2 Samuel 12

1Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said to him, "Two men were in one city, one rich and one poor."

2The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance.

3But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nurtured; it grew up together with him and his children, eating from his morsel, drinking from his cup, lying in his bosom, and becoming like a daughter to him.

4A traveler came to the rich man, but he refrained from taking from his flock and herd to prepare a meal for the guest who had come to him, and instead took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.

5David's anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As Yahweh lives, the man who did this deserves death!"

6He shall repay the lamb fourfold, because he committed this deed, and because he did not pity.

7Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus Yahweh, God of Israel, declares: I anointed you king over Israel, and I myself rescued you from Saul's hand."

8I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you such things as these.

9Why did you despise Yahweh's word to do evil in his sight and mine? You struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, took his wife to be your own, and killed him with the sword of Ammon's sons.

10Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house forever, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to become your wife.

11Thus says Yahweh: "Behold, I am raising up calamity against you from your house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives before the eyes of this sun."

12Because you did it in secret, I will do this matter before all Israel, and before the sun.

13David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh." Nathan said to David, "Yahweh also has passed over your sin; you will not die."

14However, because by this deed you have caused Yahweh's enemies to blaspheme, also the child born to you shall surely die.

15Nathan went to his house. Yahweh struck the child whom Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he fell desperately ill.

16David entreated God on behalf of the child; he fasted, went in, and lay all night on the ground.

17The elders of his house arose beside him to lift him from the ground, but he refused and would not eat bread with them.

18It happened on the seventh day that the child died. David's servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "See, while the child was still alive we spoke to him, but he did not heed our voice; how then shall we say to him, 'The child is dead,' lest he do himself harm?"

19David saw his servants whispering and realized the child was dead, so he said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead."

20David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, entered Yahweh's house, and worshiped. Then he went home; when he asked, they set bread before him, and he ate.

21His servants said to him, "What is this thing that you did? For the child while he was alive, you fasted and wept, but when the child died, you arose and ate bread."

22He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, 'Who knows? Yahweh might be gracious to me and let the child live.'"

23But now he is dead—why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.

24David comforted Bathsheba his wife, came to her, and slept with her. She gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon, and she named him Solomon. Yahweh loved him.

25And he sent through Nathan the prophet and named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake.

26Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.

27Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters."

28Now assemble the rest of the people, encamp against the city, and capture it, lest I capture the city and my name be called over it.

29David assembled all the people and marched to Rabbah, fought against it, and captured it.

30He took their king's crown from his head; it weighed a talent of gold with a precious stone, and it was placed on David's head. He brought out a very great amount of the city's spoil.

31He drew the people from it and consigned them to the saw, to iron harrows, to iron axes, and passed them through brickkilns; thus he dealt with all the cities of the sons of Ammon. David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.