12:1 And Yahweh sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
12:2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds;
12:3 but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his sons; it ate of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.
12:4 And there came a traveler to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man who came to him, but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man who came to him.
12:5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this is worthy to die:
12:6 and he will restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
12:7 And Nathan said to David, You are the man. This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul;
12:8 and I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you such and such things.
12:9 Why have you despised Yahweh, to do that which is evil in his eyes? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
12:10 Now 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 wife.
12:11 Thus says Yahweh, Look, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your fellow man, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12:12 For you did it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
12:13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Yahweh. And Nathan said to David, Yahweh also has put away your sin; you will not die.
12:14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for Yahweh, the son also who is born to you will surely die.
12:15 And Nathan departed to his house. And Yahweh struck the child who Uriah's wife bore to David, and it was very sick.
12:16 David therefore implored God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.
12:17 And the elders of his house arose, [and stood] beside him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
12:18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the slaves of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, Look, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he didn't listen to our voice: how he will then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead!
12:19 But when David saw that his slaves were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his slaves, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
12:20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel; and he came into the house of Yahweh, and worshiped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he ate.
12:21 Then his slaves said to him, What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, you rose and ate bread.
12:22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knows whether Yahweh will not be gracious to me, that the child may live?
12:23 But now 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.
12:24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. And Yahweh loved him;
12:25 and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for Yahweh's sake.
12:26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and took the royal city.
12:27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters.
12:28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; or else I will take the city, and it will be called after my name.
12:29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
12:30 And he took the crown of Milcom from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and [in it were] precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, exceedingly much.
12:31 And he brought forth the people who were in it. And he put [them to work] with saws, and with harrows of iron, and with axes of iron. And he made them serve making bricks. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.