2 Samuel 12

(Psalm 51:1–19)

1Then the LORDH3068 sentH7971 NathanH5416 toH413 DavidH1732, and when he arrivedH935H413, he saidH559, “There wereH1961 twoH8147 menH582 in a certainH259 cityH5892, oneH259 richH6223 and the otherH259 poorH7326. 2The richH6223 man hadH1961 a great number ofH7235H3966 sheepH6629 and cattleH1241, 3but the poorH7326 man had nothingH369H3605 exceptH3588H518 oneH259 smallH6996 ewe lambH3535 thatH834 he had boughtH7069. He raised itH2421, and it grew upH1431 with himH5973 and his childrenH1121. It sharedH3162H398 his foodH6595 and drankH8354 from his cupH3563; it sleptH7901 in his armsH24361 and wasH1961 like a daughterH1323 to him.

4Now a travelerH1982 cameH935 to the richH6223H2550 manH376, who refrained from takingH3947 one of his own sheepH6629 or cattleH1241 to prepareH6213 for the travelerH732 who had comeH935 to him. Instead, he tookH3947 the poorH7326 man’sH376 lambH3535 and prepared itH6213 for his guestH376H935H413.”

5DavidH1732 burnedH2734 with angerH639H3966 against the manH376 and saidH559 toH413 NathanH5416: “As surely as the LORDH3068H3588H1121 livesH2416, the manH376 who didH6213 thisH2063 deserves to dieH4194! 6BecauseH6118 he has doneH6213 thisH2088H5921 thingH1697 and has shown noH3808 pityH2550, he must payH7999 for the lambH3535 four times overH706.”

7Then NathanH5416 saidH559 toH413 DavidH1732, “YouH859 are that manH376! This is whatH3541 the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, saysH559: ‘IH595 anointedH4886 you kingH4428 overH5921 IsraelH3478, and IH595 delivered youH5337 from the handH3027 of SaulH7586. 8I gaveH5414 your master’sH113 house to youH1004 and your master’sH113 wivesH802 into your armsH2436. I gaveH5414 you the houseH1004 of IsraelH3478 and JudahH3063, and ifH518 that was not enoughH4592, I would have givenH3254 you even more.

9WhyH4069 then have you despisedH959 the commandH1697 of the LORDH3068 by doingH6213 evilH7451 in His sightH5869? You putH5221 UriahH223 the HittiteH2850 to the swordH2719 and tookH3947 his wifeH802 as your ownH802. You have slain himH2026 with the swordH2719 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983. 10Now, thereforeH6258, the swordH2719 will neverH3808H5704H5769 departH5493 from your houseH1004, becauseH6118H3588 you have despised MeH959 and have takenH3947 the wifeH802 of UriahH223 the HittiteH2850 to beH1961 your ownH802.’

11This is whatH3541 the LORDH3068H2005 saysH559: ‘I will raise upH6965 adversityH7451 against youH5921 from your own houseH1004. Before your very eyesH5869 I will takeH3947 your wivesH802 and give themH5414 to anotherH7453, and he will lieH7901 with themH5973 in broad daylightH802H5869H8121H2063. 12YouH859 have actedH6213 in secretH5643, but IH589 will doH6213 this thingH2088H5048 in broad daylightH8121 beforeH5048 allH3605 IsraelH3478.’”

David’s Loss and Repentance

13Then DavidH1732 saidH559 toH413 NathanH5416, “I have sinnedH2398 against the LORDH3068.”

“The LORDH3068 has taken awayH5674 your sinH2403,” NathanH5416 repliedH559. “You will notH3808 dieH4191. 14NeverthelessH657, becauseH3588 byH2088 this deedH1697H5006 you have shown utter contemptH5006 forH341 the word of the LORDH3068,2 the sonH1121 bornH3209 to you will surely dieH4191.”

15After NathanH5416H413 had goneH1980 homeH1004, the LORDH3068 struckH5062 the childH3206 thatH834 Uriah’sH223 wifeH802 had borneH3205 to DavidH1732, and he became illH605. 16DavidH1732 pleadedH1245 with GodH430 forH1157 the boyH5288. HeH1732 fastedH6684H6685 and went into his houseH935 and spent the nightH3885 lyingH7901 in sackcloth3 on the groundH776. 17The eldersH2205 of his householdH1004 stoodH6965 beside himH5921 to help him upH6965 fromH4480 the groundH776, but he was unwillingH3808H14 and would notH3808 eatH1254 anything with themH854H3899.

