But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up togetherwith 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.
And therecame a travellerunto 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 comeunto him; but took the poorman’slamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
And Nathansaid to David, Thou art the man. Thussaith the LORD God of Israel, I anointedtheekingoverIsrael, and I deliveredthee out of the hand of Saul;
And I gavethee thy master’shouse, and thy master’swivesinto thy bosom, and gavethee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I wouldmoreoverhavegivenuntotheesuch and suchthings.
Whereforehastthoudespised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thouhastkilledUriah the Hittitewith the sword, and hasttaken his wife to be thy wife, and hastslain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Thussaith the LORD, Behold, I willraise up evilagainstthee out of thine own house, and I willtake thy wivesbeforethineeyes, and givethemunto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the childdied. And the servants of Davidfeared to tell him that the child was dead: for theysaid, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spakeunto him, and he would not hearkenunto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
But whenDavid saw that his servantswhispered, Davidperceivedthat the child was dead: thereforeDavidsaidunto his servants, Is the childdead? And theysaid, He is dead.
ThenDavidarosefrom the earth, and washed, and anointedhimself, and changed his apparel, and cameinto the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set breadbefore him, and he did eat.
Thensaid his servantsunto him, Whatthing is thisthatthouhastdone? thoudidstfast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thoudidstrise and eat bread.
And DavidcomfortedBathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his nameSolomon: and the LORDloved him.
And he tooktheirking’scrownfrom off his head, the weightwhereof was a talent of goldwith the preciousstones: and it was set on David’shead. And he broughtforth the spoil of the city in greatabundance.
And he broughtforth the peoplethatweretherein, and put themundersaws, and underharrows of iron, and underaxes of iron, and madethempassthrough the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the peoplereturneduntoJerusalem.