2 Samuel 12:1-25 ▼

1 And YHWH sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said to him, “There were two men in one city—one rich and one poor.

2 The rich one had flocks and herds exceedingly many.

3 And the poor one had not anything, but if one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and kept alive. And it grew up with him and with his children together. Of his own food it ate, and from his own cup it drank, and in his bosom it lay, and it was to him like a daughter.

4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him. And he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

5 And the anger of David was kindled against the man greatly, and he said to Nathan, “As YHWH lives, surely shall die the man who has done this.

6 And for the lamb he shall restore fourfold, on account that he did this thing, and because he pitied not.”

7 And Nathan said to David, “You are the man. Thus says YHWH, God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I snatched you up from the hand of Saul.

8 And I gave to you the house of your master and the wives of your master into your bosom, and I gave to you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that was too little, I would have given to you like them and like them.

9 Why have you despised the commandment of YHWH to do evil in His sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and his wife you have taken to be your wife, and him have killed with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

10 And now the sword shall not depart from your house even to forever, on account that you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

11 Thus says YHWH: ‘Behold, I will raise up against you adversity from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the eyes of this sun.

12 For you did it secretly, and I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’”

13 And David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against YHWH.” And Nathan said to David, “Even YHWH has put away your sin; you shall not die.

14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of YHWH by this deed, also the son born to you will surely die.”

15 And Nathan departed to his house. And YHWH struck the child that the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and he became ill.

16 And David pleaded with God for the child, and David kept a fast, and he came in and spent the night and laid down in sackcloth on the ground.

17 And the elders of his house arose beside him to raise him up from the ground, and he would not, nor did he eat food with them.

18 And it came to pass 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, “Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. And how can we tell him the child is dead? He may do some harm.”

19 And David saw that his servants were whispering, and David perceived that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

20 And David arose from the ground, and he washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes, and he went into the house of YHWH and worshiped. And he went to his own house, and he requested, and they set before him food, and he ate.

21 And his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; and 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 knows that YHWH may be gracious, and the child may live?’

23 And he is dead. Why is this that I should fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, and he shall not return to me.”

24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and she called his name Solomon. And YHWH loved him.

25 And He sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet. And He called his name Jedidiah, because of YHWH.