2 Samuel 12
Nathan Condemns David
But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD,
1 and the LORD
sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were
two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2The
rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3but
the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had
bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his
children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup,
and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4Now
there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one
of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to
him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared that for the
guest who had come to him." 5Then David's
anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, "As
the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to
die; 6he shall restore the lamb fourfold,
because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
7 Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus
says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king
over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8I
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
had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9Why
have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is
evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the
sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him
with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now
therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have
despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your
wife. 11Thus says the LORD:
I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and
I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your
neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very
sun. 12For you did it secretly; but I
will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun." 13David
said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan said to David, "Now the LORD has put away your
sin; you shall not die. 14Nevertheless,
because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD,a
the child that is born to you shall die." 15Then
Nathan went to his house.
Bathsheba's Child Dies
The LORD struck the child that Uriah's
wife bore to David, and it became very ill. 16David
therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in
and lay all night on the ground. 17The
elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the
ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18On
the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were
afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, "While
the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to
us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself
some harm." 19But when David saw that
his servants were whispering together, he 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 from the ground, washed,
anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of
the LORD, and worshiped; he then went to his own
house; and when he asked, they set food before him and he ate. 21Then
his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done?
You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the
child died, you rose and ate food." 22He
said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I
said, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me, and
the child may live.' 23But now he is
dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to
him, but he will not return to me."
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The LORD loved him, 25and sent a message by the prophet Nathan; so he named him Jedidiah,b because of the LORD.
The Ammonites Crushed
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took the royal city. 27Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city. 28Now, then, gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; or I myself will take the city, and it will be called by my name." 29So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it. 30He took the crown of Milcomc from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David's head. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 31He brought out the people who were in it, and set them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.