2 Samuel · Bible in Basic English
2 Samuel 12 Bible in Basic English
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. And Nathan came to him and said, There were two men in the same town: one a man of great wealth, and the other a poor man.
1 Y ENVIÓ Jehová á Nathán á David, el cual viniendo á él, díjole: Había dos hombres en una ciudad, el uno rico, y el otro pobre.
2 The man of wealth had great numbers of flocks and herds;
2 El rico tenía numerosas ovejas y vacas:
3 But the poor man had only one little she-lamb, which he had got and taken care of: from its birth it had been with him like one of his children; his meat was its food, and from his cup it took its drink, resting in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.
3 Mas el pobre no tenía más que una sola cordera, que él había comprado y criado, y que había crecido con él y con sus hijos juntamente, comiendo de su bocado, y bebiendo de su vaso, y durmiendo en su seno: y teníala como á una hija.
4 Now a traveller came to the house of the man of wealth, but he would not take anything from his flock or his herd to make a meal for the traveller who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and made it ready for the man who had come.
4 Y vino uno de camino al hombre rico; y él no quiso tomar de sus ovejas y de sus vacas, para guisar al caminante que le había venido, sino que tomó la oveja de aquel hombre pobre, y aderezóla para aquél que le había venido.
5 And David was full of wrath against that man; and he said to Nathan, By the living Lord, death is the right punishment for the man who has done this:
5 Entonces se encendió el furor de David en gran manera contra aquel hombre, y dijo á Nathán: Vive Jehová, que el que tal hizo es digno de muerte.
6 And he will have to give back four times the value of the lamb, because he has done this and because he had no pity.
6 Y que él debe pagar la cordera con cuatro tantos, porque hizo esta tal cosa, y no tuvo misericordia.
7 And Nathan said to David, You are that man. The Lord God of Israel says, I made you king over Israel, putting holy oil on you, and I kept you safe from the hands of Saul;
7 Entonces dijo Nathán á David: Tú eres aquel hombre. Así ha dicho Jehová, Dios de Israel: Yo te ungí por rey sobre Israel, y te libré de la mano de Saúl;
8 I gave you your master's daughter and your master's wives for yourself, and I gave you the daughters of Israel and Judah; and if that had not been enough, I would have given you such and such things.
8 Yo te dí la casa de tu señor, y las mujeres de tu señor en tu seno: demás de esto te dí la casa de Israel y de Judá; y si esto es poco, yo te añadiré tales y tales cosas.
9 Why then have you had no respect for the word of the Lord, doing what is evil in his eyes? You have put Uriah the Hittite to death with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife; you have put him to death with the sword of the children of Ammon.
9 ¿Por qué pues tuviste en poco la palabra de Jehová, haciendo lo malo delante de sus ojos? A Uría Hetheo heriste á cuchillo, y tomaste por tu mujer á su mujer, y á él mataste con el cuchillo de los hijos de Ammón.
10 So now the sword will never be turned away from your family; because you have had no respect for me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.
10 Por lo cual ahora no se apartará jamás de tu casa la espada; por cuanto me menospreciaste, y tomaste la mujer de Uría Hetheo para que fuese tu mujer.
11 The Lord says, From those of your family I will send evil against you, and before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to your neighbour, and he will take your wives to his bed by the light of this sun.
11 Así ha dicho Jehová: He aquí yo levantaré sobre ti el mal de tu misma casa, y tomaré tus mujeres delante de tus ojos, y las daré á tu prójimo, el cual yacerá con tus mujeres á la vista de este sol.
12 You did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the light of the sun.
12 Porque tú lo hiciste en secreto; mas yo haré esto delante de todo Israel, y delante del sol.
13 And David said to Nathan, Great is my sin against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord has put away your sin; death will not come on you.
13 Entonces dijo David á Nathán: Pequé contra Jehová. Y Nathán dijo á David: También Jehová ha remitido tu pecado: no morirás.
14 But still, because you have had no respect for the Lord, death will certainly overtake the child who has newly come to birth.
14 Mas por cuanto con este negocio hiciste blasfemar á los enemigos de Jehová, el hijo que te ha nacido morirá ciertamente.
15 Then Nathan went back to his house. And the hand of the Lord was on David's son, the child of Uriah's wife, and it became very ill.
15 Y Nathán se volvió á su casa. Y Jehová hirió al niño que la mujer de Uría había parido á David, y enfermó gravemente.
16 So David made prayer to God for the child; and he took no food day after day, and went in and, stretching himself out on the earth, was there all night.
16 Entonces rogó David á Dios por el niño; y ayunó David, recogióse, y pasó la noche acostado en tierra.
17 And the chief men of his house got up and went to his side to make him get up from the earth, but he would not; and he would not take food with them.
17 Y levantándose los ancianos de su casa [fueron] á él para hacerlo levantar de tierra; mas él no quiso, ni comió con ellos pan.
