New Living Translation | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
1So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was 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 owned a great many sheep and cattle. | 2The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, |
3The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. | 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. |
4One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it 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 was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing 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! |
6He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” | 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! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power 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 you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much 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 word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. | 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. |
10From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife 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.'" |
11“This is what the LORD says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. | 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 did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” David Confesses His Guilt | 12You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.'" |
13Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. | 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 you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this, your child will die.” | 14However, because you treated the LORD with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die." |
15After Nathan returned to his home, the LORD sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife. | 15Then Nathan went home. The LORD struck the baby that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. |
16David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare 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 pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. | 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. |
18Then on the seventh day the child died. David’s advisers were afraid to tell him. “He wouldn’t listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?” | 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 them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” | 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 himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and 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. |
21His advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.” | 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 replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child 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 why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot 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 Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. 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 that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the LORD”), as the LORD had commanded. David Captures Rabbah | 25and He sent a message through Nathan the prophet, who named him Jedidiah, because of the LORD. |
26Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. | 26Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. |
27Joab sent messengers to tell David, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. | 27Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, "I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the water supply. |
28Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.” | 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 gathered the rest of the army 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. |
30David removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast 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. |
31He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the army 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. |
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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