1 Y ahweh 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.

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 very many flocks and herds,

The rich hath flocks and herds very many;

3 b ut 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.

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 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.”

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’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to 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 H e must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no 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 Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of 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 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.

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 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.

`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 N ow 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.’

`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 “ 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.

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

for thou hast done in secret, and I do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.'

13 D avid said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has put 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 H owever, 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.”

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 N athan departed to his house. Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it 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 therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, 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 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.

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 O n 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?”

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 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.”

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 T hen 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.

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? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”

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 H e 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?’

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

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 D avid 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;

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

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 children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

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

27 J oab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, 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 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 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 D avid gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

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

30 H e 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.

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, 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.

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.