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 (12:4)

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, [As] the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this [thing] shall surely die: (12:5)

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity (12:6)

And Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; (12:7)

And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things (12:8)

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon (12:9)

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife (12:10)

Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun (12:11)

For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun (12:12)

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die (12:13)

Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die (12:14)

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick (12:15)

David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth (12:16)

And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them (12:17)

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 vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? (12:18)

But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead (12:19)

Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed [himself], and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the Lord, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat (12:20)

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 (12:21)

And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell [whether] GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? (12:22)

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me (12:23)

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him (12:24)

And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord (12:25)

And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city (12:26)

And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters (12:27)

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 called after my name (12:28)

And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it (12:29)

And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof [was] a talent 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 (12:30)

And he brought forth the people that [were] therein, and put [them] under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem (12:31)

Get Next Chapter