2 Samuel 12
1 Therfor the Lord sente Nathan to Dauid; and whanne he hadde come to Dauid, he seide to Dauid, Answere thou doom to me; twei men weren in o citee; o man was riche, and the tother was pore.
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 riche man hadde ful many scheep, and oxun;
The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
3 sotheli the pore man hadde vttirli no thing, outakun o litil scheep, which he hadde bouyt, and nurschid, and which `hadde wexid at hym with hise sones, and eet togidere of his breed, and drank of his cuppe, and slepte in his bosum; and it was as a douyter to hym.
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 Forsothe whanne a pilgrym `hadde come to the riche man, he sparide to take of hise scheep and oxun, that he schulde make a feeste to that pilgrym, that cam to hym; and he took the scheep of the pore man, and `made redi metis to the man that cam to hym.
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 Forsothe Dauid was ful wrooth with indignacioun ayens that man, and seide to Nathan, The Lord lyueth, for the man that dide this is the sone of deeth;
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 he schal yelde the scheep in to foure folde, for he dide this word, and sparide not.
He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity!”
7 Forsothe Nathan seide to Dauid, Thou art thilke man, that hast do this thing. The Lord God of Israel seith these thingis, Y anoyntide thee `in to kyng on Israel, and Y delyuerede thee fro the hond 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 Y yaf to thee the hows of thi lord, and the wyues of thi lord in thi bosum, and Y yaf to thee the hows of Israel, and of Juda; and if these thingis ben litil, Y schal adde to thee myche grettere thingis.
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 Whi therfor hast thou dispisid the word of the Lord, that thou didist yuels in my siyt? Thou hast smyte by swerd Vrye Ethei, and thou hast take his wijf in to wijf to thee, and thou hast slayn hym with the swerd of the sones of Amon.
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 Wherfor swerd schal not go awey fro thin hows til in to with outen ende; for thou dispysidist me, and tokist the wijf of Vrye Ethei, that sche schulde be thi wijf.
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 Therfor the Lord seith these thingis, Lo! Y schal reise on thee yuel of thin hows, and Y schal take thi wyues in `thin iyen, and Y schal yyue to thi neiybore, and he schal slepe with thi wyues in the iyen of this sunne, `that is, opynli bifor alle men, as in xv. chapitre.
“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 hast do priueli; forsothe Y schal do this word in the siyt of al Israel, and in the siyt of this sunne.
For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’”
13 And Dauid seide to Nathan, Y haue synned to the Lord. And Nathan seide to Dauid, Also the Lord hath turned awei thi synne; thou schalt 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 Netheles for thou madist enemyes to blasfeme the name of the Lord, for this word the child which is borun to thee schal die bi deeth.
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 turnede ayen in to his hows. And the Lord smoot the litil child, whom the wijf of Vrye childide to Dauid, and he dispeiride.
Then Nathan departed to his house. The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
16 And Dauid preiede the Lord for the litil child; and Dauid fastide bi fastyng, and entride asidis half, and lai on the erthe.
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.
17 Sotheli the eldere men of his hows camen, and constreyneden hym `bi meke preieris, that he schulde rise fro the erthe; and he nolde, nethir he eet mete with hem.
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 Forsothe it bifelde in the seuenthe dai, that the yong child diede; and the seruauntis of Dauid dredde to telle to hym, that the litil child was deed; for thei seiden, Lo! whanne the litil child lyuede yit, we spaken to hym, and he herde not oure vois; hou myche more, if we seien the child is deed, he schal turment himsilf?
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 Therfore whanne Dauid hadde herd his seruauntis spekynge priueli, `ether moterynge, he understood that the yong child was deed; `and he seyde to his seruauntis, Whether the child is deed? Whiche answeriden to hym, He is deed.
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 Therfor Dauid roos fro the erthe, and was waischid, and anoyntid; and whanne he hadde chaungid cloth, he entride in to the hows of the Lord, and worschipide, and cam in to his hows; and he axide, that thei schulden sette breed to hym, and he eet.
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 Sothely his seruauntis seiden to hym, What is the word which thou hast do? Thou fastidist, and weptist for the yong child, whanne he lyuede yit; sotheli whanne the child was deed, thou risidist and etist breed?
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 Dauid seide, Y fastide and wepte for the yong child, whanne he lyuyde yit; for Y seide, Who woot, if perauenture the Lord yyue hym to me, and the yong child lyue?
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 `Now forsothe for he is deed, whi `fast Y? whether Y schal mow ayen clepe hym more? Y schal `go more to hym, but he schal not turne ayen 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 coumfortid Bersabee, his wijf; and he entride to hir, and slepte with hir. And sche gendride a sone, and Dauid clepide his name Salomon; and the Lord louyde hym.
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 sente Salomon in the hond of Nathan, the prophete; and he clepide his name Amyable to the Lord, for the Lord louyde hym.
and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for the LORD’s sake.
26 Therfor Joab fauyt ayens Rabath, of the sones of Amon, and he fauyt ayens the `kyngis citee.
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 And Joab sente messangeris to Dauid, and seide, Y fauyte ayens Rabath, and the citee of watris schal be takun.
Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.
28 Now therfor gadere thou the tother part of the puple, and bisege thou the citee, and take thou it, lest whanne the citee is wastid of me, the victorie be arettid to 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 Therfor Dauid gaderide al the puple, and he yede forth ayens Rabath; and whanne he hadde fouyte, he took it.
David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it.
30 And he took the diademe of the kyng of hem fro his heed, bi weiyte a talent of gold, hauynge preciouseste peerlis; and it was put on the heed of Dauid, `that is, aftir that it was weldid and purgid bi fier; but also Dauid bar awey ful myche prey of the citee.
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 Also he ledde forth the puple therof, and sawide, and `dide aboute hem `yrun instrumentis of turment, and departide with knyues, and `ledde ouer bi the licnesse of tijl stoonus; so he dide to alle the citees of the sones of Amon. And Dauid turnede ayen, and al his oost, in to 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.
