The Second Book of Shemu'el, starting at chapter 10
{10:1} It happened after this, that the king of the children of
`Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place. {10:2} David
said, I will show kindness to Hanun the son of Nachash, as his father
shown kindness to me. So David sent by his servants to comfort him
concerning his father. David's servants came into the land of the
children of `Ammon. {10:3} But the princes of the children of `Ammon
said to Hanun their lord, Do you think that David honors your father,
in that he has sent comforters to you? Hasn't David sent his servants
to you to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
{10:4} So Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of
their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their
buttocks, and sent them away. {10:5} When they told it to David, he
sent to meet them; for the men were greatly ashamed. The king said,
Wait at Yericho until your beards be grown, and then return. {10:6}
When the children of `Ammon saw that they were become odious to David,
the children of `Ammon sent and hired the Aram of Beit-Rechov, and the
Aram of Tzovah, twenty thousand footmen, and the king of Ma`akhah with
one thousand men, and the men of Tov twelve thousand men. {10:7} When
David heard of it, he sent Yo'av, and all the host of the mighty men.
{10:8} The children of `Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at
the entrance of the gate: and the Aram of Tzovah and of Rechov, and
the men of Tov and Ma`akhah, were by themselves in the field. {10:9}
Now when Yo'av saw that the battle was set against him before and
behind, he chose of all the choice men of Yisra'el, and put them in
array against the Aram: {10:10} The rest of the people he committed
into the hand of Avishai his brother; and he put them in array against
the children of `Ammon. {10:11} He said, If the Aram be too strong for
me, then you shall help me; but if the children of `Ammon be too
strong for you, then I will come and help you. {10:12} Be of good
courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of
our God: and the LORD do that which seems him good. {10:13} So Yo'av
and the people who were with him drew near to the battle against the
Aram: and they fled before him. {10:14} When the children of `Ammon
saw that the Aram were fled, they likewise fled before Avishai, and
entered into the city. Then Yo'av returned from the children of
`Ammon, and came to Yerushalayim. {10:15} When the Aram saw that they
were put to the worse before Yisra'el, they gathered themselves
together. {10:16} Hadad`ezer sent, and brought out the Aram who were
beyond the River: and they came to Helam, with Shovakh the captain of
the host of Hadad`ezer at their head. {10:17} It was told David; and
he gathered all Yisra'el together, and passed over the Yarden, and
came to Helam. The Aram set themselves in array against David, and
fought with him. {10:18} The Aram fled before Yisra'el; and David
killed of the Aram [the men of] seven hundred chariots, and forty
thousand horsemen, and struck Shovakh the captain of their host, so
that he died there. {10:19} When all the kings who were servants to
Hadad`ezer saw that they were put to the worse before Yisra'el, they
made shalom with Yisra'el, and served them. So the Aram feared to help
the children of `Ammon any more.
{11:1} It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when
kings go out [to battle], that David sent Yo'av, and his servants with
him, and all Yisra'el; and they destroyed the children of `Ammon, and
besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Yerushalayim. {11:2} It happened
at evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked on the roof
of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the
woman was very beautiful to look on. {11:3} David send and inquired
after the woman. One said, Is not this Bat-Sheva, the daughter of
Eli`am, the wife of Uriyah the Hittite? {11:4} David sent messengers,
and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was
purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house. {11:5}
The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with
child. {11:6} David sent to Yo'av, [saying], Send me Uriyah the
Hittite. Yo'av sent Uriyah to David. {11:7} When Uriyah was come to
him, David asked of him how Yo'av did, and how the people fared, and
how the war prospered. {11:8} David said to Uriyah, Go down to your
house, and wash your feet. Uriyah departed out of the king's house,
and there followed him a mess [of food] from the king. {11:9} But
Uriyah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of
his lord, and didn't go down to his house. {11:10} When they had told
David, saying, Uriyah didn't go down to his house, David said to
Uriyah, Haven't you come from a journey? why did you not go down to
your house? {11:11} Uriyah said to David, The ark, and Yisra'el, and
Yehudah, abide in booths; and my lord Yo'av, and the servants of my
lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house,
to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as you live, and as your
soul lives, I will not do this thing. {11:12} David said to Uriyah,
Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriyah
abode in Yerushalayim that day, and the next day. {11:13} When David
had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk:
and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his
lord, but didn't go down to his house. {11:14} It happened in the
morning, that David wrote a letter to Yo'av, and sent it by the hand
of Uriyah. {11:15} He wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriyah in the
forefront of the hottest battle, and retire you from him, that he may
be struck, and die. {11:16} It happened, when Yo'av kept watch on the
city, that he assigned Uriyah to the place where he knew that valiant
men were. {11:17} The men of the city went out, and fought with Yo'av:
and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and
Uriyah the Hittite died also. {11:18} Then Yo'av sent and told David
all the things concerning the war; {11:19} and he charged the
messenger, saying, "When you have made an end of telling all the
things concerning the war to the king, {11:20} it shall be that, if
the king's wrath arise, and he tells you, 'Why did you go so near to
the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would shoot from the
wall? {11:21} who struck Avimelekh the son of Yerubeshet? Didn't a
woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at
Tevetz? Why did you go so near the wall?' then shall you say, 'Your
servant Uriyah the Hittite is dead also.'"
