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2 Samuel 12-13
New American Standard Bible

Nathan Rebukes David

12 Then the Lord sent (A)Nathan to David. And (B)he came to him and [a]said,

“There were two men in a city, the one wealthy and the other poor.
2 The wealthy man had a great many flocks and herds.
3 But the poor man had nothing at all except (C)one little ewe lamb
Which he bought and nurtured;
And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat [b]scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie [c]in his lap,
And was like a daughter to him.
4 Now a visitor came to the wealthy man,
And he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd,
To prepare for the traveler who had come to him;
So he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this certainly [d](D)deserves to die! 6 So he must make restitution for the lamb (E)four times over, since he did this thing and [e]had no compassion.”

7 Nathan then said to David, “(F)You yourself are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘(G)It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 I also gave you (H)your master’s house and put your master’s wives [f]into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you [g]many more things like these! 9 Why (I)have you despised the word of the Lord, by doing evil in His sight? (J)You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you (K)have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 Now then, (L)the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; (M)I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in [h]broad daylight. 12 Indeed, (N)you did it secretly, but (O)I will do this thing before all Israel, and [i]in open daylight.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “(P)I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has (Q)allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. 14 However, since by this deed you have (R)shown utter disrespect for the [j]Lord, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.” 15 Then Nathan went to his house.

Loss of a Child

Later the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s [k]widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. 16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child; and David (S)fasted and went and (T)lay all night on the ground. 17 (U)The elders of his household stood beside him in order to help him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. 18 Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to [l]us. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm?” 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” 20 So David got up from the ground, (V)washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and (W)worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and when he asked, they served him food, and he ate.

21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was [m]alive; but when the child died, you got up and ate food.” 22 And he said, “While the child was still alive, (X)I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘(Y)Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’ 23 But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? (Z)I am going to him, but (AA)he will not return to me.”

Solomon Born

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and slept with her; and she gave birth to a son, and [n](AB)he named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, 25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him [o]Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake.

War Again

26 (AC)Now Joab fought against (AD)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city. 27 Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. 28 Now then, gather the rest of the people and camp opposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.” 29 So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. 30 Then (AE)he took the crown of [p]their king from his head; and its weight was a [q]talent of gold, and it had a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the plunder of the city in great amounts. 31 He also brought out the people who were in it, and (AF)put some to work at saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made [r]others [s]serve at the brick [t]works. And he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Amnon and Tamar

13 Now it was after this that (AG)Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was (AH)Tamar, and (AI)Amnon the son of David was in love with her. 2 But Amnon was so frustrated on account of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it [u]seemed too difficult to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of [v](AJ)Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very clever man. 4 And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” So Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” 5 Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please have my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and have her prepare the [w]food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please have my sister Tamar come and (AK)make me a couple of pastries in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.”

7 Then David sent a messenger to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare [x]food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying in bed. And she took dough, kneaded it, made pastries in his sight, and baked the pastries. 9 Then she took the tray and served them to him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “(AL)Have everyone leave me.” So everyone left him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the [y]bedroom, so that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the pastries which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. 11 When she brought them to him to eat, he (AM)took hold of her and said to her, “Come, sleep with me, my sister.” 12 But she said to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for (AN)such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this (AO)disgraceful sin! 13 As for me, where could I [z]get rid of my shame? And as for you, you will be like one of the [aa]fools in Israel. Now then, please speak to the king, for (AP)he will not [ab]withhold me from you.” 14 However, he would not listen to [ac]her; since he was stronger than she, he (AQ)violated her and slept with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; indeed, the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!” 16 But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” Yet he would not listen to her. 17 Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her!” 18 Now she had on (AR)a [ad]long-sleeved garment; for this is how the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her. 19 (AS)Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and (AT)tore her [ae]long-sleeved garment which was on her; and (AU)she put her hand on her head and went on her way, crying out as she went.

20 Then Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was isolated in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 Now when King David heard about all these matters, he became very angry. 22 But Absalom did not speak with Amnon (AV)either good or bad; for (AW)Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

23 Now it came about after two full years that Absalom (AX)had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons to celebrate.

Absalom Avenges Tamar

24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; may the king and his servants please go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, so that we will not be a burden to you.” Though he urged him, he would not go; but he blessed him. 26 Then (AY)Absalom said, “If not, please have my brother Amnon go with us.” But the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 Nevertheless Absalom urged him, so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, (AZ)when Amnon’s heart is cheerful with wine, and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have I not commanded you myself? Be courageous and be [af]valiant.” 29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons got up and each mounted (BA)his mule and fled.

30 Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck and killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king stood up, (BB)tore his clothes, and (BC)lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn. 32 (BD)And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, [ag]responded, “Let my lord not [ah]assume that they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead; because this has been set up by the [ai]intent of Absalom since the day that he violated his sister Tamar. 33 So now, may my lord the king not (BE)take the report to [aj]heart, [ak]claiming, ‘all the king’s sons are dead’; but only Amnon is dead.”

34 Now (BF)Absalom had fled. And (BG)the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; so it has happened according to your servant’s word.” 36 As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and raised their voices and wept; and the king and all his servants also wept [al]very profusely.

