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.
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 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 like a daughter to him.
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 traveller came to the rich man, and he didn’t 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 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 burnt hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!
6 and, the lamb, shall he pay back sevenfold, —because he did this thing, and, for that he had no pity.
He must 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 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 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 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 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 Uriah the Hittite’s wife 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 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 neighbour, 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 this 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 the LORD.” Nathan said to David, “The LORD 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 given great occasion to the LORD’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will 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 departed to his house. The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he 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.
David therefore begged God for 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.
The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he didn’t eat bread 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?
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 didn’t 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 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 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 earth, and washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the LORD’s house, and worshipped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, 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 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 the LORD 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 again? I will 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. The LORD 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 the LORD’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 children 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. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.
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 encamp against the city and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name.”
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 a great quantity of plunder out of the city.
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 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.
