Nathan Rebukes David (Psalm 51:1–19)
1 ULT And Yahweh sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and he said to him,“Two men were in one city, one rich and one 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 ULT To the rich{ one} was flock and herd very greatly. BSB BSB: The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,
3 ULT But to the poor{ man}{ was} not anything except one little ewe that he had bought. And he nourished it, and it grew up together with him and with his sons. It would eat from his morsel, and it would drink from his cup, and it would lie down in his lap. And it 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 ULT Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he spared to take from his flock or from his herd to prepare for the wayfarer having come to him, but he took the ewe of the poor man, and he prepared it for the man having 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 ULT And the nose of David burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan,“The life of Yahweh, that the man having done this{ is} a son 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 ULT Now he shall restore the ewe fourfold because he did this thing and because he did not spare.” BSB BSB: Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”
7 ULT And Nathan said to David,“You{ are} the man. Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel:‘I, I anointed you as king over Israel, and I, I delivered you from 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 ULT And I gave to you the house of your master, and the wives of your master into your lap, and I gave to you the house of Israel and Judah. And if{ this had been} little, then I would have added to you like them and like them. 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 ULT Why have you despised the word of Yahweh to do evil in my eyes? You struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and you took his wife for yourself as a wife, and you murdered him with the sword of the sons 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 ULT And now, the sword will not turn away from your house to forever, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be a wife for you.’ 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 ULT Thus says Yahweh,‘Behold me, raising up harm against you from your house. And I will take your wives to your eyes, and I will give{ them} to your neighbor. And he will lie with your wives to the eyes 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 ULT For you, you did{ this} in secret, but I, I will do this thing before all of 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 ULT And David said to Nathan,“I have sinned against Yahweh.” And Nathan said to David,“Yahweh has also taken away your sin. You will 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 ULT Nevertheless, because spurning, you have spurned the enemies of Yahweh with this thing, also the son born to you dying, 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 ULT Then Nathan went to his home. And Yahweh struck the child whom the wife of Uriah had borne to David, and he became 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 ULT And David sought God on behalf of the boy. And David fasted a fast, and he went in and lodged and lay on the ground. 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 ULT And the elders of his house arose upon him to make him arise from the ground, but he was not willing, and he would not eat 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 ULT And it happened on the seventh day that the child died, and the servants of David were afraid to declare to him that the child had died, for they said,“Behold, while the child was living, we spoke to him, but he did not listen to our voice. So how shall we say to him,‘The child has died’? For he will do 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 ULT And David saw that his servants were whispering together, and David realized that the child had died. So David said to his servants,“Has the child died?” And they said,“He has died.” 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 ULT Then David arose from the ground, and he washed, and he anointed{ himself}, and he changed his clothes, and he entered the house of Yahweh, and he prostrated himself. Then he went to his house, and he asked, and they set out bread for 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 ULT And his servants said to him,“What{ is} this thing that you have done? For the sake of the living child you fasted and wept, but when the child died, you arose and ate 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 ULT And he said,“When yet the child{ was} alive, I fasted and wept, for I said,‘Who knows? Yahweh may be gracious to me, and 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 ULT But now, he is dead. Why{ is} this,{ that} I should fast? Am I able to bring him back again? I am going to him, but he, 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 ULT And David consoled Bathsheba his wife, and he came to her and lay with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And Yahweh 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 ULT And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah because of Yahweh. 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 ULT And Joab fought with Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and he captured the city of the kingdom. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress.
27 ULT And Joab sent messengers to David, and he said,“I have fought against Rabbah. Also, I have captured 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 ULT And now, gather the rest of the people and encamp against the city and capture it, lest I myself capture the city and my name be called to it.” 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 ULT So David gathered all of the people, and he went to Rabbah. And he fought with it, and he captured it. BSB BSB: So David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it.
30 ULT And he took the crown of their king from his head, and its weight{ was} a talent of gold, and a precious stone, and it became on the head of David. And he brought out the plunder of the city, very much. 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 ULT But the people who{ were} in it, he brought out, and he set{ them} with the saw and with picks of iron and with axes of iron, and he made them pass through at the brick kiln. And thus he did to all of the cities of the sons of Ammon. And David and all of 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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