1 and he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David:
A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. 2 The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children.
4 One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn't want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man's lamb and served it instead.
5 David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this deserves to die! 6 And because he didn't have pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth.”
7 Then Nathan told David:
You are that rich man! Now listen to what the Lord God of Israel says to you: “I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saul 8 and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. 9 Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by letting the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife.
10 “Because you wouldn't obey me and took Uriah's wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace. 11 Someone from your own family will cause you a lot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on. 12 What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see.”
13-14 David said, “I have disobeyed the Lord.”
“Yes, you have!” Nathan answered. “You showed you didn't care what the Lord wanted. He has forgiven you, and you won't die. But your newborn son will.” 15 Then Nathan went back home.
David's Young Son Dies
The Lord made David's young son very sick.
16 So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor. 17 His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them.
18 After the child had been sick for seven days, he died, but the officials were afraid to tell David. They said to each other, “Even when the boy was alive, David wouldn't listen to us. How can we tell him his son is dead? He might do something terrible!”
19 David noticed his servants whispering, and he knew the boy was dead. “Did my son die?” he asked his servants.
“Yes, he did,” they answered.
20 David got up off the floor; he took a bath, combed his hair, and dressed. He went into the Lord's tent and worshiped, then he went back home. David asked for something to eat, and when his servants brought him some food, he ate it.
21 His officials said, “What are you doing? You went without eating and cried for your son while he was alive! But now that he's dead, you're up and eating.”
22 David answered:
While he was still alive, I went without food and cried because there was still hope. I said to myself, “Who knows? Maybe the Lord will have pity on me and let the child live.” 23 But now that he's dead, why should I go without eating? I can't bring him back! Someday I will join him in death, but he can't return to me.
Solomon Is Born
24 David comforted his wife Bathsheba and slept with her. Later on, she gave birth to another son and named him Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon 25 and sent Nathan the prophet to tell David, “The Lord will call him Jedidiah.”
The End of the War with Ammon
(1 Chronicles 20.1b-3)26 Meanwhile, Joab had been in the country of Ammon, attacking the city of Rabbah. He captured the royal fortress 27 and sent a messenger to tell David:
I have attacked Rabbah and captured the fortress guarding the city water supply. 28 Call the rest of the army together. Then surround the city, and capture it yourself. If you don't, everyone will remember that I captured the city.
29 David called the rest of the army together and attacked Rabbah. He captured the city 30 and took the crown from the statue of their god Milcom. The crown was made of about 35 kilograms of gold, and there was a valuable jewel on it. David put the jewel on his own crown. He also carried off everything else of value. 31 David made the people of Rabbah tear down the city walls with iron picks and axes, and then he put them to work making bricks. He did the same thing with all the other Ammonite cities.
David went back to Jerusalem, and the people of Israel returned to their homes.
Nātāns uzrāda Dāvidam viņa grēku
1 Kungs sūtīja Nātānu pie Dāvida. Atnācis tas viņam sacīja:
“Kādā pilsētā bija divi vīri –
viens bagāts, otrs nabags.
2 Bagātajam bija avju un vēršu bez skaita,
3 bet nabagajam nebija nekā,
tik viena maza aitiņa tam piederēja.
Tā uzauga pie viņa kopā ar paša bērniem,
no viņa kumosa ēda, no viņa kausa dzēra,
viņa azotē gulēja, bija viņam kā paša meita.
4 Kāds ceļinieks iegriezās pie bagātā vīra,
bet tam bija žēl ņemt savu avi vai vērsi,
lai pagatavotu ceļotājam, kas pie viņa iegriezies.
Viņš ņēma nabaga vīra aitiņu
un pagatavoja tam vīram, kas pie viņa iegriezies.”
