Nathan's parable of the ewe lamb causeth David to be his own judge.

1 ¶ And the LORDº sentºª² Nathanº unto² David.º And he cameºª unto² him, and saidºª unto him, There were² twoº men¹² in oneº city;º the oneº rich,º and the otherº poor.ºª 2 The richº [man] had² exceedingº manyºª flocksº and herds:º 3 But the poorºª [man] had nothing,²² save²² oneº littleº ewe lamb,º which² he had² boughtºª and nourished up:ºª and it grew upºª togetherº with² him, and with² his children;º it did eatºª of his own meat,º² and drankºª of his own cup,º² and layºª in his bosom,º and was² unto him as a daughter.º 4 And there cameºª a travellerº unto the richº man,º and he sparedºª to takeºª of his own flockº² and of his own herd,º² to dressºª for the wayfaring manºª that was comeºª unto him; but tookºª the poorºª man'sº² lamb,º and dressedºª it for the manº that was comeºª to² him. 5 And David'sº angerº was greatlyº kindledºª against the man;º and he saidºª to² Nathan,º [As] the LORDº liveth,º the manº that hath doneºª this² [thing] shall surely¹ die:º²² 6 And he shall restoreºª the lambº fourfold,º becauseº² he didºª² this² thing,º and becauseº² he had no² pity.ºª

David, reproved by Nathan, confesseth his sin, and is pardoned.

7 ¶ And Nathanº saidºª to² David,º Thou² [art] the man.º Thus² saithºª the LORDº Godº of Israel,º I² anointedºª thee kingº over² Israel,º and I² deliveredºª thee out of the handº² of Saul;º 8 And I gaveºª thee² thy master'sº house,º and thy master'sº wivesº into thy bosom,º and gaveºª thee² the houseº of Israelº and of Judah;º and if² [that had been] too little,º I would moreover have givenºª unto thee suchº and such² things.¹ 9 Wherefore² hast thou despisedºª² the commandmentº of the LORD,º to doºª evilº in his sight?º thou hast killedºª² Uriahº the Hittiteº with the sword,º and hast takenºª his wifeº [to be] thy wife,º and hast slainºª him with the swordº of the childrenº of Ammon.º 10 Now² therefore the swordº shall neverºº² departºª from thine house;º² becauseº² thou hast despisedºª me, and hast takenºª² the wifeº of Uriahº the Hittiteº to be² thy wife.º 11 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º Behold,² I will raise upºª evilº against² thee out of thine own house,º² and I will takeºª² thy wivesº before thine eyes,º and giveºª [them] unto thy neighbour,º and he shall lieºª with² thy wivesº in the sightº of this² sun.º 12 For² thou² didstºª [it] secretly:º but I² will doºª² this² thingº before² all² Israel,º and before² the sun.º 13 And Davidº saidºª unto² Nathan,º I have sinnedºª against the LORD.º And Nathanº saidºª unto² David,º The LORDº also² hath put awayºª thy sin;º thou shalt not² die.ºª 14 Howbeit,º because² by this² deedº thou hast given¹ª great occasionºª² to the enemiesºª of the LORDº to blaspheme,ºª the childº also² [that is] bornº unto thee shall surely¹ª die.ºª

David mourneth and prayeth for the child, while it lived.

15 ¶ And Nathanº departed¹ª² unto² his house.º And the LORDº struckºª² the childº that² Uriah'sº wifeº bareºª unto David,º and it was very sick.ºª 16 Davidº therefore besoughtºª² Godº for² the child;º and Davidº fasted,ººª and went² in,¹ª and layºª all² nightºª upon the earth.º 17 And the eldersº of his houseº arose,ºª [and went] to² him, to raise him upºª from² the earth:º but he wouldºª not,² neither² did he eatºª breadº with² them. 18 And it came to pass² on the seventhº day,º that the childº died.ºª And the servantsº of Davidº fearedºª to tellºª him that² the childº was dead:ºª for² they said,ºª Behold,² while the childº was² yet alive,º we spakeºª unto² him, and he would not² hearkenºª unto our voice:º how² will he then¹ª vexº² himself,¹ª if we tellºª² him that the childº is dead?ºª 19 But when Davidº sawºª that² his servantsº whispered,ºª Davidº perceivedºª that² the childº was dead:ºª therefore Davidº saidºª unto² his servants,º Is the childº dead?ºª And they said,ºª He is dead.ºª 20 Then Davidº aroseºª from the earth,º² and washed,ºª and anointedºª [himself], and changedºª his apparel,º and cameºª into the houseº of the LORD,º and worshipped:ºª then he cameºª to² his own house;º and when he required,ºª they setºª breadº before him, and he did eat.ºª 21 Then saidºª his servantsº unto² him, What² thingº [is] this² that² thou hast done?ºª thou didst fastºª and weepºª for the child,º [while² it was] alive;º but when² the childº was dead,ºª thou didst riseºª and eatºª bread.º 22 And he said,ºª While the childº was yet² alive,º I fastedºª and wept:ºª for² I said,ºª Who² can tellºª [whether] GODº will be graciousºªªª to me, that the childº may live?º 23 But now² he is dead,ºª wherefore²² should I² fast?ºª canºª I bring him back² again?¹ª² I² shall goºª to² him, but he² shall not² returnºª to² me.

Solomon is born and named Jedidiah.

24 ¶ And Davidº comfortedºª² Bathshebaº his wife,º and went² in¹ª unto² her, and layºª with² her: and she bareºª a son,º and he calledºª² his nameº Solomon:º and the LORDº lovedºª him. 25 And he sentºª by the handº of Nathanº the prophet;º and he calledºª² his nameº Jedidiah,º because² of the LORD.º

David taketh Rabbah, and tortureth the people thereof.

26 ¶ And Joabº foughtºª against Rabbahº of the childrenº of Ammon,º and tookºª² the royalº city.º 27 And Joabº sentºª messengersº to² David,º and said,ºª I have foughtºª against Rabbah,º and² have takenºª² the cityº of waters.º 28 Now² therefore gatherºª² the restº of the peopleº together,¹ª and encampºª against² the city,º and takeºª it: lest² I² takeºª² the city,º and it be calledºª after² my name.º 29 And Davidº gatheredºª² all² the peopleº together,¹ª and went¹ª² to Rabbah,º and foughtºª against it, and tookºª it. 30 And he tookºª² their king'sº crownº from off²² his head,º the weightº whereof [was] a talentº of goldº with the preciousº stones:º and it was² [set] on² David'sº head.º And he brought forthºª the spoilº of the cityº in greatº abundance.ºª 31 And he brought forthºª the peopleº that² [were] therein, and putºª [them] under saws,º and under harrowsº of iron,º and under axesº of iron,º and made them pass¹ª through²² the brickkiln:º and thus² didºª he unto all² the citiesº of the childrenº of Ammon.º So Davidº and all² the peopleº returnedºª unto Jerusalem.º