2 Samuel 12:15-31

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

¹⁵ Then Nathan went to his house.

Bathsheba’s Child Dies

The Lord struck the child whom Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill.^{(A) 16} David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground.^{(B) 17} The elders of his house stood beside him urging him to rise 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, “While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” ¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was dead, and David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”

²⁰ Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord and worshiped; he then went to his own house, and when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate.^{(C) 21} Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive, but when the child died, you rose and ate food.” ²² He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may live.’^{(D) 23} But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”^(E)

Solomon Is Born

²⁴ Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba and went to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him^{(F) 25} and sent a message by the prophet Nathan, so he named him Jedidiah^[a] because of the Lord.

The Ammonites Crushed

²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city.^{(G) 27} Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city. ²⁸ Now, then, gather the rest of the people together, encamp against the city, and take it, lest I myself take the city and it is called by my name.” ²⁹ So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it. ³⁰ He took the crown of Milcom^[b] 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. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.^{(H) 31} He brought out the people who were in it and set them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.