2nd Shamu'AL (2 Samuel) — 12

Nathan Rebukes Daud

1 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent Nathan the Nabym to tell Daud this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 

2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 

3 The 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. 

4 One 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.”

5 Daud was furious. “As surely as  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH lives,” Daud vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 

6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to Daud, “You are that man! 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of Yashar'AL, says: I anointed you king of Yashar'AL and saved you from the power of Shaul. 

8 I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Yashar'AL and Yahudah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. 

9 Why, then, have you despised the Dabar of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uryahu the Hittite with the sword of the Ammunites and stolen his wife. 

10 From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised ME by taking Uryahu’s wife to be your own.

11 “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar: Because of what you have done, I will raise up adversity from 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. 

12 What you did secretly, "I 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Yashar'AL, under the sun.”

Daud Confesses His Guilt

13 Then Daud confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH has forgiven you, and you will not die for this sin. 

14 Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the Dabar of  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH by doing this, your child will die.”

15 After Nathan returned to his home,  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH sent a deadly illness to the child of Daud and Uryahu’s wife. 

16 Daud begged 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH to spare the child, he went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. 

17 The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.

18 Then on the seventh day the child died. Daud’s advisers were afraid to tell him, “he will not listen to reason while the child was ill,” they said. “What drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?”

19 When Daud saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. And Daud asked “Is the child dead?” they replied him Yes,” he is dead.”

20 Then Daud got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes, he went to the Tabernacle and worshiped  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.

21 His advisers were amazed. “We do not 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 start eating again.”

22 Daud replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will be merciful to me and let the child live.’ 

23 But why should I fast when the child is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.”

24 Then Daud comforted Bathshaba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and Daud named him Shalumah.  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH loved the child 

25 and sent word through Nathan the Nabym that they should name him Yadidyahu (which means “beloved of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH”), as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had commanded.

Daud Captures Rabbah

26 Meanwhile, Yuab was fighting against Rabbah, the capital of Ammun, and he captured the royal fortifications. 

27 Yuab sent messengers to tell Daud, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. 

28 Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory.”

29 So Daud gathered the rest of the army and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. 

30 Daud 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. Daud took a vast amount of plunder from the city. 

31 He 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 Ammunite towns. Then Daud and all the army returned to Yahushalam.