12 ¹ The LORD sent Nathan the prophet to David, and when he entered his presence, he said to him, 'There were once two men in the same city, one rich and the other poor. 12 ² The rich man had large flocks and herds, 12 ³ but the poor man had nothing of his own except one little ewe lamb. He reared it himself, and it grew up in his home with his own sons. It ate from his dish, drank from his cup and nestled in his arms; it was like a daughter to him. 12 ⁴ One day a traveller came to the rich man's house, and he, too mean to take something from his own flocks and herds to serve to his guest, took the poor man's lamb and served up that.' 12 ⁵ David was very angry, and burst out, 'As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 12 ⁶ He shall pay for the lamb four times over, because he has done this and shown no pity.'

12 ⁷ Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man. This is the word of the LORD the God of Israel to you: "I anointed you king over Israel, I rescued you from the power of Saul, 12 ⁸ I gave you your master's daughter prob. rdg, Heb house and his wives to be your own, I gave you the daughters of Israel and Judah; and, had this not been enough, I would have added other favours as great. 12 ⁹ Why then have you flouted the word of the LORD by doing what is wrong in my eyes? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; the man himself you murdered by the sword of the Ammonites, and you have stolen his wife. 12 ¹⁰ Now, therefore, since you have despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife, your family shall never again have rest from the sword." 12 ¹¹ This is the word of the LORD: "I will bring trouble upon you from within your own family; I will take your wives and give them to another man before your eyes, and he will lie with them in broad daylight. 12 ¹² What you did was done in secret; but I will do this in the light of day for all Israel to see." ' 12 ¹³ David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.' Nathan answered him, 'The LORD has laid on another the consequences of your sin: you shall not die, 12 ¹⁴ but, because in this you have shown your contempt for the LORD the LORD: prob. rdg, Heb the enemies of the LORD, the boy that will be born to you shall die.'

- The death of David's son.  2Sm.12.15-2312 ¹⁵ When Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the boy whom Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he was very ill.