Nathan Rebukes David
1
The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said,
"There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
2
The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,
3
but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought.
He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food,
drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4
"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from
taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler
who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged
to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
5
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan,
"As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
6
He must pay for that lamb four times over,
because he did such a thing and had no pity."
7
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the 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.
8
I 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 all this had been too litte,
I would have given you even more.
9
Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes?
You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took
his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
10
Now therefore, the sword will never depart from your house,
because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
11
"This is what the LORD says:
'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you.
Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one
who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
12
You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "
13
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied,
"The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
14
But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show
utter contempt, the son born to you will die."
15
After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife
had borne to David, and he became ill.
16
David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into the house
and spent the night lying on the ground.
17
The elders of his household stood beside him get him up from the ground,
but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.
18
On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him
that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living,
we spoke to David but he would not listen to us.
How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."
19
David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and
he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked.
"Yes," they replied, "he is dead."
20
Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions
and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.
Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
21
His servants asked him. "Why are you acting this way?
While the child was alive, you fasted and wept,
but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"
22
He answered, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought,
'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.'
23
But 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."
24
Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her.
She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him;
25
and because the LORD loved him,
he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.
26
Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites
and captured the royal citadel.
27
Joab then sent messengers to David, saying,
"I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply.
28
Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and cvapture it.
Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be names after me."
29
So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked, and captured it.
30
He took the crown from the head of their king - its weight was a talent of gold,
and it was set with precious stones - and it was placed on David's head.
He took a great quantity of plunder from the city
31
and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor
with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking.
He did this to all the Ammonite towns.
Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
