Nathan Rebukes David (Psalm 51:1–19)
1 DBY And Jehovah 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. BSB BSB: Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
2 DBY The rich had very many flocks and herds; BSB BSB: The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,
3 DBY but the poor man had nothing at all, but one little ewe lamb which he had bought, and was nourishing; and it grew up with him, and together with his children: it ate of his morsel, and drank of his own cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter. BSB BSB: but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him.
4 DBY And there came a traveller to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that had come to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him. BSB BSB: Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.”
5 DBY Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As Jehovah liveth, the man that hath done this thing is worthy of death; BSB BSB: David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
6 DBY and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. BSB BSB: Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”
7 DBY And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man! Thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; BSB BSB: Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
8 DBY and I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. BSB BSB: I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.
9 DBY Wherefore hast thou despised the word of Jehovah to do evil in his sight? thou hast smitten Urijah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. BSB BSB: Why then have you despised the command of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You put Uriah the Hittite to the sword and took his wife as your own. You have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites.
10 DBY Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urijah the Hittite to be thy wife. BSB BSB: 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 own.’
11 DBY Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight.
12 DBY For thou didst it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. BSB BSB: You have acted in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
David’s Loss and Repentance 13 DBY And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against Jehovah. And Nathan said to David, Jehovah has also put away thy sin: thou shalt not die. BSB BSB: Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
14 DBY Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of Jehovah to blaspheme, even the child that is born to thee shall certainly die. BSB BSB: Nevertheless, because by this deed you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD, the son born to you will surely die.”
15 DBY And Nathan departed to his house. And Jehovah smote the child that Urijah's wife bore to David, and it became very sick. BSB BSB: After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.
16 DBY And David besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth. BSB BSB: David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.
17 DBY And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, and he ate no bread with them. BSB BSB: The elders of his household stood beside him to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.
18 DBY And it came to pass on the seventh day, that 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 would not hearken to our voice; and how shall we say to him, The child is dead? he may do some harm. BSB BSB: On the seventh day the child died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Look, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not listen to us. So how can we tell him the child is dead? He may even harm himself.”
19 DBY But David saw that his servants whispered, and David perceived that the child was dead; and David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. BSB BSB: When David saw that his servants were whispering to one another, he perceived that the child was dead. So he asked his servants, “Is the child dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.
20 DBY Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing, and entered into the house of Jehovah and worshipped; then he came to his own house and required them to set bread before him, and he ate. BSB BSB: Then David got up from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his clothes, and went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they set food before him, and he ate.
21 DBY And his servants said to him, What thing is this which thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child alive; but as soon as the child is dead, thou dost rise and eat bread. BSB BSB: “What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.”
22 DBY And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I thought, Who knows? perhaps Jehovah will be gracious to me, that the child may live. BSB BSB: David answered, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let him live.’
23 DBY 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. BSB BSB: But now that 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.”
Solomon’s Birth 24 DBY And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her; and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon; and Jehovah loved him. BSB BSB: Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child
25 DBY And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, for Jehovah's sake. BSB BSB: and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.
The Capture of Rabbah (1 Chronicles 20:1–3)
26 DBY And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
27 DBY And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters. BSB BSB: Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city.
28 DBY And now gather the rest of the people, and encamp against the city and take it: lest I take the city and it be called by my name. BSB BSB: Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”
29 DBY And David gathered all the people, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it. BSB BSB: So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.
30 DBY And he took the crown of their king from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold with the precious stones; and it was set on David's head; and he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance. BSB BSB: Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.
31 DBY And he brought out the people that were in it, and put them under the saw, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkilns. And so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.
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