| International Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1so the LORD sent Nathan to David. Nathan approached David and said, "There are two men in the city. One is rich and one is 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 has many flocks and herds, | 2The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. |
| 3but the poor man had nothing except for one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It used to share his food and drink from his own cup. It 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. |
| 4A traveler arrived to visit the rich man. Because he was unwilling to take an animal from one of his own flocks or herds to prepare for the guest who had come to visit him, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to visit 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 flew into a rage at the man and told Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who did this 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 will restore the lamb four times its value, because he did this thing, and because he did it without compassion." | 6Because he committed this cold-hearted crime, he must pay for the lamb four times over!" |
| 7But Nathan replied to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD God of Israel says: "'I anointed you king—and you became king over Israel. "'I delivered you from Saul's control. | 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. |
| 8"'I gave you your former master's household. "'I placed your former master's wives right in your arms. "'I gave you Israel and Judah. "'And if this had been too little, I would have added much more than that to you! | 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! |
| 9"'Why did you despise what the LORD has promised by doing what is detestable in his sight? "'You struck down Uriah the Hittite with a battle sword. "'You took his wife to be your own. "'You killed him with the sword of the Ammonite army. | 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. |
| 10"'Therefore the sword will never leave your household, because you have despised me by taking 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: "'Listen very carefully! "'I'm raising up evil against you right out of your own household. "'I'm going to take your wives away from you right before your eyes. "'Then I'll give them to your neighbor. "'And then he's going to have sex 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! |
| 12"'What you did in secret I'm going to do right in front of all Israel and in broad daylight as well!'" | 12Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.'" |
| 13At this point, David told Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan responded to David, "There's one other thing: the LORD has forgiven your sin. You won't 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. |
| 14Nevertheless, because you have despised the LORD's enemies with utter contempt, the son born to you will most certainly 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." |
| 15Then Nathan went home. After this, the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah's wife had born to David, and the child became very 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 begged God on behalf of the youngster. He fasted, went inside, and spent the night lying 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. |
| 17His closest advisors at the palace got up, remained with him, and tried to help him get up from the ground, but he would not do so. He also wouldn't eat 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. |
| 18A week later, the child died, and David's staff was afraid to tell him that the child had died. They were telling themselves, "Look, when the child was still alive, we talked to him but he wouldn't listen to what we said. Now what kind of trouble will he bring on himself if we tell him that the child has died?" | 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!" |
| 19But as David observed his staff whispering together, he perceived that the child had died, so he asked his staff, "Is the child dead?" They replied, "He has died." | 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." |
| 20At this, David got up from the ground, washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the LORD's tent to worship. Then he went back to his palace where, 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 staff asked him, "What's this about? When the child was alive, you fasted and cried. Now that the child has died, 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, "When the child was alive, I fasted and cried. I asked myself, 'Who knows? Maybe the LORD will show grace to me and the child will 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 has died, what's the point of fasting? Can I bring him back again? I'll be going to be with him, but he won't be returning 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 consoled his wife Bathsheba. He went in and had sex with her, and she bore a son whom he named 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 sent a message written by Nathan the prophet to call his name Jedidiah, for the Lord's sake. | 25and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the LORD's sake. |
| 26Meanwhile, Joab attacked the Ammonite city of Rabbah and captured its stronghold. | 26So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city. |
| 27Then Joab sent messengers to David to tell him, "I just attacked Rabbah and captured its municipal water supply, | 27Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. |
| 28so call out the rest of the army, attack the city, and capture it. Otherwise, I'll take the city myself and name it 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 his entire army and marched on Rabbah, attacked it, and captured it. | 29So David assembled all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it. |
| 30He confiscated the crown of their king from his head—it weighed one talent in gold and was set with precious stones—and it was placed on David's head. He confiscated a great amount of war booty that had been plundered 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. |
| 31brought back the people who had lived in it, placing them under conscripted labor with saws, iron picks, and axes. He did this to every Ammonite city, and then David 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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