18 And then on the seventh day the child's death took place. And David's servants were in fear of giving him the news of the child's death: for they said, Truly, while the child was still living he gave no attention when we said anything to him: what will he do to himself if we give him word that the child is dead?
18 Y al séptimo día murió el niño; pero sus siervos no osaban hacerle saber que el niño era muerto, diciendo [entre sí]: Cuando el niño aun vivía, le hablábamos, y no quería oir nuestra voz: ¿pues cuánto más mal le hará, si le dijéremos que el niño es muerto?
19 But when David saw that his servants were talking together quietly, he was certain that the child was dead: and he said to his servants, Is the child dead? and they said, He is.
19 Mas David viendo á sus siervos hablar entre sí, entendió que el niño era muerto; por lo que dijo David á sus siervos: ¿Es muerto el niño? Y ellos respondieron: Muerto es.
20 Then David got up from the earth, and after washing and rubbing himself with oil and changing his clothing, he went into the house of the Lord and gave worship: then he went back to his house, and at his order they put food before him and he had a meal.
20 Entonces David se levantó de tierra, y lavóse y ungióse, y mudó sus ropas, y entró á la casa de Jehová, y adoró. Y después vino á su casa, y demandó, y pusiéronle pan, y comió.
21 Then his servants said to him, Why have you been acting in this way? you were weeping and going without food while the child was still living; but when the child was dead, you got up and had a meal.
21 Y dijéronle sus siervos: ¿Qué es esto que has hecho? Por el niño, viviendo aún, ayunabas y llorabas; y él muerto, levantástete y comiste pan.
22 And he said, While the child was still living I went without food and gave myself up to weeping: for I said, Who is able to say that the Lord will not have mercy on me and give the child life?
22 Y él respondió: Viviendo aún el niño, yo ayunaba y lloraba, diciendo: ¿Quién sabe si Dios tendrá compasión de mí, por manera que viva el niño?
23 But now that the child is dead there is no reason for me to go without food; am I able to make him come back to life? I will go to him, but he will never come back to me.
23 Mas ahora que ya es muerto, ¿para qué tengo de ayunar? ¿podré yo hacerle volver? Yo voy á él, mas él no volverá á mí.
24 And David gave comfort to his wife Bath-sheba, and he went in to her and had connection with her: and she had a son to whom she gave the name Solomon. And he was dear to the Lord.
24 Y consoló David á Bath-sheba su mujer, y entrando á ella, durmió con ella; y parió un hijo, y llamó su nombre Salomón, al cual amó Jehová:
25 And he sent word by Nathan the prophet, who gave him the name Jedidiah, by the word of the Lord.
25 Que envió por mano de Nathán profeta, y llamó su nombre Jedidiah, á causa de Jehová.
26 Now Joab was fighting against Rabbah, in the land of the children of Ammon, and he took the water-town.
26 Y Joab peleaba contra Rabba de los hijos de Ammón, y tomó la ciudad real.
27 And Joab sent men to David, saying, I have made war against Rabbah and have taken the water-town.
27 Entonces envió Joab mensajeros á David, diciendo: Yo he peleado contra Rabba, y he tomado la ciudad de las aguas.
28 So now, get the rest of the people together, and put them in position against the town and take it, for if I take it, it will be named after my name.
28 Junta pues ahora el pueblo que queda, y asienta campo contra la ciudad, y tómala; porque tomando yo la ciudad, no se llame de mi nombre.
29 Then David got all the people together and went to Rabbah and made war on it and took it.
29 Y juntando David todo el pueblo, fué contra Rabba, y combatióla, y tomóla.
30 And he took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it were stones of great price; and it was put on David's head. And he took a great store of goods from the town.
30 Y tomó la corona de su rey de su cabeza, la cual pesaba un talento de oro, y [tenía] piedras preciosas; y fué puesta sobre la cabeza de David. Y trajo muy grande despojo de la ciudad.
31 And he took the people out of the town and put them to work with wood-cutting instruments, and iron grain-crushers, and iron axes, and at brick-making: this he did to all the towns of the children of Ammon. Then David and all the people went back to Jerusalem.
31 Sacó además el pueblo que estaba en ella, y púsolo debajo de sierras, y de trillos de hierro, y de hachas de hierro; é hízolos pasar por hornos de ladrillos: y lo mismo hizo á todas las ciudades de los hijos de Ammón. Volvióse luego David con todo el pueblo á Jerusalem.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Bathsheba
Wife of David and mother of Solomon, remembered amid both sin and grace.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 1-2; Matthew 1:6
David
The shepherd who became Israel's greatest king and a man after God's own heart.
Cited in the guide: 1 Sam. 16 - 1 Kings 2; 2 Sam. 7; 1 Chron. 2:15; Matt. 1:6
Joab
Son of Zeruiah and commander of David's army, who killed Abner and Amasa, besieged Rabbah, killed Absalom in the oak, and carried out David's census.
