| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1So the LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to David, Nathan said, "There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. | 1So the LORD sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. |
| 2The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. | 2The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, |
| 3But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. It was just like a daughter to him. | 3but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. |
| 4"When a traveler arrived at the rich man's home, he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler who had come to visit him. Instead, he took the poor man's lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to visit him." | 4Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take 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. |
| 5Then David became very angry at this man. He said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! | 5David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: "As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! |
| 6Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!" | 6Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb." |
| 7Nathan said to David, "You are that man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'I chose you to be king over Israel and I rescued you from the hand of Saul. | 7Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. |
| 8I gave you your master's house, and put your master's wives into your arms. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well! | 8I gave your master's house to you and your master's wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. |
| 9Why have you shown contempt for the word of the LORD by doing evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and you have taken his wife as your own! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. | 9Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife--you murdered him with the Ammonite's sword. |
| 10So now the sword will never depart from your house. For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!' | 10Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.'" |
| 11This is what the LORD says: 'I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household! Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. He will have sexual relations with your wives in broad daylight! | 11This is what the LORD says, 'I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly. |
| 12Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.'" | 12You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.'" |
| 13Then David exclaimed to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD!" Nathan replied to David, "Yes, and the LORD has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die. | 13David responded to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Then Nathan replied to David, "The LORD has taken away your sin; you will not die. |
| 14Nonetheless, because you have treated the LORD with such contempt in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die." | 14However, because you treated the LORD with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die." |
| 15Then Nathan went to his home. The LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill. | 15Then Nathan went home. The LORD struck the baby that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. |
| 16Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. He would even go and spend the night lying on the ground. | 16David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground. |
| 17The elders of his house stood over him and tried to lift him from the ground, but he was unwilling, and refused to eat food with them. | 17The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them. |
| 18On the seventh day the child died. But the servants of David were afraid to inform him that the child had died, for they said, "While the child was still alive he would not listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He will do himself harm!" | 18On the seventh day the baby died. But David's servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, "Look, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn't listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate." |
| 19When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he realized that the child was dead. So David asked his servants, "Is the child dead?" They replied, "Yes, he's dead." | 19When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So he asked his servants, "Is the baby dead?"" He is dead," they replied. |
| 20So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then, when he entered his palace, he requested that food be brought to him, and he ate. | 20Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to the LORD's house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So they served him food, and he ate. |
| 21His servants said to him, "What is this that you have done? While the child was still alive, you fasted and wept. Once the child was dead you got up and ate food!" | 21His servants asked him, "What did you just do? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food." |
| 22He replied, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 'Perhaps the LORD will show pity and the child will live. | 22He answered, "While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.' |
| 23But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!'" | 23But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I'll go to him, but he will never return to me." |
| 24So David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and had marital relations with her. She gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child | 24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon. The LORD loved him, |
| 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the LORD's sake. | 25and He sent a message through Nathan the prophet, who named him Jedidiah, because of the LORD. |
| 26So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. | 26Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. |
| 27Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. | 27Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, "I have fought against Rabbah and have also captured the water supply. |
| 28So now assemble the rest of the army and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city and it will be named for me." | 28Now therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will be the one to capture the city, and it will be named after me." |
| 29So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. | 29So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; he fought against it and captured it. |
| 30He took the crown of their king from his head--it was gold, weighed about seventy-five pounds, and held a precious stone--and it was placed on David's head. He also took from the city a great deal of plunder. | 30He took the crown from the head of their king, and it was placed on David's head. The crown weighed 75 pounds of gold, and it had a precious stone in it. In addition, David took away a large quantity of plunder from the city. |
| 31He removed the people who were in it and made them do hard labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, putting them to work at the brick kiln. This was his policy with all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all the army returned to Jerusalem. | 31He removed the people who were in the city and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to labor at brickmaking. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then he and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. |
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