122 Samuel 12

Nathan's Message and David's Repentance

1The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan went to him and said, “There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor.Select 2 Samuel 12:1

2The rich man had many cattle and sheep,Select 2 Samuel 12:2

3while the poor man had only one lamb, which he had bought. He took care of it, and it grew up in his home with his children. He would feed it some of his own food, let it drink from his cup, and hold it in his lap. The lamb was like a daughter to him.Select 2 Samuel 12:3

4One day a visitor arrived at the rich man's home. The rich man didn't want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal for his guest.”Select 2 Samuel 12:4

5David became very angry at the rich man and said, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this ought to die!Select 2 Samuel 12:5

6For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.”Select 2 Samuel 12:6

7“You are that man,” Nathan said to David. “And this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul.Select 2 Samuel 12:7

8I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much.Select 2 Samuel 12:8

9Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands? Why did you do this evil thing? You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife!Select 2 Samuel 12:9

10Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife.Select 2 Samuel 12:10

11I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight.Select 2 Samuel 12:11

12You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.’”Select 2 Samuel 12:12

13“I have sinned against the Lord,” David said. Nathan replied, “The Lord forgives you; you will not die.Select 2 Samuel 12:13

14But because you have shown such contempt for the Lord in doing this, your child will die.”Select 2 Samuel 12:14

15Then Nathan went home. The Lord caused the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David to become very sick.Select 2 Samuel 12:15

David's Son Dies

16David prayed to God that the child would get well. He refused to eat anything, and every night he went into his room and spent the night lying on the floor.Select 2 Samuel 12:16

17His court officials went to him and tried to make him get up, but he refused and would not eat anything with them.Select 2 Samuel 12:17

18A week later the child died, and David's officials were afraid to tell him the news. They said, “While the child was living, David wouldn't answer us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that his child is dead? He might do himself some harm!”Select 2 Samuel 12:18

19When David noticed them whispering to each other, he realized that the child had died. So he asked them, “Is the child dead?” “Yes, he is,” they answered.Select 2 Samuel 12:19

20David got up from the floor, took a bath, combed his hair, and changed his clothes. Then he went and worshiped in the house of the Lord. When he returned to the palace, he asked for food and ate it as soon as it was served.Select 2 Samuel 12:20

21“We don't understand this,” his officials said to him. “While the child was alive, you wept for him and would not eat; but as soon as he died, you got up and ate!”Select 2 Samuel 12:21

22“Yes,” David answered, “I did fast and weep while he was still alive. I thought that the Lord might be merciful to me and not let the child die.Select 2 Samuel 12:22

23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Could I bring the child back to life? I will some day go to where he is, but he can never come back to me.”Select 2 Samuel 12:23

Solomon Is Born

24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He had intercourse with her, and she bore a son, whom David named Solomon. The Lord loved the boySelect 2 Samuel 12:24

25and commanded the prophet Nathan to name the boy Jedidiah, because the Lord loved him.Select 2 Samuel 12:25

David Captures Rabbah

26Meanwhile Joab continued his campaign against Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon, and was about to capture it.Select 2 Samuel 12:26

27He sent messengers to David to report: “I have attacked Rabbah and have captured its water supply.Select 2 Samuel 12:27

28Now gather the rest of your forces, attack the city and take it yourself. I don't want to get the credit for capturing it.”Select 2 Samuel 12:28

29So David gathered his forces, went to Rabbah, attacked it, and conquered it.Select 2 Samuel 12:29

30From the head of the idol of the Ammonite god Molech David took a gold crown which weighed about seventy-five pounds and had a jewel in it. David took the jewel and put it in his own crown. He also took a large amount of loot from the citySelect 2 Samuel 12:30

31and put its people to work with saws, iron hoes, and iron axes, and forced them to work at making bricks. He did the same to the people of all the other towns of Ammon. Then he and his men returned to Jerusalem.Select 2 Samuel 12:31