Nathan rebukes David
1The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, ‘There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4‘Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’
5David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’
7Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.”
11‘This is what the Lord says: “Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.” ’
13Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’
Nathan replied, ‘The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of the Lord, the son born to you will die.’
15After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth12:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have in sackcloth. on the ground. 17The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.
18On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, ‘While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.’
19David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realised that the child was dead. ‘Is the child dead?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ they replied, ‘he is dead.’
20Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
21His attendants asked him, ‘Why are you acting in this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!’
22He answered, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, “Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.” 23But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.’
24Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; 25and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.12:25 Jedidiah means loved by the Lord.
26Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, ‘I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I shall take the city, and it will be named after me.’
29So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30David took the crown from their king’s12:30 Or from Milkom’s (that is, Molek’s) head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent12:30 That is, about 34 kilograms of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labour with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking.12:31 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
Sinaway ni Natan si David
1Ngayon, isinugo ng Panginoon si Propeta Natan kay David. Pagdating niya kay David, sinabi niya, “May dalawang taong nakatira sa isang bayan. Ang isaʼy mayaman at ang isaʼy mahirap. 2Ang mayaman ay maraming tupa at baka, 3pero ang mahirap ay isa lang ang tupa na binili pa niya. Inalagaan niya ito at lumaking kasabay ng mga anak niya. Pinapakain niya ito ng pagkain niya, at pinapainom sa baso niya, at kinakarga-karga pa niya ito. Itinuturing niya itong parang anak niyang babae. 4Minsan, may dumating na bisita sa bahay ng mayaman, pero ayaw niyang katayin ang baka o tupa niya para ipakain sa bisita niya. Kaya kinuha niya ang tupa ng mahirap at ito ang inihanda niya para sa bisita niya.”
5Labis na nagalit si David sa mayaman at sinabi niya kay Natan, “Isinusumpa ko sa Panginoon na buhay, na dapat patayin ang taong gumawa niyan. 6Dapat niyang bayaran ng hanggang apat na beses ang halaga ng isang tupang kanyang kinuha dahil wala siyang awa.”
7Pagkatapos, sinabi ni Natan kay David, “Ikaw ang taong iyon! Ito ang sinasabi ng Panginoon, ang Dios ng Israel: ‘Pinili kitang hari ng Israel at iniligtas kita kay Saul. 8Ibinigay ko sa iyo ang kaharian at mga asawa niya. Ginawa kitang hari ng buong Israel at Juda. At kung kulang pa ito, bibigyan pa sana kita nang mas marami pa riyan. 9Pero bakit hindi mo sinunod ang mga utos ko, at ginawa mo ang masamang bagay na ito sa paningin ko? Ipinapatay mo pa si Uria na Heteo sa labanan; ipinapatay mo siya sa mga Ammonita, at kinuha mo ang asawa niya. 10Kaya dahil sa ginawa mo, mula ngayon, palagi nang magkakaroon ng labanan at patayan sa pamilya mo, dahil sinuway mo ako at kinuha ang asawa ni Uria upang maging iyong asawa.’
11“Ito pa ang sinasabi ng Panginoon: May isang miyembro ng sambahayan mo ang maghihimagsik laban sa iyo. Ibibigay ko ang mga asawa mo sa taong iyon na hindi iba sa iyo at sisiping siya sa kanila na kitang-kita ng mga tao. 12Ginawa mo ito nang lihim pero ang gagawin koʼy makikita nang hayagan ng buong Israel.”
13Sinabi ni David kay Natan, “Nagkasala ako sa Panginoon.” Sumagot si Natan, “Pinatawad ka na ng Panginoon at hindi ka mamamatay sa kasalanang ginawa mo. 14Pero dahil sa ginawa mo, binigyan mo ng dahilan ang mga kalaban ng Panginoon na lapastanganin siya kaya siguradong mamamatay ang anak mo.” 15Nang makauwi na si Natan, ipinahintulot ng Panginoon na magkasakit ng malubha ang anak ni David kay Batsheba. 16Nakiusap si David sa Dios para sa bata. Nag-ayuno siya sa loob ng kwarto niya, at natutulog siya sa lapag gabi-gabi. 17Pinuntahan siya ng mga tagapamahala ng kanyang sambahayan para pabangunin, pero ayaw niya, at ayaw din niyang kumaing kasama nila.
