Allah sent Nathan to Dawud. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. 2The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3but 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 from his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was to him like a daughter. 4A traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd, to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared it for the man who had come to him.“
5Dawud’s anger was very much aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Allah lives, the man who has done this is worthy of death! 6He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity!“
7Nathan said to Dawud, “You are the man! This is what Allah, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Talut. 8I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things. 9Why have you despised the word of Allah, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11This is what Allah 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 neighbour, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.‘”
13Dawud said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Allah.“
Nathan said to Dawud, “Allah also has put away your sin. You will not die. 14However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to Allah’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.“ 15Nathan departed to his house.
Allah struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to Dawud, and it was very sick. 16Dawud therefore begged God for the child; and Dawud fasted, and went in, and lay all night on the ground. 17The elders of his house arose, and stood beside him, to raise him up from the ground: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. 18It happened on the seventh day, that the child died. The servants of Dawud were afraid 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 harm himself, if we tell him that the child is dead! 19But when Dawud saw that his servants were whispering together, Dawud perceived that the child was dead; and Dawud said to his servants, Is the child dead? They said, He is dead. 20Then Dawud arose from the ground, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his clothing; and he came into the house of Allah, and worshiped: then he came to his own house; and when he requested, they set bread before him, and he ate. 21Then his servants said to him, What thing is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate bread. 22He said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who knows whether Allahwill not be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23But 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. 24Dawud comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Sulayman. Allah loved him; 25and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he named him Jedidiah, for Allah’s sake. 26Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took the royal city. 27Joab sent messengers to Dawud, and said, I have fought against Rabbah; yes, I have taken the city of waters. 28Now 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. 29Dawud gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it. 30He 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 Dawud’s head. He brought out the spoil of the city in great abundance. 31He brought out the people who were in it, and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and made them work in the brick kilns: and thus did he to all the cities of the Ammonites. Dawud and all the people returned to Jerusalem.