2 Samuel 12–13; Luke 16

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2 Samuel 12–13

Nathan Rebukes David

And the Lord sent xNathan to David. He came to him and said to him, yThere were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 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,1 and it was like a daughter to him. 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. Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, zAs the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb afourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

Nathan said to David, You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, bI anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 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. cWhy have you despised the word of the Lord, dto do what is evil in his sight? eYou have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and fhave 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, gbut I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun. 13 hDavid said to Nathan, iI have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, jThe Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly kscorned the Lord,2 the child who is born to you shall die. 15 Then Nathan went to his house.

David’s Child Dies

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 lfasted and went in mand 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 nand washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord oand 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, pWho 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, qbut he will not return to me.

Solomon’s Birth

24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and rshe bore a son, and he called his name sSolomon. And the Lord loved him 25 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah,3 because of the Lord.

Rabbah Is Captured

26 tNow Joab ufought against vRabbah 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 talent4 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 at5 the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

Amnon and Tamar

Now wAbsalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was xTamar. And after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her. And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of yShimeah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. And he said to him, O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come and zmake a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.

Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare food for him. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, aSend out everyone from me. So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister. 12 She answered him, No, my brother, do not violate6 me, for bsuch a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this coutrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of dthe outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you. 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Get up! Go! 16 But she said to him, No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.7 But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her. 18 Now she was wearing ea long robe with sleeves,8 for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar fput ashes on her head and gtore the long robe that she wore. And hshe laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 And her brother Absalom said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart. So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.9 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon ineither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Absalom Murders Amnon

23 After two full years Absalom had jsheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant. 25 But the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you. He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 26 Then Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you? 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, Mark when Amnon’s kheart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant. 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, news came to David, Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left. 31 Then the king arose and ltore his garments and mlay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But nJonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so otake it to heart as to suppose that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34 pBut Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him10 by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about. 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 qBut Absalom fled and went to rTalmai the son of Ammihud, king of sGeshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 qSo Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king11 longed to go out12 to Absalom, because the was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.


Luke 16

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager

He also said to the disciples, There was a rich man who had ja manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your kmanagement, for you can no longer be manager. And the manager said to himself, What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses. So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? He said, A hundred measures1 of oil. He said to him, Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty. Then he said to another, And how much do you owe? He said, A hundred measures2 of wheat. He said to him, Take your bill, and write eighty. The master commended the dishonest manager for his lshrewdness. For mthe sons of this world3 are lmore shrewd in dealing with their own generation than nthe sons of light. And I tell you, omake friends for yourselves by means of punrighteous wealth,4 so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.

10 qOne who is rfaithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. 11 If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? 12 And if you have not been faithful in sthat which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? 13 pNo servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

The Law and the Kingdom of God

14 tThe Pharisees, who were ulovers of money, heard all these things, and they vridiculed him. 15 And he said to them, You are those who wjustify yourselves before men, but xGod knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men yis an abomination in the sight of God.

16 zThe Law and the Prophets were until John; since then athe good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and beveryone forces his way into it.5 17 But cit is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void.

Divorce and Remarriage

18 dEveryone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 There was a rich man who was clothed in epurple and fine linen and fwho feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate gwas laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with hwhat fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by ithe angels jto Abraham’s side.6 The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in kHades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and lsaw Abraham far off and Lazarus jat his side. 24 And he called out, mFather Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and ncool my tongue, for oI am in anguish in this flame. 25 But Abraham said, Child, remember that pyou in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us. 27 And he said, Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house 28 for I have five brothersso that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29 But Abraham said, They have qMoses and the Prophets; rlet them hear them. 30 And he said, No, sfather Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent. 31 He said to him, If they do not hear qMoses and the Prophets, tneither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.