2 Samuel 12:1-7

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. ²The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³but 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.”

⁵David^(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! ⁶He must pay for that lamb four times over,^(I) because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

⁷Then 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.

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Psalm 51

New International Version

Psalm 51^[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.^(A)

¹Have mercy^(B) on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;^(C)
according to your great compassion^(D)
    blot out^(E) my transgressions.^(F)
²Wash away^(G) all my iniquity
    and cleanse^(H) me from my sin.

³For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.^(I)
⁴Against you, you only, have I sinned^(J)
    and done what is evil in your sight;^(K)
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.^(L)
⁵Surely I was sinful^(M) at birth,^(N)
    sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
⁶Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;
    you taught me wisdom^(O) in that secret place.^(P)

⁷Cleanse^(Q) me with hyssop,^(R) and I will be clean;
    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.^(S)
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness;^(T)
    let the bones^(U) you have crushed rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins^(V)
    and blot out^(W) all my iniquity.

¹⁰Create in me a pure heart,^(X) O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.^(Y)
¹¹Do not cast me^(Z) from your presence^(AA)
    or take your Holy Spirit^(AB) from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation^(AC)
    and grant me a willing spirit,^(AD) to sustain me.^(AE)

¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways,^(AF)
    so that sinners^(AG) will turn back to you.^(AH)
¹⁴Deliver me^(AI) from the guilt of bloodshed,^(AJ) O God,
    you who are God my Savior,^(AK)
    and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.^(AL)
¹⁵Open my lips, Lord,^(AM)
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶You do not delight in sacrifice,^(AN) or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷My sacrifice,^(AO) O God, is^[b] a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart^(AP)
    you, God, will not despise.

¹⁸May it please you to prosper Zion,^(AQ)
    to build up the walls of Jerusalem.^(AR)
¹⁹Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous,^(AS)
    in burnt offerings^(AT) offered whole;
    then bulls^(AU) will be offered on your altar.