1 A nd the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came and said to him, There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “There were two men in one city. One was rich and the other was poor.

2 T he rich man had very many flocks and herds,

The rich man had many flocks and cattle.

3 B ut the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb which he had bought and brought up, and it grew up with him and his children. It ate of his own morsel, drank from his own cup, lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.

But the poor man had nothing except one little female lamb which he bought and fed. It grew up together with him and his children. It would eat his bread and drink from his cup and lie in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 N ow a traveler came to the rich man, and to avoid taking one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.

Now a traveler came to the rich man. But the rich man was not willing to take from his own flock or his own cattle, to make food for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s female lamb and made it ready for the man who had come to him.”

5 T hen David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son of death.

David was very angry at the man, and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, for sure the man who has done this should die.

6 H e shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no pity.

And he must pay four times the worth of the lamb, because he did this thing without pity.”

7 T hen Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king of Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I chose you to be the king of Israel. I saved you from the hand of Saul.

8 A nd 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 had been too little, I would have added that much again.

I gave you Saul’s family and Saul’s wives into your care. I gave you the nations of Israel and Judah. And if this were too little, I would give you as much more.

9 W hy have you despised the commandment of the Lord, doing evil in His sight? You have slain Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife. You have murdered him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Why have you hated the Word of the Lord by doing what is bad in His eyes? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword. You have taken his wife to be your wife. You have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

10 N ow, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

So now some from your family, even in the future, will die by the sword, because you have turned against Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

11 T hus says the Lord, 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 shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

This is what the Lord says: ‘See, I will bring trouble against you from your own family. I will take your wives in front of your eyes and give them to your neighbor. He will lie with your wives in the light of day.

12 F or you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.

You did it in secret. But I will do this in front of all Israel, and under the sun.’”

13 A nd David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to him, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You will not die.

14 N evertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord and given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die.

But by this act you have given those who hate the Lord a reason to speak against the Lord. The child that is born to you will die for sure.”

15 T hen Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, and he was very sick.

Then Nathan went home. David’s Son Dies The Lord sent trouble upon the child of Uriah’s wife and David, so that he was very sick.

16 D avid therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the floor.

David begged God to make the child well. He went without food and lay all night on the ground.

17 H is older house servants arose and went to him to raise him up from the floor, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.

The leaders of his family stood beside him to lift him up from the ground. But David was not willing. He would not eat food with them.

18 A nd on the seventh day the child died. David’s servants feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, While the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he would not listen to our voices; will he then harm himself if we tell him the child is dead?

The child died on the seventh day. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “See, we spoke to him while the child was still alive, and he did not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He might hurt himself.”

19 B ut when David saw that his servants whispered, he perceived that the child was dead. So he said to them, Is the child dead? And they said, He is.

But when David saw his servants speaking together in secret, he understood that the child was dead. He asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

20 T hen David arose from the floor, washed, anointed himself, changed his apparel, and went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.

So David got up from the ground, washed, poured oil on himself, and changed his clothes. Then he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He returned to his own house and asked for food. So they set food in front of him, and he ate.

21 T hen his servants said to him, What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was alive, but when the child was dead, you arose and ate food.

Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? While the child was alive, you went without food and cried. But when the child died, you got up and ate food.”

22 D avid said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me and let the child live?

David said, “I went without food and cried while the child was still alive, for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord might be kind to me and let the child live.’

23 B ut 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.

But now he has died. Why should I go without food? Can I bring him to life again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Solomon Is Born

24 D avid comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went to her and lay with her; and she bore a son, and she called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved;

Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went in and lay with her, and she gave birth to a son. He gave him the name Solomon. The Lord loved him,

25 H e sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called the boy’s name Jedidiah, because the Lord.

and sent word through Nathan who spoke for God. And Nathan gave him the name Jedidiah because of the Lord. David Takes Rabbah

26 N ow Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and took the king’s city.

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

Joab sent men to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah. I have taken the city of waters.

28 N ow therefore assemble the rest of the men, encamp against the city, and take it, lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

So gather the rest of the people together. Go against the city and take it, or I will take the city myself and it will be called by my name.”

29 S o David gathered all the men, went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it.

So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah. He fought against it, and took it.

30 A nd he took the crown of their king from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth exceedingly much spoil from the city.

Then he took the very heavy crown from their king’s head. In it were beautiful stones of much worth. The crown was put on David’s head. And he brought a large amount of things out of the city.

31 A nd he brought forth the people who were there, and put them to saws and iron threshing sledges and axes, and made them labor at the brickkiln. And he did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then and all the men returned to Jerusalem.

He brought out the people who were in it also. He made them work with saws, sharp iron tools, and iron axes. And he made them work in the heat making building stones. He did this to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.