{11:22} So the messenger went, and came and shown David all that
Yo'av had sent him for. {11:23} The messenger said to David, The men
prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were
on them even to the entrance of the gate. {11:24} The shooters shot at
your servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are
dead, and your servant Uriyah the Hittite is dead also. {11:25} Then
David said to the messenger, Thus shall you tell Yo'av, Don't let this
thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another;
make your battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and
encourage you him. {11:26} When the wife of Uriyah heard that Uriyah
her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. {11:27}
When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house,
and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David
had done displeased the LORD.
{12:1} The LORD sent Natan to David. He came to him, and said to
him, "There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other
poor. {12:2} The rich man had very many flocks and herds, {12:3} but
the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had
bought and raised. It grew up together with him, and with his
children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his
bosom, and was to him like a daughter. {12:4} A traveler came to the
rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd,
to dress for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor
man's lamb, and dressed it for the man who had come to him."
{12:5} David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he
said to Natan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this is worthy
to die! {12:6} He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this
thing, and because he had no pity!"
{12:7} Natan said to David, "You are the man. This is what the LORD,
the God of Yisra'el, says: 'I anointed you king over Yisra'el, and I
delivered you out of the hand of Sha'ul. {12:8} I gave you your
master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you
the house of Yisra'el and of Yehudah; and if that would have been too
little, I would have added to you many more such things. {12:9} Why
have you despised the word of the LORD, to do that which is evil in
his sight? You have struck Uriyah the Hittite with the sword, and have
taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of
the children of `Ammon. {12:10} Now therefore the sword will never
depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken
the wife of Uriyah the Hittite to be your wife.' {12:11} This is what
the LORD says: '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 will lie with your wives in the sight of this
sun. {12:12} For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before
all Yisra'el, and before the sun.'"
{12:13} David said to Natan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Natan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin. You will
not die. {12:14} However, because by this deed you have given great
occasion to the LORD's enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is
born to you shall surely die." {12:15} Natan departed to his house.
The LORD struck the child that Uriyah's wife bore to David, and it
was very sick. {12:16} David therefore begged God for the child; and
David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the [1>]eretz[<1].
{12:17} The Zakenim of his house arose, [and stood] beside him, to
raise him up from the [2>]eretz[<2]: but he would not, neither did he
eat bread with them. {12:18} It happened on the seventh day, that the
child died. The servants of David feared to tell him that the child
was dead; for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we
spoke to him, and he didn't listen to our voice: how will he then vex
himself, if we tell him that the child is dead! {12:19} But when David
saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that
the child was dead; and David said to his servants, Is the child dead?
They said, He is dead. {12:20} Then David arose from the
[3>]eretz[<3], and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his
clothing; and he came into the house of the LORD, and worshiped: then
he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before
him, and he ate. {12:21} Then said his servants to him, What thing is
this that you have done? you did fast and weep for the child, while it
was alive; but when the child was dead, you did rise and eat bread.
{12:22} He said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for
I said, Who knows whether the LORD will not be gracious to me, that
the child may live? {12:23} 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. {12:24} David comforted Bat-Sheva his wife, and went in to her,
and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Shlomo.
The LORD loved him; {12:25} and he sent by the hand of Natan the
prophet; and he named him Yedidyah, for the LORD's sake. {12:26} Now
Yo'av fought against Rabbah of the children of `Ammon, and took the
royal city. {12:27} Yo'av sent messengers to David, and said, I have
fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters. {12:28}
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. {12:29} David gathered all the people together, and
went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. {12:30} He took
the crown of their king from off his head; and the weight of it was a
talent of gold, and [in it were] precious stones; and it was set on
David's head. He brought forth the spoil of the city, exceeding much.
{12:31} He brought forth the people who 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 to all the
cities of the children of `Ammon. David and all the people returned to
Yerushalayim.
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Footnotes:
[1] {12:16} earth
[2] {12:17} earth
[3] {12:20} earth
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