New Century Version NCV
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, he said, "There were two men in a city. One was rich, but the other was poor.
1
ADONAI sent Natan to David. He came and said to him, "In a certain city there were two men, one rich, the other poor.
2 The rich man had many sheep and cattle.
2
The rich man had vast flocks and herds;
3 But the poor man had nothing except one little female lamb he had bought. The poor man fed the lamb, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup and slept in his arms. The lamb was like a daughter to him.
3
but the poor man had nothing, except for one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared. It had grown up with him and his children; it ate from his plate, drank from his cup, lay on his chest - it was like a daughter to him.
4 "Then a traveler stopped to visit the rich man. The rich man wanted to feed the traveler, but he didn't want to take one of his own sheep or cattle. Instead, he took the lamb from the poor man and cooked it for his visitor."
4
One day a traveler visited the rich man, and instead of picking an animal from his own flock or herd to cook for his visitor, he took the poor man's lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to him."
5 David became very angry at the rich man. He said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this should die!
5
David exploded with anger against the man and said to Natan, "As ADONAI lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
6 He must pay for the lamb four times for doing such a thing. He had no mercy!"
6
For doing such a thing, he has to pay back four times the value of the lamb - and also because he had no pity."
7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I appointed you king of Israel and saved you from Saul.
7
Natan said to David, "You are the man. "Here is what ADONAI, the God of Isra'el says: 'I anointed you king over Isra'el. I rescued you from the power of Sha'ul.
8 I gave you his kingdom and his wives. And I made you king of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you even more.
8
I gave you your master's house and your master's wives to embrace. I gave you the house of Isra'el and the house of Y'hudah. And if that had been too little, I would have added to you a lot more.
9 So why did you ignore the Lord's command? Why did you do what he says is wrong? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and took his wife to be your wife!
9
"'So why have you shown such contempt for the word of ADONAI and done what I see as evil? You murdered Uriyah the Hitti with the sword and taken his wife as your own wife; you put him to death with the sword of the people of 'Amon.
10 Now there will always be people in your family who will die by a sword, because you did not respect me; you took the wife of Uriah the Hittite for yourself!'
10
Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house - because you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriyah the Hitti as your own wife.'
11 "This is what the Lord says: 'I am bringing trouble to you from your own family. While you watch, I will take your wives from you and give them to someone who is very close to you. He will have sexual relations with your wives, and everyone will know it.
11
Here is what ADONAI says: 'I will generate evil against you out of your own household. I will take your wives before your very eyes and give them to your neighbor; he will go to bed with your wives, and everyone will know about it.
12 You had sexual relations with Bathsheba in secret, but I will do this so all the people of Israel can see it.'"
12
For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Isra'el in broad daylight.'"
13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." Nathan answered, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You will not die.
13
David said to Natan, "I have sinned against ADONAI." Natan said to David, "ADONAI also has taken away your sin. You will not die.
14 But what you did caused the Lord's enemies to lose all respect for him. For this reason the son who was born to you will die."
14
However, because by this act you have so greatly blasphemed ADONAI, the child born to you must die."
15 Then Nathan went home. And the Lord caused the son of David and Bathsheba, Uriah's widow, to be very sick.
15
Then Natan returned to his house. ADONAI struck the child that Uriyah's wife had borne to David, and it became very ill.
16 David prayed to God for the baby. David refused to eat or drink. He went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night.
16
David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground.
17 The older leaders of David's family came to him and tried to pull him up from the ground, but he refused to get up or to eat food with them.
17
The court officials got up and stood next to him trying to get him off the ground, but he refused, and he wouldn't eat food with them.
18 On the seventh day the baby died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the baby was dead. They said, "Look, we tried to talk to David while the baby was alive, but he refused to listen to us. If we tell him the baby is dead, he may do something awful."
18
On the seventh day, the child died. The servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, because they said, "While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he didn't listen to us; if we tell him now that the child is dead, he may do himself some harm."
19 When David saw his servants whispering, he knew that the baby was dead. So he asked them, "Is the baby dead?" They answered, "Yes, he is dead."
19
But when David saw his servants whispering to each other, he suspected that the child was dead. David asked his servants, "Is the child dead?" and they answered, "He is dead."
20 Then David got up from the floor, washed himself, put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord's house to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.
20
Then David got up off the ground, washed, anointed himself and changed his clothes. He went into the house of ADONAI and worshipped; then he went to his own palace; and when he asked for food, they served it to him; and he ate.
21 David's servants said to him, "Why are you doing this? When the baby was still alive, you refused to eat and you cried. Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food."
21
His servants asked him, "What are you doing? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat food!"
22 David said, "While the baby was still alive, I refused to eat, and I cried. I thought, 'Who knows? Maybe the Lord will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.'
22
He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; because I thought, 'Maybe ADONAI will show his grace to me and let the child live.'
23 But now that the baby is dead, why should I go without food? I can't bring him back to life. Some day I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me."
23
But now that he's dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."
24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife. He slept with her and had sexual relations with her. She became pregnant again and had another son, whom David named Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon.
24
David comforted his wife Bat-Sheva, came to her and went to bed with her; she gave birth to a son and named him Shlomo. ADONAI loved him
25 The Lord sent word through Nathan the prophet to name the baby Jedidiah, because the Lord loved the child.
25
and sent through Natan the prophet to have him named Y'didyah [loved by God], for ADONAI's sake.
26 Joab fought against Rabbah, a royal city of the Ammonites, and he was about to capture it.
26
Yo'av fought against Rabbah of the people of 'Amon and took the royal city.
27 Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured its water supply.
27
Yo'av sent people to David with this message: "I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply.
28 Now bring the other soldiers together and attack this city. Capture it before I capture it myself and it is called by my name!"
28
Therefore, assemble the rest of the people; lay siege to the city; and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city; and it will be named after me!"
29 So David gathered all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it.
29
David assembled all the people, went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it.
30 David took the crown off their king's head and had it placed on his own head. That gold crown weighed about seventy-five pounds, and it had valuable gems in it. And David took many valuable things from the city.
30
He took the crown off Malkam's head; it weighed sixty-six pounds, with its gold and precious stones; and it was placed on David's head. He carried off great quantities of spoil from the city.
31 He also brought out the people of the city and forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. He also made them build with bricks. David did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his army returned to Jerusalem.
31
In addition, he expelled the people who were in it and set them to work with saws, iron harrows and iron axes, or had them cross over to work in the brick factory. This is what he did to all the cities of the people of 'Amon. Then David and all the people returned to Yerushalayim.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.