Nathan Rebukes David (Psalm 51:1–19)
1 UDB Yahweh told the prophet Nathan what David had done, and he sent Nathan to tell this story to David: "Once there were two men in a certain city. One man was rich and the other was 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 UDB The rich man owned many cattle and sheep. BSB BSB: The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,
3 UDB But the poor man had only one little female lamb, which he had bought. He raised the lamb, and it grew up with his own children. He would give the lamb some of his own food and let it drink from his cup. He let the lamb sleep as he held it next to himself. The lamb was like a daughter to him. 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 UDB One day, a visitor came to see the rich man. The rich man did not want to take one of his own animals and kill it to prepare a meal for his guest. So instead, he sent men to take the poor man's lamb; then he had someone kill it and prepare a meal with it for his guest." 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 UDB When David heard that, he was very angry. He said to Nathan, "I solemnly declare that the man who did that should be executed! 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 UDB He should at least pay back to the poor man four lambs for doing this and for not having pity on the poor man." BSB BSB: Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”
7 UDB Nathan said to David, "You are the man I have been talking about! And this is what Yahweh, the God whom we Israelites worship, says to you: 'I rescued you from Saul, and I made you king of Israel. 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 UDB I gave you his palace; I let you hold his wives next to you. I made you king over Israel and Judah. If you had told me that you were not content with what I gave you, I would have given you much more! 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 UDB So why have you rejected what I have commanded, when I said that my people must not commit adultery? You have done what I consider to be very evil! You have arranged for Uriah to die in battle with the Ammonites, and you have taken his wife to be your wife! 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 UDB You have rejected me, because you took Uriah's wife to be your wife. So some of your descendants will always die in battle. 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 UDB I solemnly declare to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring disaster to you. I will take your wives and give them to that person, and he will sleep with them in the daytime, where everyone can see it, and you will know all about it. 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 UDB What you did, you did secretly, but what I cause to happen, everyone in Israel will be able to see it or know about it.'" 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 UDB David replied, "I have sinned against Yahweh." Nathan said to David, "Yahweh has overlooked your sin. You will not die because of this sin. 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 UDB But you have shown contempt for Yahweh by doing this. So your baby will 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 UDB Then Nathan went home. Then Yahweh caused the baby, the one that Uriah's wife had given birth to, to become 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 UDB So David prayed to God that the child would not die. He fasted, and he went into his room and lay all night on the floor. 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 UDB The next morning, his most important servants stood around him and tried to urge him to get up. But he would not get up, and he would not eat 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 UDB One week later, the baby died. David's servants were afraid to tell that to David. They said to each other, "While the baby was still alive, we talked to him, but he would not answer us. Now, if we tell him that the baby is dead, he may do something to harm himself!" 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 UDB But when David saw that his servants were whispering something to each other, he realized that the baby must be dead. So he asked them, "Is the baby dead?" They replied, "Yes, 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 UDB Then David got up from the floor. He bathed himself, put lotions on his body, and put on other clothes. Then he went into Yahweh's sacred tent and worshiped him. Then he went home. He requested his servants bring some food. They gave him some, and he ate it. 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 UDB Then his servants said to him, "We do not understand why you have done this! While the baby was still alive, you cried for him and refused to eat anything. But now that the baby has died, you are not crying anymore. You got up and ate some food!" 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 UDB He replied, "While the baby was still alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, 'Perhaps Yahweh will act mercifully toward me and not allow the baby to die.' 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 UDB But now the baby is dead. So there is no reason for me to fast anymore. I cannot bring him back to myself. One day I will go to where he is, 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 UDB Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. David named that boy Solomon. Yahweh loved this little boy. 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 UDB He told the prophet Nathan to tell David to name the baby boy Jedidiah because Yahweh loved him. 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 UDB Meanwhile, Joab's soldiers attacked Rabbah, the capital city of the Ammonite people. They captured the king's fortress, which protected the water supply. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
27 UDB Then Joab sent messengers to David to tell him this, "My troops are attacking Rabbah, and we have captured the city's water supply. 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 UDB Now gather your troops and come and surround the city and capture it. If you do not do that, my troops will capture the city, and it will then be named for me instead: The City of Joab." 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 UDB So David gathered all of his troops. They went to Rabbah, attacked it, and captured it. BSB BSB: So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.
30 UDB Then David took the crown from the head of their king and put it on his own head. It was very heavy; it weighed about thirty-three kilograms, and it had a very valuable stone in it. His soldiers also took many other valuable things from the city. 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 UDB Then they brought the people out of the city and forced them to work for them using saws, iron picks, and axes. David's troops also forced them to make bricks. David's soldiers did this in all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all of his army 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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