Study Desk

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in a city, the one wealthy and the other poor.

And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

"The wealthy man had a great many flocks and herds.

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:

"But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nurtured; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie in his lap, And was like a daughter to him.

But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

"Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, And he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the traveler who had come to him; So he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

And there came a traveller unto the rich man, 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 poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die!

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

"So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion."

And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

Nathan then said to David, "You yourself are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: 'It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;

'I also gave you your master's house and put your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!

And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives 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.

'Why have you despised the word of the LORD, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord , to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah 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.

'Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'

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.

"This is what the LORD says: 'Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.

Thus saith the Lord , Behold, I will raise up evil 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.

'Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.'"

For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die.

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord . And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

"However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the LORD, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die."

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 surely die.

Then Nathan went to his house. Loss of a Child Later the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.

And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

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

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

The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to us. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm?"

And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared 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 then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

So David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate.

Then David arose 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 set bread before him, and he did eat.

Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food."

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 eat bread.

And 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.'

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?

"But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I am going to him, but he will not return to me."

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.

Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and slept with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him,

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the Lord loved him.

and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the LORD'S sake.

And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord .

Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city.

And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters.

And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

"Now then, gather the rest of the people and camp opposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me."

Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.

So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it.

And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and it had a precious stone; and it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the plunder of the city in great amounts.

And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

He also brought out the people who were in it, and put some to work at saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made others serve at the brick works. And he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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 brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.