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)
2 Samuel 12:1-14
Christian Standard Bible
Nathan’s Parable and David’s Repentance
12 So the Lord sent Nathan to David.(A) When he arrived, he said to him:
There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very large flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take 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.[a]
5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”(B)
7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel,(C) and I rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms,[b] and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the Lord’s command by doing what I consider[c] evil?(D) You struck down Uriah(E) the Hethite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.(F) 10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house(G) because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hethite to be your own wife.’
11 “This is what the Lord says,(H) ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another[d] before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight.[e] 12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’”[f]
13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”(I)
Then Nathan replied to David, “And the Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die.(J) 14 However, because you treated[g] the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.”(K)
Read full chapter2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.