2 Samuel 11 - 12
1
h i In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged j Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on k the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
3
And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this l Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of m Uriah the Hittite?"
4
So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. ( n Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
5
And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."
6
So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.
8
Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and o wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king.
9
But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
10
When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"
11
Uriah said to David, p "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and q the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and r as your soul lives, I will not do this thing."
12
Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13
And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, s so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with q the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
14
In the morning David t wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15
In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, u that he may be struck down, and die."
16
And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.
17
And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
18
Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting.
19
And he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,
20
then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
21
v Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"
22
So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell.
23
The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
24
Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."
25
David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Joab, 'Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.' And encourage him."
26
When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.
27
And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and w she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
2 Samuel 12
1
And the Lord sent x Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, y "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
2
The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
3
but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.
4
Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."
5
Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, z "As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
6
and he shall restore the lamb a fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."
7
Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, b 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
8
And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
9
c Why have you despised the word of the Lord, d to do what is evil in his sight? e You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and f have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
10
Now therefore 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 the Lord, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12
For you did it secretly, g but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'"
13
h David said to Nathan, i "I have sinned against the Lord." And Nathan said to David, j "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
14
Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly k scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die."
15
Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and he became sick.
16
David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David l fasted and went in m and lay all night on the ground.
17
And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.
18
On the seventh day 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 yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm."
19
But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead."
20
Then David arose from the earth n and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord o and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.
21
Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food."
22
He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, p 'Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?'
23
But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, q but he will not return to me."
24
Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and r she bore a son, and he called his name s Solomon. And the Lord loved him
25
and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.
26
t Now Joab u fought against v Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.
27
And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters.
28
Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name."
29
So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.
30
And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
31
And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
-
Cross References
1 Chronicles 20:1
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it.
-
Cross References
1 Kings 20:22
Then the prophet came near to the king of Israel and said to him, "Come, strengthen yourself, and consider well what you have to do, for in the spring the king of Syria will come up against you.
1 Kings 20:26
In the spring, Ben-hadad mustered the Syrians and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.
2 Chronicles 36:10
In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon, with the precious vessels of the house of the Lord, and made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 12:26
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.
Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.)
-
Cross References
1 Samuel 9:25
And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.
-
Cross References
1 Chronicles 3:5
These were born to him in Jerusalem: Shimea, Shobab, Nathan and Solomon, four by Bath-shua, the daughter of Ammiel.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 23:39
Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.
-
Cross References
Leviticus 15:19
When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
Leviticus 15:28
But if she is cleansed of her discharge, she shall count for herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
Leviticus 18:19
You shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness while she is in her menstrual uncleanness.
-
Cross References
Genesis 18:4
Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 7:2
The king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent.
2 Samuel 7:6
I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent for my dwelling.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 20:6
And David said to Abishai, "Now Sheba the son of Bichri will do us more harm than Absalom. Take your lord's servants and pursue him, lest he get himself to fortified cities and escape from us.
1 Kings 1:33
And the king said to them, "Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.
-
Cross References
1 Samuel 1:26
And she said, "Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord.
-
Cross References
Genesis 19:33
So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father. He did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
Genesis 19:35
So they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 11:11
Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.
-
Cross References
1 Kings 21:8 - 9
So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and she sent the letters to the elders and the leaders who lived with Naboth in his city.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 12:9
Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
-
Cross References
Judges 9:53
And a certain woman threw an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 12:9
Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 12:7
Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus sa...
2 Samuel 12:13
David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against th...
2 Samuel 12:15
Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord aff...
2 Samuel 12:25
And sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he...
2 Samuel 7:2
The king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, ...
2 Samuel 7:4
But that same night the word of the Lord came t...
2 Samuel 7:17
In accordance with all these words, and in acco...
1 Kings 1:10
But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Ben...
1 Kings 1:22
While she was still speaking with the king, Nat...
1 Kings 1:34
And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet...
1 Kings 4:5
Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers...
1 Chronicles 29:29
Now the acts of King David, from first to last,...
2 Chronicles 9:29
Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, from first...
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 14:5 - 7
And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" She answered, "Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
Judges 9:8 - 15
The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.
1 Kings 20:35 - 41
And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his fellow at the command of the Lord, "Strike me, please." But the man refused to strike him.
-
Cross References
Ruth 3:13
Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.
-
Cross References
Exodus 22:1
If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and kills it or sells it, he shall repay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
Luke 19:8
And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.
-
Cross References
1 Samuel 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
-
Cross References
Numbers 15:31
Because he has despised the word of the Lord and has broken his commandment, that person shall be utterly cut off; his iniquity shall be on him.
-
Cross References
1 Samuel 15:19
Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord ? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord ?
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 11:15
In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.
2 Samuel 11:17
And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 11:27
And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 16:22
So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
-
Cross References
1 Samuel 15:24
Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 24:10
But David's heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.
Psalms 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalms 51:4
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.
-
Cross References
Psalms 32:1
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Micah 7:18
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love.
Zechariah 3:4
And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.
-
Cross References
Isaiah 52:5
Now therefore what have I here," declares the Lord, "seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail," declares the Lord, "and continually all the day my name is despised.
Ezekiel 36:20
But when they came to the nations, wherever they came, they profaned my holy name, in that people said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and yet they had to go out of his land.
Ezekiel 36:23
And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.
Romans 2:24
For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.
-
Cross References
1 Kings 21:27
And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 13:31
Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.
-
Cross References
Ruth 3:3
Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
-
Cross References
Job 1:20
Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.
-
Cross References
Jonah 3:9
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.
-
Cross References
Job 7:8 - 10
The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more; while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.
-
Cross References
Matthew 1:6
And Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.
-
Cross References
1 Chronicles 22:9
Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 12:26 - 31
Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.
1 Chronicles 20:1 - 3
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it.
-
Cross References
2 Samuel 11:1
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
-
Cross References
Deuteronomy 3:11
(For only Og the king of Bashan was left of the remnant of the Rephaim. Behold, his bed was a bed of iron. Is it not in Rabbah of the Ammonites? Nine cubits was its length, and four cubits its breadth, according to the common cubit.)
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.