1 and he sent Nathan the prophet to tell this story to David:
A rich man and a poor man lived in the same town. 2 The rich man owned a lot of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had only one little lamb that he had bought and raised. The lamb became a pet for him and his children. He even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup and sleep on his lap. The lamb was like one of his own children.
4 One day someone came to visit the rich man, but the rich man didn't want to kill any of his own sheep or cattle and serve it to the visitor. So he stole the poor man's lamb and served it instead.
5 David was furious with the rich man and said to Nathan, “I swear by the living Lord that the man who did this deserves to die! 6 And because he didn't have pity on the poor man, he will have to pay four times what the lamb was worth.”
7 Then Nathan told David:
You are that rich man! Now listen to what the Lord God of Israel says to you: “I chose you to be the king of Israel. I kept you safe from Saul 8 and even gave you his house and his wives. I let you rule Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough, I would have given you much more. 9 Why did you disobey me and do such a horrible thing? You murdered Uriah the Hittite by letting the Ammonites kill him, so you could take his wife.
10 “Because you wouldn't obey me and took Uriah's wife for yourself, your family will never live in peace. 11 Someone from your own family will cause you a lot of trouble, and I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes. He will go to bed with them while everyone looks on. 12 What you did was in secret, but I will do this in the open for everyone in Israel to see.”
13-14 David said, “I have disobeyed the Lord.”
“Yes, you have!” Nathan answered. “You showed you didn't care what the Lord wanted. He has forgiven you, and you won't die. But your newborn son will.” 15 Then Nathan went back home.
David's Young Son Dies
The Lord made David's young son very sick.
16 So David went without eating to show his sorrow, and he begged God to make the boy well. David would not sleep on his bed, but spent each night lying on the floor. 17 His officials stood beside him and tried to talk him into getting up. But he would not get up or eat with them.
18 After the child had been sick for seven days, he died, but the officials were afraid to tell David. They said to each other, “Even when the boy was alive, David wouldn't listen to us. How can we tell him his son is dead? He might do something terrible!”
19 David noticed his servants whispering, and he knew the boy was dead. “Did my son die?” he asked his servants.
“Yes, he did,” they answered.
20 David got up off the floor; he took a bath, combed his hair, and dressed. He went into the Lord's tent and worshiped, then he went back home. David asked for something to eat, and when his servants brought him some food, he ate it.
21 His officials said, “What are you doing? You went without eating and cried for your son while he was alive! But now that he's dead, you're up and eating.”
22 David answered:
While he was still alive, I went without food and cried because there was still hope. I said to myself, “Who knows? Maybe the Lord will have pity on me and let the child live.” 23 But now that he's dead, why should I go without eating? I can't bring him back! Someday I will join him in death, but he can't return to me.
Solomon Is Born
24 David comforted his wife Bathsheba and slept with her. Later on, she gave birth to another son and named him Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon 25 and sent Nathan the prophet to tell David, “The Lord will call him Jedidiah.”
The End of the War with Ammon
(1 Chronicles 20.1b-3)26 Meanwhile, Joab had been in the country of Ammon, attacking the city of Rabbah. He captured the royal fortress 27 and sent a messenger to tell David:
I have attacked Rabbah and captured the fortress guarding the city water supply. 28 Call the rest of the army together. Then surround the city, and capture it yourself. If you don't, everyone will remember that I captured the city.
29 David called the rest of the army together and attacked Rabbah. He captured the city 30 and took the crown from the statue of their god Milcom. The crown was made of about 35 kilograms of gold, and there was a valuable jewel on it. David put the jewel on his own crown. He also carried off everything else of value. 31 David made the people of Rabbah tear down the city walls with iron picks and axes, and then he put them to work making bricks. He did the same thing with all the other Ammonite cities.
David went back to Jerusalem, and the people of Israel returned to their homes.
Elidilululo laDavid nokuhandukilwa kwaye
