3
But the poor man had nothing, save onelittle ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew uptogether with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat,[a] 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 richman, 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 poorman'slamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5
And David'sanger was greatlykindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORDliveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surelydie:
6
And he shall restore the lambfourfold,because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7
And Nathansaid to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORDGod of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8
And I gave thee thy master'shouse, and thy master'swives 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.
9
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to doevil in his sight? thou hast killedUriah 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.
10
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.
11
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise upevil 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
For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13
And Davidsaid unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathansaid unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14
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 surelydie.
15
And Nathandeparted unto his house. And the LORDstruck the child that Uriah'swifebare unto David, and it was very sick.
16
David therefore besoughtGod for the child; and Davidfasted*,[b] and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17
And the elders of his housearose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eatbread with them.
18
And it came to pass on the seventhday, that the childdied. And the servants of Davidfeared 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 thenvex[c]himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19
But when Davidsaw that his servantswhispered, Davidperceived that the child was dead: therefore Davidsaid unto his servants, Is the childdead? And they said, He is dead.
20
Then Davidarose 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 setbread 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 eatbread.
22
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?
23
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.
24
And DavidcomfortedBathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his nameSolomon: and the LORDloved him.
25
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his nameJedidiah,[d] because of the LORD.
26
And Joabfought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royalcity.
27
And Joabsentmessengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
28
Now therefore gather the rest of the peopletogether, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called[e] after my name.
29
And Davidgathered all the peopletogether, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30
And he took their king'scrown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the preciousstones: and it was set on David'shead. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great[f]abundance.
31
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 peoplereturned unto Jerusalem.