2 Samuel, Chapter 12:
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Verses from 2 Samuel, Chapter 12 of the book of 1 Samuel in the Bible.
Nathan rebukes David
- 1. And the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to David. When Nathan arrived, he told David the following story: “There were two men in a city, one rich and the other poor.
- 2. The rich man had many animals, such as sheep and oxen,
- 3. while the poor man only had a little lamb that he had bought. He raised her and she became part of his family. She ate his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. She was like a daughter to him.
- 4. One day, a traveler arrived at the rich man's house, but the rich man did not want to take an animal from his own flock to offer him a meal. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the traveler.”
- 5. When David heard this story, his anger was kindled against the man and he said to Nathan, “I swear by the name of the Lord that the man who did this deserves death!
- 6. He will have to pay four times the value of the lamb, as he acted without mercy.”
- 7. Then Nathan said to David, “You are such a man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed him king over Israel and delivered him out of the hand of Saul.
- 8. I gave him his master's house and his wives. I gave you the nation of Israel and Judah. And if all this were not enough, I would have given you even more.
- 9. But why have you despised my word, doing evil in my eyes? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and took his wife to be your wife.
- 10. Therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'
- 11. This is what the Lord says: 'I will cause evil to arise against you within your own family. I will take your own wives before your eyes and give them to another man. He will lie down with them before this sun.
- 12. You acted in secret, but I will do it in front of all Israel and in broad daylight.'
- 13. Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord!” Nathan replied, “The Lord has forgiven your sin. You will not die.
- 14. However, because of her sin, the son born to this woman will die.”
- 15. After Nathan left, the Lord made the child sick, the son that Bathsheba had given to David.
- 16. David begged God for the child. He fasted and spent nights lying on the floor, crying out to God.
- 17. The palace counselors tried to get him to get up from the floor, but he refused and would not eat.
- 18. Seven days later, the child died. The counselors were afraid to tell David that the child was dead, for they thought: “While the child was alive, we spoke to him, but he did not listen to us. What will he do when he finds out that the child has died? He might do something desperate.”
- 19. When David realized that his counselors were whispering, he understood that the child had died. Then he asked: “Is the child dead?” They replied: “Yes, the child died.”
- 20. Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. Then he went to the temple of the Lord and worshiped. So he went back to the palace and asked for food, and he ate it.
- 21. His counselors asked, “Why did you act this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and cried. But now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”
- 22. David replied, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, thinking, 'Maybe the Lord will have mercy on me and let the child live.'
- 23. But now that she is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring her back to life? I will go to her, but she will not come back to me.”
- 24. Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba and had intercourse with her, and she gave birth to a son, whom David named Solomon. The Lord loved the boy
- 25. and sent the prophet Nathan to give him the name Jedidias, which means “Beloved of the Lord”.
- 26. Meanwhile, Joab led an attack on Rabbah, the capital of the Ammonites, and captured the royal city.
- 27. Then Joab sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and conquered the city's water reservoirs.
- 28. Now gather the rest of the army, surround the city and conquer it. If not, the credit for the victory will be attributed to me.”
- 29. Then David gathered the whole army, went to Rabbah, fought against the city and captured it.
- 30. He took off the crown of the king of Rabbah, a golden crown weighing thirty-five kilograms, set with precious stones. And David put it on his own head. Furthermore, he plundered the city of its treasures and goods.
- 31. He brought with him the inhabitants of the city and put them to work with saws, pickaxes and axes, as well as having them make bricks. David did this with all the cities of the Ammonites. Then he and the entire army returned to Jerusalem.
