The Second Book of Samuel

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 12 -

(Psalm 51:1–19)

Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,

but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms

(a)

and was like a daughter to him.

Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.”

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”

Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.

Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own, for you have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight.

You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

David’s Loss and Repentance

Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.

Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD,(b) the son born to you will surely die.”

After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.

David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth (c) on the ground.

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

On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.”

When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.

Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate.

“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.”

David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’

But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Solomon’s Birth

Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they

(d)

named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child

and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.(e)

The Capture of Rabbah

(1 Chronicles 20:1–3)

Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.

Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.(f)

Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”

So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.

Then he took the crown from the head of their king.(g) It weighed a talent of gold

(h)

and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.

David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws,(i) iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns.(j) He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

(a)12:3 Hebrew in his bosom; also in verse 8

(b)12:14 DSS; MT you have brought utter contempt from the enemies of the LORD

(d)12:24 Or she or he

(e)12:25 Literally to name him Jedidiah because of the LORD; Jedidiah means beloved of the LORD

(f)12:27 Or and have captured the city of waters

(g)12:30 Or from the head of Milcom. Milcom, also called Molech, was god of the Ammonites; see Leviticus 18:21 and 1 Kings 11:7.

(h)12:30 A talent is approximately 75.4 pounds or 34.2 kilograms of gold.

(i)12:31 Literally put them under saws

(j)12:31 Literally and he made them pass through the brick kilns.

(Psalm 51:1–19)

The LORD 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.

The rich man had very many flocks and herds,

but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.

A traveler came to the rich man, and he didn’t want to take of his own flock and of his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!

He must restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity!”

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.

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 would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things.

Why have you despised the LORD’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’

“This is what the LORD says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’”

David’s Loss and Repentance

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin. You will not die.

However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the LORD’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.”

Then Nathan departed to his house. The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he was very sick.

David therefore begged God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground.

The elders of his house arose beside him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he didn’t eat bread with them.

On the seventh day, the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him and he didn’t listen to our voice. How will he then harm 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; and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

Then David arose from the earth, and washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the LORD’s house, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him and he ate.

Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child was dead, you rose up and ate bread.”

He said, “While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?’

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Solomon’s Birth

David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. The LORD loved him;

and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah,(a) for the LORD’s sake.

The Capture of Rabbah

(1 Chronicles 20:1–3)

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

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

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 by my name.”

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

He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent

(b)

of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city.

He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them go to the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Footnotes

(a)12:25 “Jedidiah” means “loved by the LORD”.

(b)12:30 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces