefore, gather thou together the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, and capture it, —lest, I, capture the city, and it be called by my name.
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 So David gathered together all the people, and went to Rabbah, —and fought against it, and captured it.
David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30 Then took he the crown of Milcom from off his head, the weight thereof, being a talent of gold, with the precious stones, and it remained on the head of David, —the spoil of the city also, brought he forth in 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 out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
31 the people also that were therein, brought he forth, and put them to the saw, and to threshing sledges of iron, and to axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln, and thus used he to do unto all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned unto 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.
