1 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with 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 to him as a daughter.4 And there came a travelers to 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 come to him; but took the poor man' lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.5 And David' anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die:6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.7 And Nathan said to David, You are the man. Thus said the LORD God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul;8 And I gave you your master' house, and your master' wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given to you such and such things.9 Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? you have killed Uriah 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.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 said 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: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.14 However,, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.15 And Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah' wife bore to David, and it was very sick.16 David therefore sought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the earth.17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And 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 would not listen to our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said to his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.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.22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD 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, but he shall not return to me.24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.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.29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.30 And he took their king' crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David' head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.31 And he brought forth the people that 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. So David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

1 AND thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him.2 Yea, and we may see at the very time when he doth prosper his people, yea, in the increase of their fields, their flocks and their herds, and in gold, and in silver, and in all manner of precious things of every kind and art; sparing their lives, and delivering them out of the hands of their enemies; softening the hearts of their enemies that they should not declare wars against them; yea, and in fine, doing all things for the welfare and happiness of his people; yea, then is the time that they do harden their hearts, and do forget the Lord their God, and do trample under their feet the Holy One-yea, and this because of their ease, and their exceedingly great prosperity.3 And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him.4 O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!5 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!6 Behold, they do not desire that the Lord their God, who hath created them, should rule and reign over them; notwithstanding his great goodness and his mercy towards them, they do set at naught his counsels, and they will not that he should be their guide.7 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.8 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.9 Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake;12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth-Move-it is moved.14 Yea, if he say unto the earth-Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours-it is done;15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.16 And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep-Be thou dried up-it is done.17 Behold, if he say unto this mountain-Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up-behold it is done.18 And behold, if a man hide up a treasure in the earth, and the Lord shall say-Let it be accursed, because of the iniquity of him who hath hid it up-behold, it shall be accursed.19 And if the Lord shall say-Be thou accursed, that no man shall find thee from this time henceforth and forever-behold, no man getteth it henceforth and forever.20 And behold, if the Lord shall say unto a man-Because of thine iniquities, thou shalt be accursed forever-it shall be done.21 And if the Lord shall say-Because of thine iniquities thou shalt be cut off from my presence-he will cause that it shall be so.22 And wo unto him to whom he shall say this, for it shall be unto him that will do iniquity, and he cannot be saved; therefore, for this cause, that men might be saved, hath repentance been declared.23 Therefore, blessed are they who will repent and hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; for these are they that shall be saved.24 And may God grant, in his great fulness, that men might be brought unto repentance and good works, that they might be restored unto grace for grace, according to their works.25 And I would that all men might be saved. But we read that in the great and last day there are some who shall be cast out, yea, who shall be cast off from the presence of the Lord;26 Yea, who shall be consigned to a state of endless misery, fulfilling the words which say: They that have done good shall have everlasting life; and they that have done evil shall have everlasting damnation. And thus it is. Amen.