10:012:001 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and
said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich,
and the other poor.
10:012:002 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
10:012:003 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which
he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with
him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and
drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him
as a daughter.
10:012:004 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to
take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the
wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's
lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
10:012:005 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he
said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done
this thing shall surely die:
10:012:006 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this
thing, and because he had no pity.
10:012:007 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the
LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I
delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
10:012:008 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives
into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of
Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have
given unto thee such and such things.
10:012:009 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to
do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with
the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast
slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
10:012:010 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house;
because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of
Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
10:012:011 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee
out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine
eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with
thy wives in the sight of this sun.
10:012:012 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before
all Israel, and before the sun.
10:012:013 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.
And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy
sin; thou shalt not die.
10:012:014 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion
to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that
is born unto thee shall surely die.
10:012:015 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the
child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
10:012:016 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted,
and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
10:012:017 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise
him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat
bread with them.
10:012:018 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died.
And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child
was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet
alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our
voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the
child is dead?
10:012:019 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David
perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto
his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
10:012:020 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed
himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of
the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and
when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
10:012:021 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou
hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it
was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and
eat bread.
10:012:022 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept:
for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me,
that the child may live?
10:012:023 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him
back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
10:012:024 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her,
and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name
Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
10:012:025 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called
his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
10:012:026 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and
took the royal city.
10:012:027 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought
against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
10:012:028 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.
10:012:029 And David gathered all the people together, and went to
Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
10:012:030 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight
whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it
was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the
city in great abundance.
10:012:031 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put
them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of
iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did
he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and
all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
The public be damned! - William Henry Vanderbilt