The Second Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 12 -

(Psalm 51:1–19)

Yahweh told the prophet Nathan what David had done, and he sent Nathan to tell this story to David, “Once there were two men in a certain city. One man was rich and the other was poor.

The rich man owned a lot of cattle and sheep.

But the poor man had only one little female lamb, which he had bought. He raised the lamb, and it grew up with his own children. He would give the lamb some of his own food and let it drink from his cup. He let the lamb sleep as he held it next to himself. The lamb was like a daughter to him.

One day a visitor came to see the rich man. The rich man did not want to take one of his own animals and kill it to prepare a meal for his guest. So instead, he sent men to take the poor man’s lamb; then he had someone kill it and prepare a meal with it for his guest.”

When David heard that, he was very angry. He said to Nathan, “I solemnly declare that the man who did that should be executed!

He should at least pay back to the poor man four lambs for doing this, and for not having pity on the poor man.”

Nathan said to David, “You are the man I have been talking about! And this is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship, says to you: ’I rescued you from Saul, and I made you king of Israel.

I gave you his palace; I let you hold his wives next to you. I made you king over Israel and Judah. If you had told me that you were not content with what I gave you, I would have given you much more!

So why have you rejected what I have commanded, when I said that my people must not commit adultery? You have done what I consider to be very evil! You have arranged for Uriah to die in battle with the Ammonites, and you have taken his wife to be your wife!

You have rejected me, because you took Uriah’s wife to be your wife. So some of your descendants will always die in battle.

I solemnly declare to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring disaster to you. I will take your wives and give them to that person, and he will sleep with them in the daytime, where everyone can see it, and you will know all about it.

What you did, you did secretly, but what I cause to happen, everyone in Israel will be able to see it or know about it.’”

David’s Loss and Repentance

David replied, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan said to David, “Yahweh has overlooked your sin. You will not die because of this sin.

But you have shown contempt for Yahweh by doing this. So your baby will die.”

Then Nathan went home. Then Yahweh caused the baby, the one that Uriah’s wife had given birth to, to become very sick.

So David prayed to God that the child would not die. He fasted, and he went into his room and lay all night on the floor.

The next morning his most important servants stood around him and tried to urge him to get up. But he would not get up, and he would not eat with them.

One week later the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell that to David. They said to each other, “While the baby was still alive, we talked to him, but he would not answer us. Now, if we tell him that the baby is dead, he may do something to harm himself!”

But when David saw that his servants were whispering something to each other, he realized that the baby must be dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They replied, “Yes, he is dead.”

Then David got up from the floor. He bathed himself, put lotions on his body, and put on other clothes. Then he went into Yahweh’s sacred tent and worshiped him. Then he went home. He requested his servants bring some food. They gave him some, and he ate it.

Then his servants said to him, “We do not understand why you have done this! While the baby was still alive, you cried for him and refused to eat anything. But now that the baby has died, you are not crying anymore. You got up and ate some food!”

He replied, “While the baby was still alive I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Perhaps Yahweh will act mercifully toward me and not allow the baby to die.’

But now the baby is dead. So there is no reason for me to fast anymore. I cannot bring him back to myself. Some day I will go to where he is, but he will not return to me.”

Solomon’s Birth

Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. David named that boy Solomon. Yahweh loved this little boy.

He told the prophet Nathan to tell David to name the baby boy Jedidiah, because Yahweh loved him.

The Capture of Rabbah

(1 Chronicles 20:1–3)

Meanwhile, Joab’s soldiers attacked Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammon people group. They captured the king’s fortress, which protected the water supply.

Then Joab sent messengers to David to tell him this, “My troops are attacking Rabbah, and we have captured the city’s water supply.

Now gather your troops and come and surround the city and capture it. If you do not do that, my troops will capture the city and it will then be named for me instead: The City of Joab.”

So David gathered all his troops. They went to Rabbah, attacked it, and captured it.

Then David took the crown from the head of their king and put it on his own head. It was very heavy; it weighed about thirty-three kilograms, and it had a very valuable stone in it. His soldiers also took many other valuable things from the city.

Then they brought the people out of the city and forced them to work for them, using saws, iron picks, and axes. David’s troops also forced them to make bricks. David’s soldiers did this in all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all of his army returned to Jerusalem.

(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