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 2:13; 2 Samuel 3:27; 2 Samuel 12:26
Nathan
The prophet to whom David confided his wish to build a house for the ark, who carried the LORD's promise of an enduring house to David, rebuked him with the parable of the ewe…
Cited in the guide: 2 Samuel 7:2; 2 Samuel 7:4; 2 Samuel 12:1
Cross references (29)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 51:1–19; 1 Kings 20:35–41; Judges 9:7–15; Isaiah 5:1–7; 1 Kings 13:1
- 2 2 Samuel 12:8; 2 Samuel 3:2–5; Job 1:3; 2 Samuel 5:13–16; 2 Samuel 15:16
- 3 Micah 7:5; 2 Samuel 11:3; Deuteronomy 13:6; Proverbs 5:18–19
- 4 James 1:14; 2 Samuel 11:3–4; Genesis 18:2–7
- 5 Genesis 38:24; Romans 2:1; 1 Samuel 26:16; Luke 6:41–42; 1 Samuel 25:21–22
- 6 Exodus 22:1; Proverbs 6:31; Luke 19:8; James 2:13
- 7 Matthew 14:14; 1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 22:1; 1 Samuel 18:21; 2 Samuel 22:49
- 8 Psalm 84:11; 2 Samuel 9:7; 2 Samuel 12:11; 2 Samuel 5:5; 2 Samuel 2:4
- 9 1 Samuel 15:19; Psalm 90:8; Amos 2:4; Jeremiah 18:10; Psalm 139:1–2
- 10 2 Samuel 18:14–15; Matthew 26:52; Romans 2:4; 2 Samuel 13:28–29; Genesis 20:3
- 11 2 Samuel 16:21–22; Deuteronomy 28:30; 2 Samuel 13:1–14; 2 Samuel 15:10; 2 Samuel 13:28–29
- 12 2 Samuel 16:22; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Luke 12:1–2; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Samuel 11:4–15
- 13 Proverbs 28:13; 2 Samuel 24:10; Zechariah 3:4; Psalm 51:4; Micah 7:18–19
- 14 Romans 2:24; Isaiah 52:5; Psalm 89:31–33; Psalm 94:12; Proverbs 3:11–12
- 15 1 Samuel 25:38; Psalm 104:29; Deuteronomy 32:39; 1 Samuel 26:10; 2 Kings 15:5
- 16 2 Samuel 13:31; Jonah 3:9; Esther 4:16; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Samuel 12:22
- 17 2 Samuel 3:35; 1 Samuel 28:23
- 18 Numbers 20:15
- 20 Job 1:20; Ruth 3:3; Lamentations 3:39–41; Job 2:10; Ecclesiastes 9:8
- 21 1 Corinthians 2:15
- 22 Isaiah 38:5; Isaiah 38:1–3; Jonah 3:9–10; Joel 1:14; Jonah 1:6
- 23 Genesis 37:35; Job 30:23; Luke 23:43; Job 7:8–10
- 24 Matthew 1:6; 1 Chronicles 28:5–6; 1 Chronicles 29:1; 1 Chronicles 22:9–10; 2 Samuel 7:12
- 25 2 Samuel 7:4; Nehemiah 13:26; 1 Kings 1:11; 1 Kings 1:23; 2 Samuel 12:1–14
- 26 1 Chronicles 20:1–3; Deuteronomy 3:11; 2 Samuel 11:25
- 27 Ezekiel 21:20; Deuteronomy 3:11; 2 Samuel 11:1
- 28 John 7:18
- 30 1 Chronicles 20:2
- 31 1 Chronicles 20:3; Amos 1:3; 2 Samuel 8:2; Psalm 21:8–9
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
And David's anger being kindled against the man, he commanded that he should be put to death, and the lamb restored fourfold to the poor man; thus unwittingly condemning the sin he had wittingly committed. And when he had been shown this, and God's punishment had been denounced against him, he wiped out his sin in deep penitence.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… Saul, and give thee all that pertained to thy master, and all the house of Israel and Judah, and if it had been little for thee, I would have added thus and thus; and wherefore hast thou done that which was evil in my sight?" For not for all sins are there the same punishments, but many and diverse, according …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… standing round: for he had seen in thought the angel-host of the Lord, and he trembled as seeing Him who is invisible; and to the messenger, or rather by him in answer to God who sent him, he said, I have sinned against the Lord.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
Luke ascends through Nathan another son of the same David, through whom he was purged from his sin. For we read, that Nathan was sent to him to reprove him, and that he might through repentance be healed.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
Moreover her husband in war he caused to be killed: and after this deed there was sent to him Nathan the prophet; sent by the Lord, to reprove him for so great an outrage.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)