THE SECOND BOOK OF
SAMUEL,

2 Samuel 12 ©

The prophet Nathan, by God’s command, sets before David’s eyes his grievous sins by means of a parable, sharply reproving his unthankfulness, and threatening heavy judgments against him, v. 1, etc. Davis confesses his sins, and obtains pardon from God for them, yet with an addition of sharp chastisement, 13. He prays and fasts, and mourns grievously for the sick child while it yet lived, but is cheered again, when it was dead, 15. Of which being demanded, he gives a reason, 21. Obtains, after that by Bath-sheba, the promised Solomon, who is called Jedidiah, 24. David subdues Rabbah, and punishes the Ammonites grievously, 26.

1

AND the LORD sent 1Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, 2There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

3

But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4

And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5

And David's anger was greatly kindled against 3the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall 4surely die:

6

And he shall restore the lamb 5fourfold,a because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

7

¶And Nathan said to David, Thou 6art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointedb thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

8

And I gave thee thy 7master’s house, and thy master’s 8wives into thy 9bosom, and gave thee the 10house of Israel and of Judah; and 11if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

9

Wherefore hast thou despised the 12commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast 13killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the 14children of Ammon.

10

Now therefore the sword shall 15never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee 16out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives 17before thine eyes, and givecthem unto thy 18neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the 19sight of this sun.

12

For thou didst it secretly: but I will do 20this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13

And David said unto Nathan, 21I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath 22put away thy sin; thou shalt not 23die.

14

Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given 24great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee 25shall surely die.

15

¶And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s 26wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

16

David therefore 27besought God for the child; and David fasted, and 28went in, and 29lay all night upon the earth.

17

And the 30elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat 31bread with them.

18

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then 32vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

19

But when David saw that his servants 33whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

20

Then David arose from the earth, and 34washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the 35house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required,d they set 36bread before him, and he did eat.

21

Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.

22

And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I 37said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

23

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I 38bring him back again? I shall go to 39him, but he shall not 40return to me.

24

¶And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she baree a son, and he called his namef41Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

25

42And he sent by the 43hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name 44Jedidiah, 45because of the LORD.

26

46Andg Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the 47royal city.

27

And Joab sent messengers to David, and 48said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the 49city of waters.

28

Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be 50called after my name.

29

And David gathered all 51the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30

Andh he took their king's crown from off his head, the 52weight whereof was a 53talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

31

Andi he brought forth the 54people that were therein, and 55put them under 56saws, and under harrowsj of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the 57brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.