2 Samuel Chapter 12 (Revised English Version)
Nathan Rebukes David
1 And Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.
4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he refrained from taking from his own flock and of his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!
6
He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity!”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man. This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things.
9 Why have you despised the word of Yahweh to do what is evil in his eyes? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
11
“This is what Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and 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.
12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”
13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.”
Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not die.
14
However, because by this deed you have shown contempt, yes, contempt for Yahweh, the child also who is born to you will die, yes, die.”
15 Nathan departed to his house.
David's Child Dies
Yahweh struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it was very sick.
16 David therefore begged God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the earth.
17 The elders of his house arose beside him to raise him up from the earth, but he would not, nor did he eat bread with them.
18
It came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do some harm!
19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?”
They said, “He is dead.”
20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothing, and he came into the house of Yahweh and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set bread before him and he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat bread.”
22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may be gracious to me and the child may live?’
23
But now 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.”