Second Samuel Chapter 12 finds Nathan, the prophet, rebuking David, who has sinned.
| «1 Samuel | 2 Samuel | 1 Kings» |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| » All the Books in the Bible « |
Nathan Speaks with David
God sends Nathan in to see David and Nathan tells him a parable. In the parable, one man is very rich and has much livestock while a poor man only has a little ewe which he treats like one of his children. But when a traveler comes to stay with the rich man, he refuses to take one of his sheep or his cows to feed him, but takes the poor man’s ewe instead.
When David hears this story, he is full of righteous anger, not realizing that it applies to him. He says the man who stole the poor man’s ewe does not deserve to live. Nathan then reveals to David that the story is about him. He reminds David that the Lord made him king and kept Saul, the old king, from killing him. Now David has Saul’s house and his wives and his kingdom and the Lord would have given him even more than this, but he sinned.
Consequences of David’s Actions
Nathan reminds David that he had the Hittite commander Uriah killed by the Ammonites so he could take his wife. Because of this, David’s house will always be in turmoil. David repents and Nathan tells him that he is not going to die, but the son born to him and Bathsheba will die because of David’s sin.
Sure enough, the child sickens and dies despite David’s pleading and fasting. David’s servants are even afraid to tell him about the child’s death. But David seems to take the death more calmly than his servants would have thought. He tells the servants that his fasting will not help the child now.
Solomon is Born
After this, David and Bathsheba have another child whom they named Solomon. God loves this child and tells Nathan to have the child named Jedidiah.
Conquering the Ammonites
Joab, one of David’s commanders, is on a campaign against their old enemies – the Ammonites. Joab controls the water in Rabbah and tells David to send his army to the town or he will capture it and name it after himself.
David goes with his army to Rabbah and captures it. The crown of its king is placed on the head of David. The army also took some booty and enslaved the people. After conquering all the Ammonite towns, David and his army go back to Jerusalem.
«Previous ChapterNext Chapter»
2 Samuel 12 (King James Version)
1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.
29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30 And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.