1 Onghee hano Omwene a tuma Natan kuDavid. Ye eshi e uya kuye, ota ti kuDavid: “Moshilando shimwe mwa li ovalumenhu vavali: umwe oshipuna nomukwao omukwanaluhepo. 2 Noshipuna sha li shi nomaufita manene eedi neengobe, 3 ndelenee omukwanaluhepo okwa li ehe na nande osha, okadjona kamwe akeke e ke lilandela nokwe ka palula ndele ka kula pamwe novana vaye. Oko ka lya kokapambu komungome waye ndele ka nwa meholo laye ndele ka nangala mekolo laye, ndele ka kala puye ngaashi omona waye okakadona. 4 Ndele omweenda eshi e uya komulumenhu oshipuna, osha luvapala okukufa meedi dasho ile meengobe dasho shi dipaele sha omweenda ou e uya kusho, onghee hano sho sha kufa okadjona komukwanaluhepo ndele she ka pakela po omweenda ou e uya kusho.” 5 Ndele David okwa handuka unene ndele ta ti kuNatan: “Oshili, ngaashi Omwene e nomwenyo, omulumenhu ou e shi ninga, e nokufya! 6 Nokadjona e noku ka futa eedi nhee, shaashi a ninga oshinima eshi ndele ina fya olukeno.” 7 Opo nee Natan ta ti kuDavid: “Omulumenhu ou oove! Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael ta ti: ‘Ame nde ku vaeka u ninge ohamba yaIsrael, ndele Ame nde ku xupifa meke laSaul; 8 ndele Ame nde ku pa eumbo lomwene woye novalikadi vomwene woye mekolo loye. Ndele Ame nde ku pa epata laIsrael nolaJuda. Ndele osho ngeenge osha li shinini, ngeno ohandi ku wedele ko vali oinima ya tya ngaha. 9 Omolwashike wa dina ondjovo yOmwene mokulonga osho inashi yuka momesho aye? Uria, Omuheti, ove we mu dipaa neongamukonda, nomwalikadi waye we mu kufa a ninge omwalikadi woye, eshi we mu dipaifa eongamukonda lovana vaAmmoni. 10 Ndele paife eongamukonda itali ka efa fiyo alushe epata loye, osheshi wa dina nge, ndelenee wa kufa omwalikadi waUria, Omuheti, a ninge omwalikadi woye.’ 11 Omwene osho ta ti: ‘Tala, omeumbo loye Ame ohandi ke ku etela oshiponga, ndele handi ka kufa ovalikadi voye moipafi yoye noku va yandja kumukweni, opo ye ta nangala novalikadi voye moipafi. 12 Ove we shi ninga meholeko, ndelenee Ame ohandi ka ninga oshinima osho moipafi yOvaisraeli aveshe nomoipafi yetanga.’ ”
David ta hepaulula etimba laye ndele te li diminwa po
13 Ndele David ta ti kuNatan: “Ame nda nyona kOmwene!” Ndele Natan ta ti kuDavid: “Onghee hano Omwene e ku dimina po etimba loye. Ito ka fya. 14 Ndelenee ove eshi wa shekifa unene Omwene noilonga yaye, okaana aka ke ku dalelwa ke nokufya shili.” 15 Opo nee Natan a ya keumbo laye. NOmwene okwa denga okaana aka ka dalelwa David komwalikadi waUria, opo ka hangika koudu mudjuu. 16 Ndele David okwa konga oshipala shaKalunga molwokaana. Ndele David okwa ninga efimbo te lidilike ndele eshi e uya keumbo, a nangala oufiku pedu longaho. 17 Opo nee ovakulunhu vomeumbo laye ve uya kuye ve mu lombwele a penduke pedu. Ndelenee ye ina hala. Ye ina lya nande omungome pamwe navo. 18 Ndele mefiku etiheyali okaana ka fya. Novapiya vaDavid va tila oku mu lombwela nokutya, okaana ka fya, osheshi va diladila: “Taleni, okaana fimbo ka kala nomwenyo fye twe mu lombwela ndele ine tu uda. Ohatu dulu ngahelipi oku mu lombwela: ‘Okaana ka fya!’ Ye ota dulu okuliningila sha shii.” 19 Ndelenee David eshi a dimbulukwa nokutya, ovapiya vaye tava nongofolelafana, David okwa shiiva nokutya, okaana ka fya. Ndele David okwa pula kovapiya vaye: “Okaana oka fya?” Ndele va nyamukula: “Heeno, oka fya!” 20 Opo nee David a penduka pedu ndele e likosha nokulivaeka ndele ta djala oikutu imwe ndele ta i kongulu yOmwene ndele ta indile. Opo nee e uya meumbo laye ndele ta pula eendja ndele ta li. 21 Opo nee ovapiya vaye tava pula kuye: “Oshike hano wa ninga? Okaana fimbo ka li nomwenyo ove we lidilika nokulila, ndelenee okaana eshi ka fya, ove wa penduka ndele to li eendja?” 22 Ndele ye ta ti: “Okaana fimbo ka li nomwenyo, ame nde lidilika nokulila, osheshi nda diladila: Kashiimba Omwene ta file nge onghenda opo okaana ka kale nomwenyo. 23 Ndelenee paife oka fya. Omolwashike ndi kale nokulidilika? Ame handi dulu mbela oku ka alula vali? Ame ohandi i kuko, ndelenee ko itaka aluka kwaame.” 24 David okwa hekeleka omwalikadi waye Batseba nokwa ya kuye, ndele ta nangala naye. Ye okwa dala okaana okamati nokwe ka luka Salomo. NOmwene okwa li e ka hole. 25 Ndele David e ka yandja ka tekulwe komuxunganeki Natan. Ndele ye e ka luka Jedidiya molwOmwene.
Oshilando shaRabba tashi teka
26 Ndele Joab okwa lwifa Rabba shovana vaAmmoni nokwa teya oshilando shohamba. 27 Opo nee Joab ta tumu ovatumwa kuDavid va tye: “Ame nda lwifa Rabba ndele nda nangala oshilando shomeva. 28 Hano ongela ovakwaita ava va xupa po, u kondekele oshilando u shi teye, opo ame ndihe shi teye medina lange.” 29 Opo nee David a ongela ovakwaita aveshe nokwa ya kuRabba nokwe shi lwifa ndele te shi nangala. 30 Ndele ye okwa kufa oshishani shokomutwe wohamba yavo. Oudjuu washo eekilograma omilongo nhatu nanhano yoshingoldo, ndele musho mwa li okamanya ke nondilo. Ndele sha tulwa komutwe waDavid. Ndele va kufa mo moshilando oixuulwa ihapu. 31 Noonakukalamo musho okwe va kufa mo nokwe va tula moilonga yoishaaxa, yeembike noyomapanda. Ndele e va tula mokuyofa eedopi. Nosho ngaha a ninga noilando aishe yOvaammoni. Opo nee David a shuna novakwaita aveshe kuJerusalem.
