2 Samuel 12

Nathan the Prophet Confronts David

1 So the Lord sent Nathans to David. When he came to David,t Nathant said,t “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.2 The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

3 But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children.t It used tot eat his food,t drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms.t It was just like a daughter to him.

4 “When a traveler arrived at the rich man’s home,t he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feedt the traveler who had come to visit him.t Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and cookedt it for the man who had come to visit him.”
5 Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!t

6 Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!”st
7 Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I choset you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul.8 I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms.t I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well!9 Why have you shown contempt for the word of the Lord by doing evil in mys sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife as your own!t You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.10 So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’11 This is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to bring disaster on yout from inside your own household!t Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion.t He will have sexual relations witht your wives in broad daylight!t

12 Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”t
13 Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the Lord has forgivent your sin. You are not going to die.

14 Nonetheless, because you have treated the Lord with such contempts in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”
15 Then Nathan went to his home. The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.t16 Then David prayed tot God for the child and fasted.t He would event go and spend the night lying on the ground.

17 The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, “While the child was still alive he would not listen to ust when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!”t
19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, het realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” They replied, “Yes, he’s dead.”

20 So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate.
21 His servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? Whiles the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!”22 He replied, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought,t ‘Perhapst the Lord will show pity and the child will live.

23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!’”
24 So David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and had marital relations with her.t She gave birth to a son, and Davidt named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved the childt

25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiahs for the Lord’s sake.

David’s Forces Defeat the Ammonites

26 s So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city.27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.s

28 So now assemble the rest of the armyt and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me.”
29 So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it.30 He took the crown of their kingt from his head – it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds,t and held a precious stone – and it was placed on David’s head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder.

31 He removedt the people who were in it and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work at the brick kiln. This was his policyt with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem.s

2 Samuel 12

Nathan's Message and David's Repentance

1 The LORD sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan went to him and said, “There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had many cattle and sheep, 3 while the poor man had only one lamb, which he had bought. He took care of it, and it grew up in his home with his children. He would feed it some of his own food, let it drink from his cup, and hold it in his lap. The lamb was like a daughter to him.

4 One day a visitor arrived at the rich man's home. The rich man didn't want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal for his guest.”
5 David became very angry at the rich man and said, “I swear by the living LORD that the man who did this ought to die!

6 For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.”
7 “You are that man,” Nathan said to David. “And this is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much. 9 Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands? Why did you do this evil thing? You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife! 10 Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife. 11 I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight.

12 You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.’”
13 “I have sinned against the LORD,” David said. Nathan replied, “The LORD forgives you; you will not die. 14 But because you have shown such contempt for the LORD in doing this, your child will die.” 15 Then Nathan went home.

David's Son Dies

18 A week later the child died, and David's officials were afraid to tell him the news. They said, “While the child was living, David wouldn't answer us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that his child is dead? He might do himself some harm!”

19 When David noticed them whispering to each other, he realized that the child had died. So he asked them, “Is the child dead?” “Yes, he is,” they answered.
20 David got up from the floor, took a bath, combed his hair, and changed his clothes. Then he went and worshiped in the house of the LORD. When he returned to the palace, he asked for food and ate it as soon as it was served.

21 “We don't understand this,” his officials said to him. “While the child was alive, you wept for him and would not eat; but as soon as he died, you got up and ate!”
22 “Yes,” David answered, “I did fast and weep while he was still alive. I thought that the LORD might be merciful to me and not let the child die.

23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Could I bring the child back to life? I will some day go to where he is, but he can never come back to me.”

Solomon Is Born

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He had intercourse with her, and she bore a son, whom David named Solomon. The LORD loved the boy

25 and commanded the prophet Nathan to name the boy Jedidiah,t because the LORD loved him.

David Captures Rabbah

26 Meanwhile Joab continued his campaign against Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon, and was about to capture it. 27 He sent messengers to David to report: “I have attacked Rabbah and have captured its water supply. 28 Now gather the rest of your forces, attack the city and take it yourself. I don't want to get the credit for capturing it.” 29 So David gathered his forces, went to Rabbah, attacked it, and conquered it. 30 From the head of the idol of the Ammonite god Molecht David took a gold crown which weighed about seventy-five pounds and had a jewel in it. David took the jewel and put it in his own crown.t He also took a large amount of loot from the city

31 and put its people to work with saws, iron hoes, and iron axes, and forced them to work att making bricks. He did the same to the people of all the other towns of Ammon. Then he and his men returned to Jerusalem.