Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession
1 Then theLordsent Nathan to David. Andhe came to him, andsaid to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor.
2 The richmanhad exceedingly many flocks and herds.
3 But the poormanhad nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him.
4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “AstheLordlives, the man who has done this shall surely die!
6 And he shall restorefourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “Youarethe man! Thus says theLordGod of Israel: ‘Ianointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And ifthathadbeentoo little, I also would have given you much more!
9 Why have youdespised the commandment of theLord, to do evil in His sight?You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wifetobeyour wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
10 Now therefore,the sword shall 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 theLord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I willtake your wives before your eyes and givethemto your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For you diditsecretly,but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ”
13 So David said to Nathan,“I have sinned against theLord.”
# And Nathan said to David, “TheLordalso hasput away your sin; you shall not die.
14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of theLordto blaspheme, the child alsowhoisborn to you shall surely die.”
15 Then Nathan departed to his house.
The Death of David’s Son
# And theLordstruck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.
16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in andlay all night on the ground.
17 So the elders of his house aroseandwentto him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!”
19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”
And they said, “He is dead.”
20 So David arose from the ground, washed andanointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of theLordandworshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, “Whatisthis that you have done? You fasted and wept for the childwhilehewasalive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”
22 And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept;for I said, ‘Who can tellwhethertheLordwill be gracious to me, that the child may live?’
23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall goto him, buthe shall not return to me.”
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. Soshe bore a son, andhe called his name Solomon. Now theLordloved him,
25 and He sentwordby the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of theLord.
Rabbah Is Captured
26 NowJoab fought againstRabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city’s watersupply.
28 Now 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 after my name.”
29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it.
30 Then he took their king’s crown from his head. Its weightwasa talent of gold, with precious stones. And it wasseton David’s head. Also he brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31 And he brought out the people whowerein it, and putthemtoworkwith saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.