Old/New Testament
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.” 15 And Nathan went to his house.
David’s Child Dies
Then Yahweh smote the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, so that he was very sick. 16 David therefore sought God about the boy; and David (S)fasted and went and (T)spent the night lying on the ground. 17 (U)And the elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise 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 the servants of David 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 our voice. How then can we tell him that the child has died? He might do himself harm!” 19 And David saw that his servants were whispering together, so David discerned that the child had died; so David said to his servants, “Has the child died?” And they said, “He has died.” 20 So David arose from the ground, (V)washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of Yahweh and (W)worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and he asked, and they set food before him, and he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? [f]While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 Then he said, “While the child was still alive, (X)I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘(Y)Who knows, Yahweh may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ 23 But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? (Z)I will go to him, but (AA)he will not return to me.”
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and [g](AB)he named him Solomon. Now Yahweh loved him 25 and sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him [h]Jedidiah for the sake of Yahweh.
Joab Fights Ammon
26 (AC)Then Joab fought against (AD)Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. 28 So now, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, lest I capture the city myself and it be named after me.” 29 So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. 30 Then (AE)he took the crown of [i]their king from his head; and its weight was a [j]talent of gold, and in it [k]was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in a very great amount. 31 He also brought out the people who were in it and (AF)set them up with saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he used to do to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
Amnon Violates Tamar
13 Now it happened afterwards that (AG)Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was (AH)Tamar, and (AI)Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 And Amnon was so distressed because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin. So it was hard in Amnon’s sight to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of [l](AJ)Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very [m]shrewd man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then 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; and your father will come to see you, and you will say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and (AK)make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”
7 Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and [n]dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “(AL)Have everyone go out from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the [o]bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. 11 Then she brought them near to him to eat, but he (AM)took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie 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 thing! 13 As for me, where could I [p]get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. So now, please speak to the king, for (AP)he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he was not willing to listen to her voice. Now he was stronger than she, so he (AQ)violated her and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for 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!” But he was not willing to listen to her. 17 Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now cast this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.” 18 Now she had on (AR)a [q]long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her. 19 (AS)Then Tamar put [r]ashes on her head and (AT)tore her [s]long-sleeved garment which was on her; and (AU)she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.
20 So 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 desolate in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry. 22 But Absalom did not speak to Amnon (AV)either good or bad; for (AW)Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.
23 Now it happened after two full years that Absalom (AX)had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
Absalom Strikes Down Amnon
24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you.” Although he [t]urged him, he was not willing to go, but blessed him. 26 Then (AY)Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom [u]urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons with him.
28 Then Absalom commanded his young men, saying, “See now, (AZ)when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be strong and be [v]valiant.” 29 Thus the young men of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose 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 down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose, (BB)tore his clothes and (BC)lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn. 32 (BD)But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Do not let my lord [w]suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone has died; because by the [x]intent of Absalom this has been set since the day that he violated his sister Tamar. 33 So now, do not let my lord the king (BE)take the report to [y]heart, saying, ‘all the king’s sons have died,’ for only Amnon has died.”
34 Then (BF)Absalom 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; according to your servant’s word, so it happened.” 36 As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept [z]very bitterly.
37 Now (BH)Absalom had fled and went 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 three years. 39 And the heart of King David was consumed with going out to Absalom; for (BL)he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he had died.
The Parable of the Unrighteous Steward
16 Now He was also saying to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a steward, and this steward was [a]reported to him as (A)squandering his possessions. 2 And he called for him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ 3 And the steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my [b]master is taking the stewardship away from me? I am not strong enough to dig; I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship people will [c]take me into their homes.’ 5 And he summoned each one of his [d]master’s debtors, and he began saying to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ 6 And he said, ‘One hundred [e]baths of oil.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ And he said, ‘One hundred [f]kors of wheat.’ He *said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ 8 And his [g]master praised the unrighteous steward because he had acted shrewdly, for the sons of (B)this age are more shrewd in relation to their own [h]kind than the (C)sons of light. 9 And I say to you, (D)make friends for yourselves from the [i](E)wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, (F)they will [j]take you into the eternal dwellings.
10 “(G)He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much, and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much. 11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous [k](H)wealth, who will entrust the true riches to you? 12 And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 (I)No [l]servant can [m]serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot [n]serve God and [o](J)wealth.”
14 Now the Pharisees, who were (K)lovers of money, were listening to all these things and (L)were scoffing at Him. 15 And He said to them, “You are those who (M)justify yourselves [p]in the sight of men, but (N)God knows your hearts, for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable [q]in the sight of God.
16 “(O)The Law and the Prophets were until John; [r]since that time (P)the good news of the kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone is forcing his way into it. 17 (Q)But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one [s]stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.
18 “(R)Everyone who [t]divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman who is [u]divorced from a husband commits adultery.
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, joyously living in splendor every day. 20 But a poor man named Lazarus (S)was laid at his gate, covered with sores, 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which were falling from the rich man’s table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores. 22 Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to (T)Abraham’s bosom, and the rich man also died and was buried. 23 And in (U)Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried out and said, ‘(V)Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in (W)this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that (X)during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things. But now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony. 26 And [v]besides all this, between us and you there is a great chasm fixed, so that those who wish to come over from here to you are not able, and none may cross over from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I am asking you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—in order that he may (Y)warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham *said, ‘They have (Z)Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 But he said, ‘No, (AA)father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
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