Yahweh Sends Nathan to David

1Then Yahweh sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and [†]said,

“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

2The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.

3But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb

Which he bought and nourished;

And it grew up together with him and his children.

It would eat his morsel of bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,

And was like a daughter to him.

4Now a visitor came to the rich man,

And he [†]was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,

To prepare for the traveler who had come to him;

Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

5Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, surely the man who has done this [†]deserves to die. 6And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

7Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says Yahweh, the 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 [†]care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9Why have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10So now, 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.’ 11Thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives from before your sight and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’” 13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” And Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has [†]taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the son also that is born to you shall surely die.” 15And Nathan went to his house.

David’s Child Dies

Then Yahweh smote the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, so that he was very sick. 16David therefore sought God about the boy; and David fasted and went and spent the night lying on the ground. 17And the elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. 18Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child has died? He might do himself harm!” 19And David saw that his servants were whispering together, so David discerned that the child had died; so David said to his servants, “Has the child died?” And they said, “He has died.” 20So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of Yahweh and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and he asked, and they set food before him, and he ate.

21Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? [†]While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22Then he said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, Yahweh may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ 23But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Solomon Is Born

24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and [†]he named him Solomon. Now Yahweh loved him 25and sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him [†]Jedidiah for the sake of Yahweh.

Joab Fights Ammon

26Then Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city. 27And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. 28So now, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, lest I capture the city myself and it be named after me.” 29So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. 30Then he took the crown of [†]their king from his head; and its weight was a [†]talent of gold, and in it [†]was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in a very great amount. 31He also brought out the people who were in it and set them up with saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he used to do to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.