1 O Senhor mandou a Davi o profeta Natã; este entrou em sua casa e disse-lhe: Dois homens moravam na mesma cidade, um rico e outro pobre.
2 O rico possuía ovelhas e bois em grande quantidade;
3 o pobre, porém, só tinha uma ovelha, pequenina, que ele comprara. Ele a criava e ela crescia junto dele, com os seus filhos, comendo do seu pão, bebendo do seu copo e dormindo no seu seio; era para ele como uma filha.
4 Certo dia, chegou à casa do homem rico a visita de um estranho, e ele, não querendo tomar de suas ovelhas nem de seus bois para aprontá-los e dar de comer ao hóspede que lhe tinha chegado, foi e apoderou-se da ovelhinha do pobre, preparando-a para o seu hóspede.
5 Davi, indignado contra tal homem, disse a Natã: Pela vida de Deus! O homem que fez isso merece a morte.
6 Ele restituirá sete vezes o valor da ovelha, por ter feito isso e não ter tido compaixão.
7 Natã disse então a Davi: Tu és esse homem. Eis o que diz o Senhor Deus de Israel: ungi-te rei de Israel, salvei-te das mãos de Saul,
8 dei-te a casa do teu senhor e pus as suas mulheres nos teus braços. Entreguei-te a casa de Israel e de Judá e, se isso fosse ainda pouco, eu teria ajuntado outros favores.
9 Por que desprezaste o Senhor, fazendo o que é mau aos seus olhos? Feriste com a espada Urias, o hiteu, para fazer de sua mulher a tua esposa, e o fizeste perecer pela espada dos amonitas.
10 Por isso, jamais se afastará a espada de tua casa, porque me desprezaste, tomando a mulher de Urias, o hiteu, para fazer dela a tua esposa.
11 Eis o que diz o Senhor: vou fazer com que se levantem contra ti males vindos de tua própria casa. Sob os teus olhos, tomarei as tuas mulheres e dá-las-ei a um outro que dormirá com elas à luz do sol!
12 Porque agiste em segredo, mas eu o farei diante de todo o Israel e diante do sol.
13 Davi disse a Natã: Pequei contra o Senhor. Natã respondeu-lhe: O Senhor perdoa o teu pecado; não morrerás.
14 Todavia, como desprezaste o Senhor com essa ação, morrerá o filho que te nasceu.
15 E Natã voltou para sua casa. O Senhor feriu o menino que a mulher de Urias tinha dado a Davi, e ele adoeceu gravemente.
16 Davi suplicou ao Senhor pelo menino; jejuou e passou a noite em sua casa prostrado por terra, vestido com um saco.
17 Os anciãos de sua casa, de pé junto dele, insistiam em que ele se levantasse do chão, mas ele não o quis, nem tomou com eles alimento algum.
18 Ao sétimo dia, morreu o menino, e os servos do rei não ousavam dar-lhe a notícia, pensando: Quando o menino ainda vivia, nós lhe falávamos e ele não queria ouvir-nos; quanto mais se afligirá agora, se lhe anunciarmos que o menino morreu? Seria uma desgraça.
19 Davi notou que seus servos cochichavam entre si, e compreendeu que o menino morrera. Perguntou-lhes: Morreu o menino? Sim, responderam-lhe.
20 Então Davi levantou-se do chão, lavou-se, perfumou-se, mudou de roupa e entrou na casa do Senhor para se prostrar. De volta à sua casa, mandou que lhe servissem a refeição, e comeu.
21 Seus servos disseram-lhe: Que fazes? Quando a criança ainda vivia, jejuavas e choravas; agora, que morreu, tu te levantas e comes.
22 Eu jejuava e orava pelo menino enquanto vivia, respondeu ele, porque dizia comigo: Quem sabe, talvez o Senhor terá pena de mim e o menino ficará bom?
23 Mas agora, que morreu, para que jejuar ainda? Posso por acaso fazê-lo voltar à vida? Eu é que irei para junto dele; ele, porém, não voltará mais a mim!
24 Davi consolou Betsabé, sua mulher. Foi procurá-la e dormiu com ela. Ela concebeu e deu à luz um filho, ao qual chamou Salomão. O Senhor o amou,
25 e revelou isto a Davi por intermédio do profeta Natã, que deu ao menino o sobrenome de Amado-de-Javé, segundo a ordem do Senhor.
26 Joab, que sitiava Raba dos amonitas, apoderou-se da cidade das Águas.
27 E enviou a Davi mensageiros com esta notícia: Assaltei Raba e ocupei a cidade das Águas.
28 Ajunta o resto do exército, vem acampar perto da cidade e tomá-la, para não acontecer que, tomando-a eu, seja-lhe dado o meu nome.
29 Reuniu Davi todo o exército e foi contra Raba, assaltando-a e tomando-a.
30 Tirou a coroa da cabeça de Milcom. Esta pesava um talento de ouro, e era ornada de uma pedra preciosa, que foi colocada sobre a cabeça de Davi. O rei levou da cidade grande quantidade de despojos.
31 Quanto à sua população, fê-la sair para empregá-la em serrar, em trabalhar com a picareta e o machado e em fazer tijolos. Assim fez com todas as cidades dos amonitas. E Davi voltou com todas as suas tropas para Jerusalém.
1 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto 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 unto him as a daughter. 4 And there came a traveller unto 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 unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. 5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath 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, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. 16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon 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 spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto 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 unto 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 unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst 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, wherefore 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 Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare 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’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s 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 brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.