2 Samuel 12

Nathan Rebukes David

1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And a he came to him, and b said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 "The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 "But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 "And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man 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 So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this 1 shall surely die! 6 "And he shall restore c fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."

7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: 'I d anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 'I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 e 'Why have you f despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? g You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 10 'Now therefore, h 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 adversity against you from your own house; and I will i 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, j but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.' " 13 k So David said to Nathan, l "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has m put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 "However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD n to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die."

David's Child Dies

15 Then Nathan departed to his house.
And the o LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill.
16 David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and p lay all night on the ground. 17 So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Indeed, while the child was alive, we spoke to him, and he would not heed our voice. How can we tell him that the child is dead? He may do some harm!" 19 When David saw that his servants were whispering, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." 20 So David arose from the ground, washed and q anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and r worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, "What is this 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 And he said, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; s for I said, 'Who can tell whether 2 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 t to him, but u he shall not return to me."

Solomon's Birth

24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So v she bore a son, and w he 3 called his name Solomon. Now the LORD loved him, 25 and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So 4 he called his name 5 Jedidiah, 6 because of the LORD.

Rabbah Is Captured

26 Now x Joab fought against y Rabbah of the people of Ammon, and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah, and I have taken the city's water supply. 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 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, fought against it, and took it. 30 z Then he took their king's crown from his head. Its weight was a talent of gold, with precious stones. And it was set on David's head. Also he brought out the 7 spoil of the city in great abundance. 31 And he brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, and made them cross over to the brick works. So he did to all the cities of the people of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

  1. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 21:7
    And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel.
    Hebrews 13:4
    Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
  2. Cross References
    Psalms 51:1
    Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
  3. Cross References
    1 Kings 20:35 - 41
    Now a certain man of the sons of the prophets said to his neighbor by the word of the LORD, "Strike me, please." And the man refused to strike him.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 22:1
    If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
    Luke 19:8
    Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.
  5. 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 came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
    2 Samuel 5:3
    Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel.
  6. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:19
    "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?"
  7. Cross References
    Numbers 15:31
    'Because he has despised the word of the LORD, and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off; his guilt shall be upon him.'"
  8. Cross References
    2 Samuel 11:14 - 17
    In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
    2 Samuel 11:27
    And when her 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.
  9. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:28
    Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, "Watch now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon!' then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.
    2 Samuel 18:14
    Then Joab said, "I cannot linger with you." And he took three spears in his hand and thrust them through Absalom's heart, while he was still alive in the midst of the terebinth tree.
    1 Kings 2:25
    So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died.
    Amos 7:9
    The high places of Isaac shall be desolate, And the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste. I will rise with the sword against the house of Jeroboam.
  10. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 28:30
    You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes.
    2 Samuel 16:21
    And Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you are abhorred by your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.
    2 Samuel 16:22
    So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
  11. Cross References
    2 Samuel 16:22
    So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
  12. Cross References
    1 Samuel 15:24
    Then 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.
  13. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:10
    And David's heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.
    Job 7:20
    Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?
    Psalms 51:1
    Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
    Luke 18:13
    "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'
  14. Cross References
    2 Samuel 24:10
    And David's heart condemned him after he had nu...
    Job 7:21
    Why then do You not pardon my transgression, An...
    Psalms 32:1 - 5
    Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, ...
    Proverbs 28:13
    He who covers his sins will not prosper, But wh...
    Micah 7:18
    Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And p...
    Zechariah 3:4
    Then He answered and spoke to those who stood b...
  15. Cross References
    Isaiah 52:5
    Now therefore, what have I here," says the LORD, "That My people are taken away for nothing? Those who rule over them Make them wail," says the LORD, "And My name is blasphemed continually every day.
    Ezekiel 36:20
    "When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name - when they said of them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and yet they have gone out of His land.'
    Ezekiel 36:23
    And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the LORD," says the Lord GOD, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes.
    Romans 2:24
    For "the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you," as it is written.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:38
    Then it happened, after about ten days, that the LORD struck Nabal, and he died.
  17. Cross References
    2 Samuel 13:31
    So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
  18. Cross References
    Ruth 3:3
    Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
    Matthew 6:17
    But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face.
  19. Cross References
    Job 1:20
    Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
  20. Cross References
    Isaiah 38:1 - 5
    In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live.'
    Joel 2:14
    Who knows if He will turn and relent, And leave a blessing behind Him - A grain offering and a drink offering For the LORD your God?
    Jonah 3:9
    Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 37:35
    And all his sons and all his daughters arose to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, "For I shall go down into the grave to my son in mourning." Thus his father wept for him.
  22. Cross References
    Job 7:8 - 10
    The eye of him who sees me will see me no more; While your eyes are upon me, I shall no longer be.
  23. Cross References
    Matthew 1:6
    And Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah.
  24. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 22:9
    Behold, a son shall be born to you, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies all around. His name shall be Solomon, for I will give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.
  25. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 20:1
    It happened in the spring of the year, at the time kings go out to battle, that Joab led out the armed forces and ravaged the country of the people of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. And Joab defeated Rabbah and overthrew it.
  26. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 3:11
    For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the giants. Indeed his bedstead was an iron bedstead. ( Is it not in Rabbah of the people of Ammon?) Nine cubits is its length and four cubits its width, according to the standard cubit.
    2 Samuel 11:1
    It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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