2 Samuel 12

Nathan’s Parable of the Poor Man’s Lamb

1The LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in one city, one rich and one poor. 2The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He kept it alive, and it grew up with him and with his children together. It ate from his morsel, drank from his cup, and lay in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4A traveler came to the rich man, but he was unwilling to take from his own flock or herd to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. So he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

You Are the Man

5David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6He shall repay the ewe lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no compassion.” 7Nathan said to David, “You are the man!

Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives into your embrace, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that were too little, I would add to you such and such things. 9Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his eyes? Uriah the Hittite you struck with the sword, and his wife you took to be your wife. You killed him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10And now the sword shall never depart from your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11Thus says the LORD: Look, I am raising up evil against you from your own house. I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.”

The LORD Has Put Away Your Sin

13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14Nevertheless, because by this thing you have utterly treated the enemies of the LORD with contempt, the son born to you shall surely die.”

The Child Becomes Sick

15Then Nathan went to his house.

The LORD struck the child whom Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became sick. 16David sought God for the child. David fasted and went in and spent the night lying on the ground. 17The elders of his house stood over him to raise him from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat bread with them. 18On the seventh day the child died. 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 did not listen to our voice. How then can we say to him, ‘The child is dead’? He may do himself harm.” 19David saw that his servants were whispering together, and David understood that the child was dead. David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

David Ends His Fast

20Then David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his garments. He came into the house of the LORD and bowed down. Then he came to his house, asked, and they set bread before him, and he ate. 21His servants said to him, “What is this thing you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when the child died, you arose and ate bread.” 22He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ 23But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me.”

Solomon Is Born

24David comforted Bathsheba his wife and went in to her and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him. 25He sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet and called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

Joab Captures the Royal City of Rabbah

26Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon and captured the royal city. 27Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the city of waters. 28And now gather the rest of the people and camp against the city and capture it, lest I capture the city and my name be called over it.” 29So David gathered all the people, went to Rabbah, fought against it, and captured it.

David Takes the Ammonite Crown

30He took the crown of their king from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with a precious stone, and it was placed upon David’s head. He brought out very much plunder from the city. 31He brought out the people who were in it and put them to saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brick kiln. Thus he did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.