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

And 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.

2 T he rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds.

The rich man had very many flocks and herds,

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

But 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.

4 A nd a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

Now 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.

5 S o David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “ As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!

Then 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.

6 A nd he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”

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

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

Then 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.

8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more!

And 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.

9 W hy have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.

Why 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.

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 your house, because you have despised 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 adversity against you from 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.

Thus 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.

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

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

13 S o 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.

And 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.

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

Nevertheless, 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.

15 T hen Nathan departed to his house. The Death of David’s Son And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.

Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, and he was very sick.

16 D avid therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

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

17 S o the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.

His 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.

18 T hen on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!”

And 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?

19 W hen David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

But 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.

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

Then 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.

21 T hen 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 died, you arose and ate food.”

Then 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.

22 A nd he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

David 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?

23 B ut now 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.” Solomon Is Born

But 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.

24 T hen David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him,

David 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;

25 a nd He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord. Rabbah Is Captured

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

26 N ow Joab fought against Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.

27 A nd Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s water supply.

And 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 encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name.”

Now 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.

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

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

30 T hen he took their king’s crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance.

And 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.

31 A nd he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

And 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.