2 Samuel 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

12 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.(A)2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare and drink from his cup and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die;(B)6 he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”(C)

7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul;(D)8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.(E)10 Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.(F)11 Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in broad daylight.(G)12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and in broad daylight.”(H)13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die.(I)14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord,[a] the child born to you shall die.”(J)15 Then Nathan went to his house.

Bathsheba’s Child Dies

The Lord struck the child whom Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill.(K)16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.(L)17 The elders of his house stood beside him urging him to rise from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead, and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

20 Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord and worshiped; he then went to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.(M)21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive, but when the child died, you rose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’(N)23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”(O)

Solomon Is Born

24 Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba and went to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him(P)25 and sent a message by the prophet Nathan, so he named him Jedidiah[b] because of the Lord.

The Ammonites Crushed

26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.(Q)27 Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city. 28 Now, then, gather the rest of the people together, encamp against the city, and take it, lest I myself take the city and it is called by my name.” 29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it. 30 He took the crown of Milcom[c] from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David’s head. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.(R)31 He brought out the people who were in it and set them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

  1. 12.14Cn: Heb scorned the enemies of the Lord
  2. 12.25That is, beloved of the Lord
  3. 12.30Gk: Heb their kings

Cross references

  1. 12.1 : 2 Sam 14.4–7; 1 Kings 20.35–41
  2. 12.5 : 1 Kings 20.39, 40
  3. 12.6 : Ex 22.1; Lk 19.8
  4. 12.7 : 1 Sam 16.13; 1 Kings 20.42
  5. 12.9 : 1 Sam 15.19; 2 Sam 11.15–17, 27
  6. 12.10 : 2 Sam 13.28; 18.14; 1 Kings 2.25
  7. 12.11 : Deut 28.30; 2 Sam 16.22
  8. 12.12 : 2 Sam 11.4–15; 16.22
  9. 12.13 : 1 Sam 15.24; 2 Sam 24.10; Prov 28.13; Mic 7.18
  10. 12.14 : Isa 52.5; Rom 2.24
  11. 12.15 : 1 Sam 25.38
  12. 12.16 : 2 Sam 13.31
  13. 12.20 : Job 1.20
  14. 12.22 : Isa 38.1, 5; Jon 3.9
  15. 12.23 : Gen 37.35; Job 7.8–10
  16. 12.24 : 1 Chr 22.9; Mt 1.6
  17. 12.26 : 1 Chr 20.1–3
  18. 12.30 : 1 Chr 20.2

You Might Also Like:

2 Samuel 12 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

12 And Jehovah sendeth Nathan unto David, and he cometh unto him, and saith to him: `Two men have been in one city; One rich and one poor; 2 The rich hath flocks and herds very many; 3 And the poor one hath nothing, Except one little ewe-lamb, Which he hath bought, and keepeth alive, And it groweth ...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

12 Therefore the Lord sent Nathan to David; and when he had come to David, he said to him, Answer thou a doom to me (Give thou to me your judgement on this); two men were in one city; one man was rich, and the tother was poor. 2 The rich man had full many sheep, and oxen; 3 and the poor man had utte...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - World English Bible (WEB)

12 Yahweh sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with hi...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - The Voice (VOICE)

At first glance, David seems no different than many people who are given power and who use it without regard for what is right or what is fair. In this affair, David looks like the rich and powerful leaders the Hebrew prophets elsewhere in the Old Testament are constantly condemning. He has a moral ...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Nathan Confronts David12 Then Adonai sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said to him, “There were two men in the same city—one was rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had an exceedingly huge flock and herd, 3 but the poor man had nothing at all, except one little ewe lamb, which he h...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Nathan Condemns David12 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he bro...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Nathan Condemns David12 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he bro...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Nathan Condemns DavidBut the thing that David had done displeased the Lord, 12 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3 but the poor man had nothing but...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

12 1 and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.(A)2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Nathan Rebukes David12 So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, ...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New Life Version (NLV)

Nathan’s Picture-Story about David12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “There were two men in one city. One was rich and the other was poor. 2 The rich man had many flocks and cattle. 3 But the poor man had nothing except one little female lamb which he bought and fed. I...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Nathan’s Parable and David’s Confession12 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And (A)he came to him, and (B)said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb wh...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Nathan rebukes David12 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, ‘There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raise...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New International Version (NIV)

Nathan Rebukes David(A)12 The Lord sent Nathan(B) to David.(C) When he came to him,(D) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He ...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

Nathan Tells David He Has Sinned12 The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David. When Nathan came to him, he said, “Two men lived in the same town. One was rich. The other was poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle. 3 But all the poor man had was one little female lamb. He h...
Read More

2 Samuel 12 - New English Translation (NET)

Nathan the Prophet Confronts David12 So the Lord sent Nathan[a] to David. When he came to David,[b] Nathan[c] said,[d] “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he ha...
Read More