2 Samuel 12:7-23

7Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Adonai, God of Israel: It is I who anointed you king over Israel, and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. Now if that were too little, then I would have added to you so much more.

9Why then have you despised the word of Adonai by doing such evil in My eyes? Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to be your wife, and him you have slain with the sword of the children of Ammon

10So now the sword will never depart from your house—because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

11“Thus says Adonai: Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household, 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.

12Indeed you have done it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and under the sun.”

13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Adonai.” Nathan replied to David, “Adonai also has made your sin pass away—you will not die.

14However, because by this deed you have made the enemies of Adonai greatly blaspheme, so even the child born to you will surely die.”

15Then Nathan went to his house. Then Adonai struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David and he became very sick.

16David therefore sought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the floor.

17The elders of his household stood beside him in order to get him up from the floor but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

18Then it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he didn’t listen to our voice. So how can we tell him that the child is dead? He might do something terrible!”

19But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they said.

20Then David got up from the floor, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the House of Adonai and worshipped. When he came back to his own palace, he asked for food, so they set food before him and he ate.

21His servants asked him, “What is this thing you have done? You fasted and wept while the child was still alive, but as soon as the child died, you got up and ate food.”

22He replied, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept, for I thought, ‘Who knows? Adonai might be gracious to me and let the child live.’

23But now that he has died, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? It is I who will be going to him, but he will never return to me.”