2 Samuel 11:1–5; 2 Samuel 12:1–7

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2 Samuel 11:1–5

David and Bathsheba

hiIn the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged jRabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on kthe roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, Is not this lBathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of mUriah the Hittite? So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (nNow she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, I am pregnant.


2 Samuel 12:1–7

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.