2S 12:1Then Jehovah sent Nathan to David. And he went to him and said to him, Two men lived in a city, one rich and the other poor.
2S 12:2The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
2S 12:3But the poor man had nothing but one small ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he nourished it, and it grew up together with him and his children; it ate of the morsels of his food and drank out of his own cup and lay on his bosom; indeed it was like a daughter to him.
2S 12:4And there came a traveler to the rich man. But the rich man refused to take something from his own flock and herd to dress for the wayfarer who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and dressed it for the man who had come to him.
2S 12:5And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. And he said to Nathan, As Jehovah lives, the man who has done this is worthy of death;
2S 12:6And he shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing and because he had no pity.
2S 12:7Then Nathan said to David, You are the man. Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul;
2S 12:8And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if this were too little, I would have added to you such and such things.
2S 12:9Why have you despised the word of Jehovah by doing what is evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife as your wife and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
2S 12:10Now therefore the sword will not depart from your house forever because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
2S 12:11Thus says Jehovah, I will now raise up trouble against you from within your house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and will give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
2S 12:12For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and even before the sun.
2S 12:13And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah has also put away your sin; you will not die.
2S 12:14Nevertheless, because you have given the enemies of Jehovah much occasion to blaspheme Him because of this thing, the son who is born to you shall also surely die.
2S 12:15Then Nathan went to his house. And Jehovah struck the child whom Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he was very sick.
2S 12:16And David besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and spent all night lying on the ground.
2S 12:17And the elders of his house stood over him to raise him from the ground; but he did not want to, nor would he eat food with them.
2S 12:18And on the seventh day the child died. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, While the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to our voice; how then can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself some harm.
2S 12:19And 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.
2S 12:20Then David rose up from the ground and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went to the house of Jehovah and worshipped. Then he went to his house; and when he requested it, they set food before him, and he ate.
2S 12:21And his servants said to him, What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but as soon as the child died, you rose up and ate bread.
2S 12:22And he said, While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, Who knows? Jehovah may be gracious to me, and the child may live.
2S 12:23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not come back to me.
2S 12:24And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife and went in unto her and lay with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And Jehovah loved him;
2S 12:25And He sent word through Nathan the prophet and called his name Jedidiah for Jehovah’s sake.
2S 12:26Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon and took the royal city.
2S 12:27And Joab sent messengers to David and said, I have fought against Rabbah; indeed I have taken the city of water.
2S 12:28Now therefore gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city, and take it; otherwise I myself will take the city, and it will be called by my name.
2S 12:29So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.
2S 12:30And he took the crown of their king from off his head. And the weight of it was a talent of gold, and it had precious stones; and it was put upon David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
2S 12:31And he brought out the people who were in it and set them under saws and iron cutting tools and iron axes and made them pass through the brick kilns; and thus did he do to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
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