18Nang ikapitong araw, namatay ang bata. Natakot ang mga lingkod ni David na sabihin sa kanya na patay na ang bata. Sinabi nila, “Paano natin sasabihin sa kanya na patay na ang bata? Hindi nga niya pinapansin ang pagdamay natin sa kanya noong buhay pa ang bata, paano pa kaya ngayong patay na ito. Baka kung ano ang gawin niya sa sarili niya!”
19Napansin ni David na nagbubulungan ang mga alipin niya, kaya pakiramdam niya, patay na ang bata. Nagtanong siya, “Patay na ba ang bata?” Sumagot sila, “Patay na po siya.” 20Pagkarinig nito, bumangon si David, naligo, nagpahid ng mabangong langis at nagpalit ng damit. Pumunta siya sa bahay ng Panginoon at sumamba. Pagkatapos, umuwi siya, nagpahain, at kumain. 21Sinabi ng mga lingkod niya, “Hindi po namin kayo maintindihan. Noong buhay pa ang bata, nag-aayuno po kayo at umiiyak, pero ngayong patay na ang bata, bumangon kayo at kumain!” 22Sumagot si David, “Oo, nag-ayuno ako at umiyak noong buhay pa ang bata dahil iniisip ko na baka kaawaan ako ng Panginoon at hindi niya payagang mamatay ang bata. 23Pero ngayong patay na ang bata, bakit pa ako mag-aayuno? Mabubuhay ko pa ba siya? Darating ang panahon na makakapunta ako sa kinaroroonan niya, pero hindi na siya makakabalik sa akin.”
24Dinamayan ni David ang asawa niyang si Batsheba, at nagsiping sila. Nabuntis si Batsheba at nanganak ng isang lalaki, at pinangalanan nila siyang Solomon. Minahal ng Panginoon ang bata, 25at nagpadala siya ng mensahe kay Propeta Natan na pangalanang Jedidia12:25 Jedidia: Ang ibig sabihin, mahal ng Panginoon. ang bata dahil mahal siya ng Panginoon.
Sinakop ni David ang Rabba
(1 Cro. 20:1-3)
26Sa kabilang dako, sumalakay sina Joab sa Rabba, ang kabisera ng Ammon, at malapit na nila itong masakop. 27Nagsugo si Joab ng mga mensahero kay David para sabihin, “Sinalakay po namin ang Rabba at nasakop na namin ang imbakan nila ng tubig. 28Ngayon, tipunin nʼyo po ang mga natitirang sundalo at tapusin na ninyo ang pagsakop sa lungsod para kayo ang maparangalan at hindi ako.”
29Kaya tinipon ni David ang natitirang sundalo at sinalakay nila ang Rabba, at nasakop nila ito. 30Kinuha ni David sa ulo ng hari ng mga Ammonita12:30 sa ulo ng hari ng mga Ammonita: o, sa ulo ni Milcom. Si Milcom dios ng mga Ammonita. ang gintong korona at ipinutong ito sa kanyang ulo. Ang bigat ng korona ay 35 kilo at may mga mamahaling bato. Marami pang bagay ang nasamsam ni David sa lungsod na iyon. 31Ginawa niyang alipin ang mga naninirahan doon at sapilitan silang pinagtrabaho gamit ang lagare, piko, at palakol, at pinagawa rin sila ng mga tisa. Ito ang ginawa ni David sa mga naninirahan sa lahat ng bayan ng mga Ammonita. Pagkatapos, umuwi si David at ang lahat ng sundalo niya sa Jerusalem.
