2 Samuel 12:1-14
Legacy Standard Bible
Yahweh Sends Nathan to David
12 Then Yahweh sent (A)Nathan to David. And (B)he came to him and [a]said,
“There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.
3 But the poor man had nothing except (C)one little ewe lamb
Which he bought and nourished;
And it grew up together with him and his children.
It would eat his morsel of bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom,
And was like a daughter to him.
4 Now a visitor came to the rich man,
And he [b]was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd,
To prepare for the traveler who had come to him;
Rather 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 Yahweh lives, surely the man who has done this [c](D)deserves to die. 6 And he must make restitution for the lamb (E)fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”
7 Nathan then said to David, “(F)You are the man! Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘(G)It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I also gave you (H)your master’s house and your master’s wives into your [d]care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 Why (I)have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in His sight? (J)You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, (K)have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 So now, (L)the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; (M)I will even take your wives from before your sight and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 Indeed (N)you did it secretly, but (O)I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “(P)I have sinned against Yahweh.” And Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has [e](Q)taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have (R)given occasion to the enemies of Yahweh to blaspheme, the son also that is born to you shall surely die.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 12:1 Lit said to him
- 2 Samuel 12:4 Lit spared
- 2 Samuel 12:5 Lit is a son of death
- 2 Samuel 12:8 Lit bosom
- 2 Samuel 12:13 Lit caused your sin to pass away
2 Samuel 12:1-14
Lexham English Bible
Nathan Reproves David
12 So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, “Two men were in a certain city; one was rich and the other was poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing except for one small ewe lamb which he had bought. He had nurtured her, and she grew up with him and with his children together. She used to eat from his morsel and drink from his cup, and she used to lie in his lap and became like a daughter for him. 4 And a visitor came to the rich man, but he was reluctant[a] to take from his flocks or from his herds to prepare a meal for the traveler when he came to him. So he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then the anger of David was kindled[b] against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives,[c] the man who has done this deserves to die![d] 6 He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to him, “You are the man! Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: ‘I anointed you as king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you the household of your master and the women of your master into your lap. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah; if that had been too little, I would have added to you much more.[e] 9 Why have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in his eyes?[f] Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to yourself as wife! You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites![g] 10 So then, a sword will not turn away from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife!’ 11 Thus says Yahweh, ‘Look, I am going to raise up evil against you from within your house, and I will take your women before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor, and he shall sleep with your wives in broad daylight.[h] 12 Though you did this in secret, I will do this thing before all of Israel in broad daylight!’”[i]
David Repents, But the Child Dies
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh!”[j] Nathan said to David, “Yahweh has also forgiven your sin; you shall not die. 14 But because you have utterly scorned[k] Yahweh in this matter, the son born for you will certainly die.”[l]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 2 Samuel 12:4 Literally “felt sorry”
- 2 Samuel 12:5 Literally “the nose of David became very hot”
- 2 Samuel 12:5 Literally “The life of Yahweh”
- 2 Samuel 12:5 Literally “is a son of death”
- 2 Samuel 12:8 Literally “as here and as here”
- 2 Samuel 12:9 Thus Kethib; the reading tradition (Qere) reads “my eyes”
- 2 Samuel 12:9 Literally “sons/children of Ammon”
- 2 Samuel 12:11 Literally “before the eyes of this sun”
- 2 Samuel 12:12 Literally “before the sun”
- 2 Samuel 12:13 See Pss 32:1–5; 51:1–13
- 2 Samuel 12:14 Literally “scorning you have scorned.” The term “enemies of” in the MT is likely a textual corruption and is deleted here
- 2 Samuel 12:14 Literally “dying will die” (compare Gen 2:17)
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