| New International Version | NET Bible |
| 1The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. | 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. |
| 2The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, | 2The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. |
| 3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. | 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. |
| 4"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come 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." |
| 5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die! | 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! |
| 6He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." | 6Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!" |
| 7Then 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 from the hand of Saul. | 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. |
| 8I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. | 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! |
| 9Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. | 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. |
| 10Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' | 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!' |
| 11"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. | 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! |
| 12You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'" | 12Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.'" |
| 13Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. | 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. |
| 14But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will 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." |
| 15After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. | 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. |
| 16David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. | 16Then David prayed to God for the child and fasted. He would even go and spend the night lying on the ground. |
| 17The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. | 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. |
| 18On the seventh day the child died. David's attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, he wouldn't listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." | 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!" |
| 19David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead." | 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." |
| 20Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. | 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. |
| 21His attendants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" | 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!" |
| 22He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' | 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. |
| 23But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." | 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!'" |
| 24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; | 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 |
| 25and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah. | 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the LORD's sake. |
| 26Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. | 26So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. |
| 27Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. | 27Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. |
| 28Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me." | 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." |
| 29So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. | 29So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. |
| 30David took the crown from their king's head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city | 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. |
| 31and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem. | 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. |
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