37 Now (BH)Absalom had fled and gone to (BI)Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of (BJ)Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 (BK)So Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there for three years. 39 And the heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for (BL)he was comforted regarding Amnon, since he was dead.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 12:1 Lit said to him
  2. 2 Samuel 12:3 Lit his piece
  3. 2 Samuel 12:3 Or on his chest
  4. 2 Samuel 12:5 Lit is a son of death
  5. 2 Samuel 12:6 Or showed no consideration
  6. 2 Samuel 12:8 Lit on your lap; or chest
  7. 2 Samuel 12:8 Lit like these and like these
  8. 2 Samuel 12:11 Lit the sight of this sun
  9. 2 Samuel 12:12 Lit before the sun
  10. 2 Samuel 12:14 Lit enemies of the Lord (a euphemistic reference to God); DSS word of the Lord
  11. 2 Samuel 12:15 Lit wife
  12. 2 Samuel 12:18 Lit our voice
  13. 2 Samuel 12:21 Some ancient versions still alive
  14. 2 Samuel 12:24 Some mss she
  15. 2 Samuel 12:25 I.e., beloved of the Lord
  16. 2 Samuel 12:30 Or Milcom; MT Malcam, prob. a variant spelling of Milcom; cf. Zeph 1:5
  17. 2 Samuel 12:30 About 75 lb. or 34 kg
  18. 2 Samuel 12:31 Lit them
  19. 2 Samuel 12:31 Another reading of MT lit pass through
  20. 2 Samuel 12:31 Lit mold; i.e., for molding bricks
  21. 2 Samuel 13:2 Lit was too difficult in Amnon’s eyes
  22. 2 Samuel 13:3 In 1 Sam 16:9, Shammah; in 1 Chr 2:13, Shimea
  23. 2 Samuel 13:5 I.e., food for the sick
  24. 2 Samuel 13:7 I.e., food for the sick
  25. 2 Samuel 13:10 Or inner room
  26. 2 Samuel 13:13 Lit take away
  27. 2 Samuel 13:13 Or worthless ones
  28. 2 Samuel 13:13 I.e., refuse a marriage
  29. 2 Samuel 13:14 Lit her voice
  30. 2 Samuel 13:18 Or varicolored tunic
  31. 2 Samuel 13:19 Or varicolored tunic
  32. 2 Samuel 13:28 Lit sons of valor
  33. 2 Samuel 13:32 Lit answered and said
  34. 2 Samuel 13:32 Lit say
  35. 2 Samuel 13:32 Lit mouth
  36. 2 Samuel 13:33 Lit his heart
  37. 2 Samuel 13:33 Lit saying
  38. 2 Samuel 13:36 Lit with a very great weeping
Listen to 2 Samuel 12-13
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2 Samuel 12-13
New International Version

Nathan Rebukes David(A)

12 The Lord sent Nathan(B) to David.(C) When he came to him,(D) he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

5 David(E) burned with anger(F) against the man(G) and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives,(H) the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over,(I) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!(J) This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed(K) you(L) king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you,(M) and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise(N) the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down(O) Uriah(P) the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed(Q) him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword(R) will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household(S) I am going to bring calamity on you.(T) Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight.(U) 12 You did it in secret,(V) but I will do this thing in broad daylight(W) before all Israel.’”

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned(X) against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away(Y) your sin.(Z) You are not going to die.(AA) 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord,(AB) the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck(AC) the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying(AD) in sackcloth[b] on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused,(AE) and he would not eat any food with them.(AF)

18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed,(AG) put on lotions and changed his clothes,(AH) he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept,(AI) but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows?(AJ) The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’(AK) 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him,(AL) but he will not return to me.”(AM)

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba,(AN) and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon.(AO) The Lord loved him; 25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.[c](AP)

26 Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah(AQ) of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.”

29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 David took the crown(AR) from their king’s[d] head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent[e] of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking.[f] David did this to all the Ammonite(AS) towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

Amnon and Tamar

13 In the course of time, Amnon(AT) son of David fell in love with Tamar,(AU) the beautiful sister of Absalom(AV) son of David.

2 Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.

3 Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah,(AW) David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”

Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

5 “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’”

6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”

7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. 9 Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat.

“Send everyone out of here,”(AX) Amnon said. So everyone left him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed(AY) her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”(AZ)

12 “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel!(BA) Don’t do this wicked thing.(BB) 13 What about me?(BC) Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” 14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.(BD)

15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”

16 “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.”

But he refused to listen to her. 17 He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” 18 So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate[g] robe,(BE) for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. 19 Tamar put ashes(BF) on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.

20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.

21 When King David heard all this, he was furious.(BG) 22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad;(BH) he hated(BI) Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.

Absalom Kills Amnon

23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers(BJ) were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?”

25 “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.

26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.”

The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.

28 Absalom(BK) ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high(BL) spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.(BM)” 29 So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.

30 While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.” 31 The king stood up, tore(BN) his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn.

32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”

34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled.

Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”[h]

35 Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said.”

36 As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly.

37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai(BO) son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son.

38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom,(BP) for he was consoled(BQ) concerning Amnon’s death.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of
  2. 2 Samuel 12:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have in sackcloth.
  3. 2 Samuel 12:25 Jedidiah means loved by the Lord.
  4. 2 Samuel 12:30 Or from Milkom’s (that is, Molek’s)
  5. 2 Samuel 12:30 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
  6. 2 Samuel 12:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
  7. 2 Samuel 13:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 19.
  8. 2 Samuel 13:34 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have this sentence.
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