2 Samuel 12

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
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 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance;	2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds;
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 but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his morsel, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it 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 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb, and prepared it 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 anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die;
6 For doing such a thing and for having shown no pity, he shal make fourfold restitution for the lamb.'	6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no 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 Nathan said to David, "You are the man. Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of 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 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 this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
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 Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have smitten Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
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 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to 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 Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, 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 neighbor, and he shall lie 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 did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before 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 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put 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 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die."
15 And Nathan went home. Yahweh struck the child which Uriah's wife had borne to David and it felgravely il .	15 Then Nathan went to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became sick.
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 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night 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 And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food 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 On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm."
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 saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "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 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD, and worshipped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set food 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 Then his servants 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 died, you arose and ate food."
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 He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may 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 he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but 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 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her, and lay 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 sent a message by Nathan the prophet; so he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
26 Joab assaulted Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites and captured the royal town.	26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took 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, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters.
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, then, gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name."
29 So David mustered the whole army and marched on Rabbah; he assaulted the town and captured it.	29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took 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, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
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 And he brought forth the people who were in it, and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them toil at the brickkilns; and thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.