2 Samuel 12

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Yahweh sent the prophet Nathan to David. He came to him and said: In the same town were two men,one rich, the other poor.	1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And when he had come to him, he said to him: “Two men were in one city: one wealthy, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance;	2 The wealthy man had very many sheep and oxen.
3 the poor man had nothing but a ewe lamb, only a single little one which he had bought. He fostered itand it grew up with him and his children, eating his bread, drinking from his cup, sleeping in his arms; it was likea daughter to him.	3 But the poor man had nothing at all, except one little sheep, which he had bought and nourished. And she had grown up before him, together with his children, eating from his bread, and drinking from his cup, and sleeping in his bosom. And she was like a daughter to him.
4 When a traveller came to stay, the rich man would not take anything from his own flock or herd toprovide for the wayfarer who had come to him. Instead, he stole the poor man's lamb and prepared that for hisguest.	4 But when a certain traveler had come to the wealthy man, neglecting to take from his own sheep and oxen, so that he might present a feast for that traveler, who had come to him, he took the sheep of the poor man, and he prepared a meal for the man who had come to him.”
5 David flew into a great rage with the man. 'As Yahweh lives,' he said to Nathan 'the man who did thisdeserves to die.	5 Then David’s indignation was enraged exceedingly against that man, and he said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this is a son of death.
6 For doing such a thing and for having shown no pity, he shal make fourfold restitution for the lamb.'	6 He shall restore the sheep fourfold, because he did this word, and he did not take pity.”
7 Nathan then said to David, 'You are the man! Yahweh, God of Israel, says this, "I anointed you king ofIsrael, I saved you from Saul's clutches,	7 But Nathan said to David: “You are that man. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul.
8 I gave you your master's household and your master's wives into your arms, I gave you the House ofIsrael and the House of Judah; and, if this is stil too little, I shal give you other things as wel .	8 And I gave the house of your lord to you, and the wives of your lord into your bosom. And I gave the house of Israel and of Judah to you. And as if these things were small, I shall add much greater things to you.
9 Why did you show contempt for Yahweh, by doing what displeases him? You put Uriah the Hittite tothe sword, you took his wife to be your wife, causing his death by the sword of the Ammonites.	9 Therefore, why have you despised the word of the Lord, so that you did evil in my sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword. And you have taken his wife as a wife for yourself. And you have put him to death with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
10 For this, your household wil never be free of the sword, since you showed contempt for me and tookthe wife of Uriah the Hittite, to make her your wife."	10 For this reason, the sword shall not withdraw from your house, even perpetually, because you have despised me, and you have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite, so that she may be your wife.’
11 'Yahweh says this, "Out of your own household I shal raise misfortune for you. Before your very eyesI shal take your wives and give them to your neighbour, who wil lie with your wives in broad daylight.	11 And so, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up over you an evil from your own house. And I will take your wives away before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor. And he will sleep with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12 You have worked in secret, but I shall work this for al Israel to see, in broad daylight." '	12 For you acted secretly. But I will do this word in the sight of all of Israel, and in the sight of the sun.’ ”
13 David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against Yahweh.' Nathan then said to David, 'Yahweh, for hispart, forgives your sin; you are not to die.	13 And David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David: “The Lord has also taken away your sin. You shall not die.
14 But, since you have outraged Yahweh by doing this, the child born to you wil die.'	14 Yet truly, because you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, because of this word, the son who was born to you: dying he shall die.”
15 And Nathan went home. Yahweh struck the child which Uriah's wife had borne to David and it felgravely il .	15 And Nathan returned to his own house. And the Lord struck the little one, whom the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and he was despaired of.
16 David pleaded with Yahweh for the child; he kept a strict fast and went home and spent the nightlying on the ground, covered with sacking.	16 And David begged the Lord on behalf of the little one. And David fasted strictly, and entering alone, he lay upon the ground.
