1 T hen the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

¶ And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich and the other poor.

2 “ The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

The rich man had exceeding many sheep and cows,

3 “ But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him.

but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and it grew up together with him and with his children; it ate of his own food and drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom and was unto him as a daughter.

4 “ Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

And a traveller came unto the rich man, who did not wish to take of his own sheep and of his own cows to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him, but took the poor man’s lamb and dressed it for the man that had come to him.

5 T hen David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die.

And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that has done this thing is worthy of death,

6 H e must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

and he shall pay for the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.

7 N athan then said to David, “ You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘ It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.

Then Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus hath said the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul,

8 I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!

and I gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives into thy bosom and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that is too little, I shall add unto thee such and such things.

9 W hy have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Why, therefore, hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? Thou hast killed Uriah, the Hittite, with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slain 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.’

Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me and hast taken the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, to be thy wife.

11 T hus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.

Thus hath the LORD said, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

12 I ndeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’”

For thou hast done it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.

13 T hen David said to Nathan, “ I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.

Then David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also has taken away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

14 H owever, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”

However, because by this deed, thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme; the son that is born unto thee shall surely die.

15 S o Nathan went to his house. Loss of a Child Then the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.

¶ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had given birth unto David, and it was very sick.

16 D avid therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

David, therefore, besought God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night upon the earth.

17 T he elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the earth, but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

18 T hen it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!”

And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the slaves of David feared to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice; how much more will it trouble him if we tell him that the child is dead?

19 B ut when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

But when David saw that his slaves whispered, David understood that the child was dead; therefore, David said unto his slaves, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

20 S o David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.

Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes and came into the house of the LORD and worshipped. Then he came to his own house; and when he asked, they set bread before him, and he ate.

21 T hen his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”

Then his slaves said unto him, What is this that thou hast done? Thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

22 H e said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘ Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’

And he replied, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will have mercy on me, that the child may live?

23 B ut now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Solomon Born

But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.

24 T hen David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved him

And David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he called his name Solomon; and the LORD loved him.

25 a nd sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake. War Again

And he sent by the hand of Nathan, the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, by the LORD.

26 N ow Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city.

¶ And Joab fought against Rabbah, of the sons of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27 J oab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.

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

28 N ow therefore, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.”

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 after my name.

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

And David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.

30 T hen he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts.

And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold with the precious stones, and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31 H e also brought out the people who were in it, and set them under saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

And he brought forth the people that were therein and put them under saws and under harrows of iron and under axes of iron and made them pass through the brickkiln, and thus did he unto all the cities of the sons of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.