2 Samuel 12:16

Contemporary English Version

So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.

Hebrew Names Version
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the eretz.

King James Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Lexham English Bible
David pleaded with God on behalf of the boy and David fasted. He went to spend the night and lay upon the ground.

English Standard Version
David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

New Century Version
David prayed to God for the baby. David fasted and went into his house and stayed there, lying on the ground all night.

New English Translation
Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. He would even go and spend the night lying on the ground.

Amplified Bible
David therefore appealed to God for the child [to be healed]; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

New American Standard Bible
David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted and went in, and lay all night vpon the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
David therefore sought God about the boy; and David fasted and went and spent the night lying on the ground.

Complete Jewish Bible
David prayed to God on behalf of the child; David fasted, then came and lay all night on the ground.

Darby Translation
And David besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.

Easy-to-Read Version
David prayed to God for the baby. David refused to eat or drink. He went into his house and stayed there and lay on the ground all night.

George Lamsa Translation
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

Good News Translation
David 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.

Literal Translation
And David sought God for the child. And David fasted a fast, and went in and stayed the night, and lay on the earth.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid besoughte God for the childe, and fasted, and wente in, and laie all nighte vpon the earth.

American Standard Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Bible in Basic English
So David made prayer to God for the child; and he took no food day after day, and went in and, stretching himself out on the earth, was there all night.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Dauid therefore besought God for the childe, and fasted, and went in, & laye all night vpon the earth.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and as often as he went in, he lay all night upon the earth.

King James Version (1611)
Dauid therfore besought God for the childe, and Dauid fasted, and went in, and lay all night vpon the earth.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David enquired of God concerning the child, and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

English Revised Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

Berean Standard Bible
David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid preiede the Lord for the litil child; and Dauid fastide bi fastyng, and entride asidis half, and lai on the erthe.

Young's Literal Translation
and David seeketh God for the youth, and David keepeth a fast, and hath gone in and lodged, and lain on the earth.

Update Bible Version
David therefore implored God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.

World English Bible
David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.

New King James Version
David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.

New Living Translation
David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.

New Life Bible
David begged God to make the child well. He went without food and lay all night on the ground.

New Revised Standard
David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
David therefore earnestly sought God in behalf of the boy, - and David kept a fast, and used to go in and pass the night, and lie upon the ground.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David besought the Lord for the child: and David kept a fast, and going in by himself lay upon the ground.

Revised Standard Version
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the ground.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.

Contextual Overview

¹⁵ Then Nathan went back home. The Lord made David's young son very sick. ¹⁶ So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor. ¹⁷ His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them. ¹⁸ After the child had been sick for seven days, he died, but the officials were afraid to tell David. They said to each other, "Even when the boy was alive, David wouldn't listen to us. How can we tell him his son is dead? He might do something terrible!" ¹⁹ David noticed his servants whispering, and he knew the boy was dead. "Did my son die?" he asked his servants. "Yes, he did," they answered. ²⁰ David got up off the floor; he took a bath, combed his hair, and dressed. He went into the Lord 's tent and worshiped, then he went back home. David asked for something to eat, and when his servants brought him some food, he ate it. ²¹ His officials said, "What are you doing? You went without eating and cried for your son while he was alive! But now that he's dead, you're up and eating." ²² David answered: While he was still alive, I went without food and cried because there was still hope. I said to myself, "Who knows? Maybe the Lord will have pity on me and let the child live." ²³ But now that he's dead, why should I go without eating? I can't bring him back! Someday I will join him in death, but he can't return to me. ²⁴ David comforted his wife Bathsheba and slept with her. Later on, she gave birth to another son and named him Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

besought: 2 Samuel 12:22, Psalms 50:15, Isaiah 26:16, Joel 2:12-14, Jonah 3:9

fasted: Heb. fasted a fast, Esther 4:16, Psalms 69:10, Isaiah 22:12, Acts 9:9

lay all night: 2 Samuel 13:31, Job 20:12-14

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 9:18 - I fell down Joshua 7:6 - fell 1 Samuel 1:8 - why weepest 1 Kings 18:42 - he cast himself Job 1:20 - fell Daniel 6:18 - and passed Joel 1:13 - lie Matthew 6:16 - when Mark 5:23 - besought John 11:31 - She goeth 1 Corinthians 2:15 - yet 2 Corinthians 12:8 - I besought

Cross-References

Genesis 12:13
Please save my life by saying that you are my sister."

Genesis 12:14
As soon as Abram and Sarai arrived in Egypt, the Egyptians noticed how beautiful she was.

Genesis 12:15
The king's officials told him about her, and she was taken to his house.

Genesis 13:2
Abram was very rich. He owned many cattle, sheep, and goats, and had a lot of silver and gold.

Genesis 20:14
Abimelech gave Abraham some sheep, cattle, and slaves. He sent Sarah back

Genesis 24:35
The Lord has been good to my master and has made him very rich. He has given him many sheep, goats, cattle, camels, and donkeys, as well as a lot of silver and gold, and many slaves.

Genesis 26:14
In fact, the Philistines were jealous of the large number of sheep, goats, and slaves that Isaac owned,

Genesis 32:5
and now I own cattle, donkeys, and sheep, as well as many slaves. Master, I am sending these messengers in the hope that you will be kind to me."

Job 1:3
He owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred pair of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and a large number of servants. He was the richest person in the East.

Job 42:12
The Lord now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

David therefore besought God for the child,.... Perhaps went into the tabernacle he had built for the ark, and prayed to the Lord to restore the child, and spare its life; for though the Lord had said it should die, he might hope that that was a conditional threatening, and that the Lord might be gracious and reverse it, 2 Samuel 12:22;

and David fasted: all that day:

and went in; to his own house from the house of God:

and lay all night upon the earth; would neither go into, nor lie upon a bed, but lay on the floor all night, weeping and praying for the child's life, and especially for its eternal welfare: he having through sin been the means of its coming into a sinful and afflicted state.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The death of the infant child of one of the numerous harem of an Oriental monarch would in general be a matter of little moment to the father. The deep feeling shown by David on this occasion is both an indication of his affectionate and tender nature, and also a proof of the strength of his passion for Bath-sheba. He went into his most private chamber, his closet Matthew 6:6, and “lay upon the earth” 2 Samuel 13:31, rather “the ground,” meaning the floor of his chamber as opposed to his couch.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 12:16. David - besought God for the child — How could he do so, after the solemn assurance that he had from God that the child should die? The justice of God absolutely required that the penalty of the law should be exacted; either the father or the son shall die. This could not be reversed.