| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then 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. | 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. |
| 2The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle, | 2The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. |
| 3but 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 and was like a daughter to him. | 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. |
| 4Now 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.” | 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.” |
| 5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! | 5David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! |
| 6Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.” | 6He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” |
| 7Then 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. | 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. |
| 8I 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. | 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. |
| 9Why 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. | 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. |
| 10Now, 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.’ | 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. |
| 11This 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. | 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. |
| 12You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ” | 12You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” David Confesses His Guilt |
| 13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die. | 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. |
| 14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.” | 14Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this, your child will die.” |
| 15After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. | 15After Nathan returned to his home, the LORD sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah’s wife. |
| 16David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground. | 16David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. |
| 17The 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. | 17The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. |
| 18On 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.” | 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?” |
| 19When 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. | 19When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” |
| 20Then 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. | 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. |
| 21“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.” | 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.” |
| 22David 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.’ | 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.’ |
| 23But 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.” | 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.” |
| 24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child | 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 |
| 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him. | 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 |
| 26Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. | 26Meanwhile, Joab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammon, and he captured the royal fortifications. |
| 27Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. | 27Joab sent messengers to tell David, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. |
| 28Now, 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.” | 28Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.” |
| 29So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it. | 29So David gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. |
| 30Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold 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. | 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. |
| 31David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem. | 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. |
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