| Berean Study Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. | 1So the LORD sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. |
| 2The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, | 2The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, |
| 3but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him. | 3but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. |
| 4Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.” | 4Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for his guest. |
| 5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! | 5David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: "As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! |
| 6Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.” | 6Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb." |
| 7Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. | 7Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. |
| 8I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. | 8I gave your master's house to you and your master's wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. |
| 9Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. | 9Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife--you murdered him with the Ammonite's sword. |
| 10Now, therefore, 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 own.’ | 10Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.'" |
| 11This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight. | 11This is what the LORD says, 'I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly. |
| 12You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ” | 12You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.'" |
| 13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. | 13David responded to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Then Nathan replied to David, "The LORD has taken away your sin; you will not die. |
| 14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.” | 14However, because you treated the LORD with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die." |
| 15After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. | 15Then Nathan went home. The LORD struck the baby that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. |
| 16David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground. | 16David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground. |
| 17The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them. | 17The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them. |
| 18On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.” | 18On the seventh day the baby died. But David's servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, "Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn't listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate." |
| 19When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they replied. | 19When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, "Is the baby dead?"" He is dead," they replied. |
| 20Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate. | 20Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the LORD's house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So they served him food, and he ate. |
| 21“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.” | 21His servants asked him, "What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food." |
| 22David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’ | 22He answered, "While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.' |
| 23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” | 23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I'll go to him, but he will never return to me." |
| 24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child | 24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon. The LORD loved him, |
| 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him. | 25and He sent a message through Nathan the prophet, who named him Jedidiah, because of the LORD. |
| 26Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. | 26Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. |
| 27Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. | 27Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, "I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the water supply. |
| 28Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.” | 28Now therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will be the one to capture the city, and it will be named after me." |
| 29So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it. | 29So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; he fought against it and captured it. |
| 30Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city. | 30He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David's head. The crown weighed 75 pounds of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city. |
| 31David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. | 31He removed the people who were in the city and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to labor at brickmaking. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. |
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