| New Living Translation | NET Bible |
| 1So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was 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 owned a great many sheep and cattle. | 2The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. |
| 3The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. | 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. |
| 4One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.” | 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 was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to 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 repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having 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 that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power 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 you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much 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, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. | 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. |
| 10From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife 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: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. | 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 secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” David Confesses His Guilt | 12Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.'" |
| 13Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. | 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. |
| 14Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this, your child 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 returned to his home, the LORD sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife. | 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 begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare 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 pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. | 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. |
| 18Then on the seventh day the child died. David’s advisers were afraid to tell him. “He wouldn’t listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?” | 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!" |
| 19When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “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, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the LORD. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and 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 advisers were amazed. “We don’t understand you,” they told him. “While the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.” | 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!" |
| 22David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the LORD will 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 why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot 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 Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child | 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 sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the LORD”), as the LORD had commanded. David Captures Rabbah | 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the LORD's sake. |
| 26Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. | 26So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. |
| 27Joab sent messengers to tell David, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured 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 bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.” | 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 gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. | 29So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. |
| 30David removed the crown from the king’s head, and it was placed on his own head. The crown was made of gold and set with gems, and it weighed seventy-five pounds. David took a vast amount 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. |
| 31He also made slaves of the people of Rabbah and forced them to labor with saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and to work in the brick kilns. That is how he dealt with the people of all the Ammonite towns. Then David and all the 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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