5 Dāvids aizsvilās lielās dusmās par to vīru un teica Nātānam: “Dzīvs Kungs! – Par to, ko šis vīrs darījis, viņš ir nāvi pelnījis. 6 Par to aitiņu viņš atlīdzinās četrkārt – par to, ka tā darīja un neiežēlojās!” 7 Tad Nātāns teica Dāvidam: “Tu esi tas vīrs! – Tā saka Kungs, Israēla Dievs: es tevi svaidīju par Israēla ķēniņu, es tevi glābu no Saula rokas, 8 es tev devu tava kunga namu un tava kunga sievas tev pie sāniem! Es tev devu Israēlu un Jūdu, ja tas vēl par maz, piemetīšu tev vēl un vēl! 9 Kāpēc tu nicināji Kunga vārdus, darīdams to, kas man nepatīk? – Hetieti Ūriju tu nokāvi ar zobenu – viņa sievu tu ņēmi par sievu sev un pašu nogalēji ar amoniešu zobenu! 10 Tad nu zobens nemūžam neatstāsies no tava nama! – tādēļ ka tu mani nicināji, ka ņēmi hetieša Ūrijas sievu, lai viņa kļūtu tava sieva. 11 Tā saka Kungs: redzi, no tava paša nama es ļaunumu celšu pret tevi tavu acu priekšā, es ņemšu tavas sievas un atdošu tavam tuvākajam. Viņš gulēs ar tavām sievām, saulei spīdot. 12 Ko tu darīji slepenībā, to es izdarīšu visa Israēla priekšā un saules gaismā!” 13 Dāvids teica Nātānam: “Es esmu grēkojis pret Kungu!” Nātāns atbildēja Dāvidam: “Kungs gan noņem tavu grēku – tu nemirsi. 14 Taču tu esi devis Kunga ienaidniekiem iemeslu zaimot, tāpēc dēls, kas tev dzimis, mirs!”
Batšebas bērns mirst
15 Nātāns devās uz mājām. Un Kungs piemeklēja bērnu, ko Ūrijas sieva bija dzemdējusi Dāvidam, un tas sasirga. 16 Dāvids lūdzās Dievu par zēnu, Dāvids gavēja un, pārnācis mājās, visu nakti gulēja zemē. 17 Viņa nama vecajie sanāca ap viņu, lai pieceltu viņu no zemes, bet viņš tos atraidīja un neēda ar tiem kopā. 18 Septītajā dienā bērns nomira. Dāvida kalpi baidījās viņam teikt, ka bērns miris, un sprieda: “Redzi, kad bērns bija dzīvs, mēs ar viņu runājām, bet viņš mūs neuzklausīja. Kā lai pasakām viņam, ka bērns miris? Ka nepadara sev ko ļaunu.” 19 Dāvids manīja, ka viņa kalpi sačukstas, un noprata, ka bērns miris. Dāvids jautāja kalpiem: “Vai bērns nomira?” Tie atbildēja: “Nomira.” 20 Tad Dāvids piecēlās no zemes, mazgājās, iesvaidījās, pārģērbās un gāja zemoties Kunga namā. Atgriezies mājās, viņš lika pasniegt maltīti un ēda. 21 Kalpi tam prasīja: “Ko tu dari? Kad bērns bija dzīvs, tu gavēji un raudāji viņa dēļ, bet, tikko bērns miris, tu celies un ēd!” 22 Viņš atbildēja: “Kamēr bērns bija dzīvs, es gavēju un raudāju, jo domāju – varbūt Kungs apžēlosies par mani un bērns dzīvos. 23 Bet nu viņš ir miris – kam man vairs gavēt? Vai es varu atsaukt viņu atpakaļ? Es gan došos pie viņa, bet viņš pie manis neatgriezīsies.”
Sālamana dzimšana
24 Un Dāvids mierināja savu sievu Batšebu un gāja pie viņas, un gulēja ar viņu. Viņa dzemdēja dēlu un deva tam vārdu Sālamans, un Kungs zēnu mīlēja. 25 Viņš to pavēstīja caur pravieti Nātānu, kas, Kunga mudināts, deva tam vārdu – Kunga mīlulis.
Amoniešu sakāve
(1L 20:1–3)26 Tikmēr Joābs karoja pret amoniešu Rabu un ieņēma ķēniņvalsts galvaspilsētu. 27 Viņš sūtīja ziņnešus pie Dāvida ar vēsti: “Es karoju pret Rabu un ieņēmu pilsētas lejasdaļu, kur ūdenskrātuves. 28 Pulcini jel pārējos karavīrus un pabeidz ieņemt pilsētu; lai es nebūtu tas, kas ieņem šo pilsētu un mans vārds netiktu daudzināts!” 29 Tad Dāvids sapulcināja visus ļaudis un devās uz Rabu, karoja pret to un ieņēma. 30 Viņš noņēma kroni no Milkoma galvas – tas svēra talantu zelta un bija rotāts ar dārgakmeni. To uzlika galvā Dāvidam. No pilsētas izveda milzum daudz laupījuma. 31 Tās ļaudis aizveda un lika pie zāģiem, dzelzs ecēšām un dzelzs cirvjiem un norīkoja uz ķieģeļu cepļiem. Tā viņš darīja visās amoniešu pilsētās. Tad Dāvids un visi ļaudis atgriezās Jeruzālemē.
