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.

And Jehovah sendeth Nathan unto David, and he cometh unto him, and saith to him: `Two men have been in one city; One rich and one poor;

2 T he rich man had many flocks and cattle.

The rich hath flocks and herds very many;

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.

And the poor one hath nothing, Except one little ewe-lamb, Which he hath bought, and keepeth alive, And it groweth up with him, And with his sons together; Of his morsel it eateth, And from his cup it drinketh, And in his bosom it lieth, And it is to him as a daughter;

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.”

And there cometh a traveller to the rich man, And he spareth to take Of his own flock, and of his own herd, To prepare for the traveller Who hath come to him, And he taketh the ewe-lamb of the poor man, And prepareth it for the man Who hath come unto 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.

And the anger of David burneth against the man exceedingly, and he saith unto Nathan, `Jehovah liveth, surely a son of death the man who is doing this,

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

and the ewe-lamb he doth repay fourfold, because that he hath done this thing, and because that 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.

And Nathan saith unto David, `Thou the man! Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, I anointed thee for king over Israel, and I delivered thee 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.

and I give to thee the house of thy lord, and the wives of thy lord, into thy bosom, and I give to thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if little, then I add to thee such and such.

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.

`Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah, to do the evil thing in His eyes? Uriah the Hittite thou hast smitten by the sword, and his wife thou hast taken to thee for a wife, and him thou hast slain by the sword of the Bene-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.’

`And now, the sword doth not turn aside from thy house unto the age, because thou hast despised Me, and dost take the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be to thee for a 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.

thus said Jehovah, Lo, I am raising up against thee evil, out of thy house, and have taken thy wives before thine eyes, and given to thy neighbour, and he hath lain with thy wives before the eyes 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 thou hast done in secret, and I 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.

And David saith unto Nathan, `I have sinned against Jehovah.' And Nathan saith unto David, `Also -- Jehovah hath caused thy sin to pass away; thou dost 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.”

only, because thou hast caused the enemies of Jehovah greatly to despise by this thing, also the son who is born to thee doth 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.

And Nathan goeth unto his house, and Jehovah smiteth the lad, whom the wife of Uriah hath born to David, and it is incurable;

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

and David seeketh God for the youth, and David keepeth a fast, and hath gone in and lodged, and lain on the earth.

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.

And the elders of his house rise against him, to raise him up from the earth, and he hath not been willing, nor hath he eaten with them bread;

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.”

and it cometh to pass on the seventh day, that the lad dieth, and the servants of David fear to declare to him that the lad is dead, for they said, `Lo, in the lad being alive we spake unto him, and he did not hearken to our voice; and how do we say unto him, The lad is dead? -- then he hath done evil.'

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.”

And David seeth that his servants are whispering, and David understandeth that the lad is dead, and David saith unto his servants, `Is the lad dead?' and they say, `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.

And David riseth from the earth, and doth bathe and anoint, and changeth his raiment, and cometh in to the house of Jehovah, and boweth himself, and cometh unto his house, and asketh and they place for him bread, and he eateth.

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.”

And his servants say unto him, `What this thing thou hast done? because of the living lad thou hast fasted and dost weep, and when the lad is dead thou hast risen and dost eat 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.’

And he saith, `While the lad is alive I have fasted, and weep, for I said, Who knoweth? -- Jehovah doth pity me, and the lad hath lived;

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

and now, he hath died, why this -- I fast? am I able to bring him back again? I am going unto him, and he doth not turn back unto 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,

And David comforteth Bath-Sheba his wife, and goeth in unto her, and lieth with her, and she beareth a son, and he calleth his name Solomon; and Jehovah hath 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 sendeth by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and calleth his name Jedidiah, because of Jehovah.

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

And Joab fighteth against Rabbah of the Bene-Ammon, and captureth the royal city,

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

and Joab sendeth messengers unto David, and saith, `I have fought against Rabbah -- also I have captured 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.”

and now, gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, and capture it, lest I capture the city, and my name hath been called upon it.'

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

And David gathereth all the people, and goeth to Rabbah, and fighteth against it, and captureth 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.

and he taketh the crown of their king from off his head, and its weight a talent of gold, and precious stones, and it is on the head of David; and the spoil of the city he hath brought out, very much;

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.

and the people who in it he hath brought out, and setteth to the saw, and to cutting instruments of iron, and to axes of iron, and hath caused them to pass over into the brick-kiln; and so he doth to all the cities of the Bene-Ammon; and David turneth back, and all the people, to Jerusalem.