2 Samuel Chapter 12
Nathan Rebukes David
1 Then Yahveh sent Nathan to David to say,
“Two men were in a town, one rich, the other poor. 2 The rich man had lots of flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb that he’d bought and raised. It grew up with him and his children; it used to eat his bread and drink from his cup and lie in his lap; it was like a daughter to him. 4 A traveler came to the rich man, and he wasn’t willing to take one of his own flock or herd to fix a meal for him. He took the poor man’s lamb and fixed it.”
David was mad and swore to Nathan, “As sure as Yahveh lives, that man deserves to die. 6 He’ll restore the lamb fourfold because he did that without mercy.”
2 Sam 12:1-6
7 Nathan told David,
“You’re that man.
“This is what Yahveh God of Israel, says, ‘I anointed you king, and delivered you from Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s family, his wives, and Israel and Judah. If that wasn’t enough, I would have doubled it. 9 Why have you despised my message and done what I consider evil? You’ve killed Uriah with the Ammonites’ sword and took his wife to be your wife. 10 The sword will never leave your family because you’ve despised me by taking her. 11 I’ll raise up evil against you in your own family. I’ll take your wives in your presence and give them to your neighbor. He’ll lie with them in broad daylight. 12 You did it secretly, but I’ll do it in front of all Israel right out in the sun.’”
13 David said, “I’ve sinned against Yahveh.”
Nathan said, “Yahveh has set your sin aside; you won’t die. 14 But by doing this, you’ve completely scorned him. The child will die.”
2 Sam 12:7-15a
Yahveh struck the child, and it got sick. 16 David asked God for the child and fasted. He went in and lay all night on the floor. 17 The elders in his palace stood beside him, trying to get him up off the floor. But he wouldn’t get up and didn’t eat with them. 18 The seventh day, the baby died. David’s advisors were afraid to tell him. They said, “While the child was still alive, we talked to him, and he didn’t listen. How can we tell him the child has died? He may harm himself.” 19 But when he saw them whispering, he sensed that the child had died, “Is he dead?”
“Yes.”
20 Then David got up off the floor, took a bath, anointed himself, and changed clothes. He went to Yahveh’s Tabernacle and worshiped and went home. When he asked, they gave him some food and he ate. 21 His advisors said, “What have you done? You fasted and cried about the child while he was alive; but when he died, you got up and ate.”
22 He said,
“While he was still alive, I fasted and cried because I didn’t know if Yahveh would be gracious to me and let it live. 23 But now that he’s dead, why fast? Can I bring him back? He won’t come back to me, but I’ll go to him.”
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba and had relations with her. She had a son he named Solomon. Yahveh loved him 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah [Beloved of Yah] for Yahveh’s sake.
2 Sam 12:15b-25
26 Joab fought the Ammonites in Rabbah and captured the royal city. 27 He sent messengers to David,
“I’ve attacked Rabbah and seized the city’s water supply. 28 Gather the rest of the army and capture the city so I won’t, and people name it after me.”
29 David gathered the rest of the army, went to Rabbah, and captured it. 30 He took their king’s crown off his head. It weighed 75½ lbs one talent of gold and was set with precious stones. They put it on David’s head. He brought large amounts of spoil out of the city. 31 He also brought out its people, and put them under saws, iron picks and axes; and made them pass through the brick kilns. That’s what he did to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and the whole army went back to Jerusalem.
2 Sam 12:26-31