17 The officials of his household stood round him, intending to get him off the ground, but he refused,nor would he take food with them.	17 Then the elders of his house came, urging him to rise up from the ground. And he was not willing, nor would he eat a meal with them.
18 On the seventh day the child died. David's retinue were afraid to tel him that the child was dead.'Even when the child was alive', they thought, 'we reasoned with him and he would not listen to us. How can wetel him that the child is dead? He wil do something desperate.'	18 Then, on the seventh day, it happened that the infant died. And the servants of David were afraid to report to him that the little one had died. For they said: “Behold, when the child was still alive, we were speaking to him, but he would not listen to our voice. How much more will he afflict himself, if we tell him that the boy is dead?”
19 David, however, noticed that his retinue were whispering among themselves, and realised that thechild was dead. 'Is the child dead?' he asked the officers. They replied, 'He is dead.'	19 But when David had seen his servants whispering, he realized that the infant had died. And he said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they responded to him, “He is dead.”
20 David got off the ground, bathed and anointed himself and put on fresh clothes. Then he went intoYahweh's sanctuary and prostrated himself. On returning to his house, he asked to be served with food and ateit.	20 Therefore, David rose up from the ground. And he washed and anointed himself. And when he had changed his clothing, he entered the house of the Lord, and he worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and he asked them to place bread before him, and he ate.
21 His retinue said, 'Why are you acting like this? When the child was alive, you fasted and wept; nowthat the child is dead, you get up and take food!'	21 But his servants said to him: “What is this word that you have done? You fasted and were weeping, on behalf of the infant, while he was still alive. But when the boy was dead, you arose and ate bread.”
22 'When the child was alive', he replied, 'I fasted and wept because I kept thinking, "Who knows?Perhaps Yahweh wil take pity on me and the child wil live."	22 And he said: “While he was yet alive, I fasted and wept on behalf of the infant. For I said: Who knows if the Lord may perhaps give him to me, and let the infant live?
23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shal go to him but hecannot come back to me.'	23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Would I be able to bring him back anymore? Instead, I will go to him. Yet truly, he will not return to me.”
24 David consoled his wife Bathsheba. He went to her and slept with her. She conceived and gave birthto a son, whom she called Solomon. Yahweh loved him	24 And David consoled his wife Bathsheba. And entering to her, he slept with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.
25 and made this known by means of the prophet Nathan, who named him Jedidiah, as Yahweh hadinstructed.	25 And he sent, by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name, Beloved of the Lord, because the Lord loved him.
26 Joab assaulted Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites and captured the royal town.	26 And then Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and he fought outside the royal city.
27 He then sent messengers to tel David, 'I have assaulted Rabbah and captured the water supply.	27 And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: “I have struggled against Rabbah, and so the City of Waters will soon be seized.
28 So now muster the rest of the army, lay siege to the town and take it, or I wil take it and the town wilbe cal ed after me!'	28 Now therefore, gather the remaining portion of the people together, and besiege the city and take it. Otherwise, when the city will have been laid waste by me, the victory will be ascribed to my name.”
29 So David mustered the whole army and marched on Rabbah; he assaulted the town and captured it.	29 And so David gathered together all the people, and he set out against Rabbah. And after he had fought, he seized it.
30 He took the crown off Milcom's head; it weighed one talent of gold, and in it was set a precious stonewhich went on David's head instead. He carried off great quantities of booty from the town.'	30 And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, having the most precious gems. And it was placed upon the head of David. Moreover, he carried away the spoils of the city, which were very many.
31 And he expel ed its inhabitants, setting them to work with saws, iron picks and iron axes, employingthem at brickmaking. He treated all the Ammonite towns in the same way. David and the whole army returned toJerusalem.	31 Also, bringing forth its people, he sawed them, and he drove over them with iron wagons, and he divided them with knives, and he dragged them through brick kilns. So he did to all the citizens of the sons of Ammon. And David returned, with the entire army, to Jerusalem.