18

On the seventhH7637 dayH3117 the childH3206 diedH4191. But David’sH1732 servantsH5650 were afraidH3372 to tellH5046 him thatH3588 the childH3206 was deadH4191, forH3588 they saidH559, “LookH2009H1961, while the childH3206 was aliveH2416, we spokeH1696 to himH413, and he would notH3808 listen to usH8085H6963. So howH349 can we tellH559 himH413 the childH3206 is deadH4191? He may even harm himselfH6213H7451.”

19When DavidH1732 sawH7200 thatH3588 his servantsH5650 were whispering to one anotherH3907, heH1732 perceivedH995 thatH3588 the childH3206 was deadH4191. So heH1732H413 askedH559 his servantsH5650, “Is the childH3206 deadH4191?”

“He is deadH4191,” they repliedH559.

20Then DavidH1732 got upH6965 from the groundH776, washedH7364 and anointed himselfH5480, changedH2498 his clothesH8071, and went intoH935 the houseH1004 of the LORDH3068 and worshipedH7812. Then he wentH935 toH413 his own houseH1004, and at his requestH7592 they setH7760 foodH3899 before him, and he ateH398.

21“WhatH4100 is thisH2088 you have doneH6213?” his servantsH5650H413 askedH559. “WhileH5668 the childH3206 was aliveH2416, you fastedH6684 and weptH1058, but whenH834 heH3206 diedH4191, you got upH6965 and ateH398H3899.”

22David answeredH559, “WhileH5750 the childH3206 was aliveH2416, I fastedH6684 and weptH1058, forH3588 I saidH559, ‘WhoH4310 knowsH3045? The LORDH3068 may be graciousH2603 to meH3206 and let him liveH2421.’ 23But nowH6258 that he is deadH4191, whyH4100H2088 should IH589 fastH6684? CanH3201 I bring him backH7725 againH5750? I willH589 goH1980 to himH413, but heH1931 will notH3808 returnH7725 to meH413.”

Solomon’s Birth

24Then DavidH1732 comfortedH1339H5162 his wifeH802 BathshebaH1339, and he wentH935 to herH413 and layH7901 with herH5973. So she gave birth toH3205 a sonH1121, and theyH71214 named himH8034 SolomonH8010.

Now the LORDH3068 lovedH157 the child 25and sentH7971 word throughH3027 NathanH5416 the prophetH5030 to name himH7121 JedidiahH3041 becauseH5668 the LORDH3068 loved him.5

The Capture of Rabbah

(1 Chronicles 20:1–3)

26Meanwhile, JoabH3097 foughtH3898 against RabbahH7237 of the AmmonitesH1121H5983 and capturedH3920 the royalH4410 fortressH5892. 27Then JoabH3097 sentH7971 messengersH4397 toH413 DavidH1732 to sayH559, “I have foughtH3898 against RabbahH7237 and haveH1571 capturedH3920 the waterH4325 supply of the cityH5892.6 28Now, thereforeH6258, assembleH622 the restH3499 of the troopsH5971, lay siegeH2583 toH5921 the cityH5892, and capture itH3920. OtherwiseH6435 IH589 will captureH3920 the cityH5892, and it will be namedH7121 after meH8034H5921.”

29So DavidH1732 assembledH622 allH3605 the troopsH5971 and wentH1980 to RabbahH7237; and he foughtH3898 against it and captured itH3920. 30Then he tookH3947 the crownH5850 fromH5921 the headH7218 of their kingH4428.7 It weighedH4948 a talentH3603 of goldH20918 and was set with preciousH3368 stonesH68, and it wasH1961 placed onH5921 David’sH1732 headH7218. And David tookH3318 a great amountH7235H3966 of plunderH7998 from the cityH5892.

31

David brought outH3318 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were there and putH7760 them to work with sawsH4050,9 ironH1270 picksH2757, and axesH4037, and he made them workH5674 at the brick kilnsH4404.10 He didH6213 the sameH3651 to allH3605 the AmmoniteH1121H5983 citiesH5892. ThenH1732 David and allH3605 his troopsH5971 returnedH7725 to JerusalemH3389.