21
Then his servants said to him, Why have you been acting in this way? you were weeping and going without food while the child was still living; but when the child was dead, you got up and had a meal.
22
And he said, While the child was still living I went without food and gave myself up to weeping: for I said, Who is able to say that the Lord will not have mercy on me and give the child life?
23
But now that the child is dead there is no reason for me to go without food; am I able to make him come back to life? I will go to him, but he will never come back to me.
24
And David gave comfort to his wife Bath-sheba, and he went in to her and had connection with her: and she had a son to whom she gave the name Solomon. And he was dear to the Lord.
25
And he sent word by Nathan the prophet, who gave him the name Jedidiah, by the word of the Lord.
26
Now Joab was fighting against Rabbah, in the land of the children of Ammon, and he took the water-town.
27
And Joab sent men to David, saying, I have made war against Rabbah and have taken the water-town.
28
So now, get the rest of the people together, and put them in position against the town and take it, for if I take it, it will be named after my name.
29
Then David got all the people together and went to Rabbah and made war on it and took it.
30
And he took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were stones of great price; and it was put on David's head. And he took a great store of goods from the town.
31
And he took the people out of the town and put them to work with wood-cutting instruments, and iron grain-crushers, and iron axes, and at brick-making: this he did to all the towns of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people went back to Jerusalem.