1 T hen 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.

Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 T he rich man had many flocks and cattle.

The rich man had very many flocks and herds,

3 B ut 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.

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

4 N ow 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.”

A traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

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

David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!

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

He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!”

7 N athan 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.

Nathan said to David, “You are the man. This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

8 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.

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 would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things.

9 W hy 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.

Why have you despised Yahweh’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

10 S o 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.’

Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’

11 T his 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.

“This is what Yahweh says: ‘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 will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

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

For you did this 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 him, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You will not die.

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not die.

14 B ut 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.”

However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to Yahweh’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.”

15 T hen 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.

Nathan departed to his house. Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick.

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

David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground.

17 T he 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.

The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, and he didn’t eat bread with them.

18 T he 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.”

On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he didn’t listen to our voice. How will he then harm himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?”

19 B ut 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.”

But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

20 S o 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.

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into Yahweh’s house, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him, and he ate.

21 T hen 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.”

Then 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 was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”

22 D avid 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.’

He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

23 B ut 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

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

24 T hen 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,

David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Yahweh loved him;

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

and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh’s sake.

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

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

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

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

28 S o 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.”

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 by my name.”

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

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

30 T hen 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.

He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city.

31 H e 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.

He brought out the people who were in it, and put them under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.