Nathan's Message and David's Repentance
1 The Lord sent the prophet Nathan to David. Nathan went to him and said, “There were two men who lived in the same town; one was rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had many cattle and sheep, 3 while the poor man had only one lamb, which he had bought. He took care of it, and it grew up in his home with his children. He would feed it some of his own food, let it drink from his cup, and hold it in his lap. The lamb was like a daughter to him. 4 One day a visitor arrived at the rich man's home. The rich man didn't want to kill one of his own animals to fix a meal for him; instead, he took the poor man's lamb and prepared a meal for his guest.”
5 David became very angry at the rich man and said, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this ought to die! 6 For having done such a cruel thing, he must pay back four times as much as he took.”
7 “You are that man,” Nathan said to David. “And this is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I made you king of Israel and rescued you from Saul. 8 I gave you his kingdom and his wives; I made you king over Israel and Judah. If this had not been enough, I would have given you twice as much. 9 Why, then, have you disobeyed my commands? Why did you do this evil thing? You had Uriah killed in battle; you let the Ammonites kill him, and then you took his wife! 10 Now, in every generation some of your descendants will die a violent death because you have disobeyed me and have taken Uriah's wife. 11 I swear to you that I will cause someone from your own family to bring trouble on you. You will see it when I take your wives from you and give them to another man; and he will have intercourse with them in broad daylight. 12 You sinned in secret, but I will make this happen in broad daylight for all Israel to see.’”
13 “I have sinned against the Lord,” David said.
Nathan replied, “The Lord forgives you; you will not die. 14 But because you have shown such contempt for the Lord in doing this, your child will die.” 15 Then Nathan went home.
David's Son Dies
The Lord caused the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David to become very sick. 16 David prayed to God that the child would get well. He refused to eat anything, and every night he went into his room and spent the night lying on the floor. 17 His court officials went to him and tried to make him get up, but he refused and would not eat anything with them. 18 A week later the child died, and David's officials were afraid to tell him the news. They said, “While the child was living, David wouldn't answer us when we spoke to him. How can we tell him that his child is dead? He might do himself some harm!”
19 When David noticed them whispering to each other, he realized that the child had died. So he asked them, “Is the child dead?”
“Yes, he is,” they answered.
20 David got up from the floor, took a bath, combed his hair, and changed his clothes. Then he went and worshiped in the house of the Lord. When he returned to the palace, he asked for food and ate it as soon as it was served. 21 “We don't understand this,” his officials said to him. “While the child was alive, you wept for him and would not eat; but as soon as he died, you got up and ate!”
22 “Yes,” David answered, “I did fast and weep while he was still alive. I thought that the Lord might be merciful to me and not let the child die. 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Could I bring the child back to life? I will some day go to where he is, but he can never come back to me.”
Solomon Is Born
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba. He had intercourse with her, and she bore a son, whom David named Solomon. The Lord loved the boy 25 and commanded the prophet Nathan to name the boy Jedidiah, because the Lord loved him.
David Captures Rabbah
(1 Chronicles 20.1-3)26 Meanwhile Joab continued his campaign against Rabbah, the capital city of Ammon, and was about to capture it. 27 He sent messengers to David to report: “I have attacked Rabbah and have captured its water supply. 28 Now gather the rest of your forces, attack the city and take it yourself. I don't want to get the credit for capturing it.” 29 So David gathered his forces, went to Rabbah, attacked it, and conquered it. 30 From the head of the idol of the Ammonite god Molech David took a gold crown which weighed about seventy-five pounds and had a jewel in it. David took the jewel and put it in his own crown. He also took a large amount of loot from the city 31 and put its people to work with saws, iron hoes, and iron axes, and forced them to work at making bricks. He did the same to the people of all the other towns of Ammon. Then he and his men returned to Jerusalem.
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.
