1Hospodin za Davidem poslal Nátana. Ten k němu přišel a řekl mu: „V jednom městě žili dva muži, jeden bohatý a jeden chudý.2Bohatý měl velikou spoustu ovcí a dobytka.3Chudý neměl nic než jednu malou ovečku, kterou koupil a choval. Vyrůstala u něj s jeho dětmi, z jeho skrovného pokrmu jedla, z jeho poháru pila, v jeho klíně spala, jako by byla jeho dcerou.4Jednou k onomu boháči přišel pocestný. Jemu ale bylo líto vzít a připravit pro hosta jednu ze svých ovcí nebo dobytka, a tak vzal ovečku onoho chudáka a tu tomu příchozímu připravil.“5David se na toho muže hrozně rozhněval. „Jakože je živ Hospodin,“ řekl Nátanovi, „muž, který to spáchal, musí zemřít!6A tu ovečku zaplatí čtyřnásobně – za to, že provedl takovou věc a neměl slitování.“7„Ten muž jsi ty!“ řekl Nátan Davidovi. „Tak praví Hospodin, Bůh Izraele: Já jsem tě pomazal za krále nad Izraelem a já jsem tě vysvobodil ze Saulových rukou.8Dal jsem ti dům tvého pána. I ženy svého pána jsi dostal do klína. Dal jsem ti dům Izraele a Judy. A kdyby ti to bylo málo, přidal bych ti ještě mnohem víc!9Proč jsi pohrdl Hospodinovým slovem? Provedl jsi, co je v jeho očích zlé. Uriáše Chetejského jsi zabil mečem a jeho ženu sis vzal za manželku. Zavraždil jsi ho mečem Amonců!10Proto, že jsi mnou pohrdl a vzal sis za ženu manželku Uriáše Chetejského, se od tvého domu od nynějška nikdy neodvrátí meč.11Tak praví Hospodin: Hle, vzbudím proti tobě zlo z tvého vlastního domu. Před tvýma očima vezmu tvé ženy a dám je tvému bližnímu, aby s nimi spal všem na očích.12Ty jsi to udělal tajně, ale já to udělám veřejně, před celým Izraelem!“13„Zhřešil jsem proti Hospodinu!“ řekl mu na to David. „Ano,“ odpověděl mu Nátan, „ale Hospodin z tebe tvůj hřích sňal. Nezemřeš.14Protože jsi ale tímto činem znevážil Hospodina,[1] musí zemřít tvůj novorozený syn.“15A po těch slovech se Nátan vrátil domů. Hospodin pak postihl dítě, které Davidovi porodila Uriášova manželka, a to onemocnělo.16David kvůli tomu chlapci hledal Boha. Držel půst a v noci ležel na holé zemi.17Stařešinové jeho domu se postavili okolo, aby ho přiměli vstát ze země, ale on nechtěl. Ani pokrm od nich nepřijal.18Po sedmi dnech pak dítě zemřelo. Davidovi služebníci se mu chlapcovu smrt báli oznámit. „Když ještě chlapec žil,“ říkali si, „domlouvali jsme mu, ale nechtěl nás poslechnout. Co až mu řekneme: ‚Dítě umřelo?‘ Mohl by provést něco hrozného!“19David si ale všiml, že si jeho služebníci šeptají, a pochopil, že chlapec zemřel. „Dítě umřelo?“ zeptal se svých služebníků. „Ano, umřelo,“ odpověděli.20Nato David vstal ze země, a když se umyl, pomazal mastí a převlékl, šel se poklonit do Hospodinovy svatyně. Pak se vrátil domů, požádal o pokrm a pojedl.21„Co to děláš?“ řekli mu jeho služebníci. „Dokud chlapec žil, postil ses a plakal, ale jakmile zemřel, vstal jsi a dal ses do jídla!“22„Dokud chlapec žil,“ odpověděl jim, „postil jsem se a plakal, protože jsem si říkal: ‚Kdo ví? Třeba se nade mnou Hospodin slituje a nechá ho naživu.‘23Teď je mrtvý. Proč bych se měl postit? Copak ho mohu přivést zpět? Já půjdu za ním, ale on se ke mně nevrátí.“24Potom David utěšoval svou manželku Batšebu; přišel k ní a miloval se s ní. Když pak porodila syna, dala mu jméno Šalomoun, Pokojný. Hospodin si ho zamiloval25a skrze proroka Nátana sdělil, že pro Hospodina se bude jmenovat Jedidiáš, Miláček Hospodinův.26Joáb mezitím bojoval proti Rabě Amonců. Když to královské město téměř dobyl,27vyslal k Davidovi posly se vzkazem: „Zaútočil jsem na Rabu a dobyl jsem městský zdroj vody.28Vezmi tedy zbytek vojska, oblehni město a dobuď je, abych je nedobyl já a vítězství nebylo připisováno mně.“29David tedy vzal všechno zbývající vojsko a vytáhl proti Rabě. Zaútočil na ni a dobyl ji.30Potom sňal z Molochovy hlavy[2] korunu vážící talent[3] zlata. Měla na sobě drahokam, který pak David nosíval na hlavě. Vyvezl z města také veliké množství kořisti.31Jeho obyvatele odvedl a dal k pile, k železným dlátům a sekyrám; některé poslal do cihelny. Tak naložil se všemi městy Amonců. Potom se David se vším vojskem vrátil do Jeruzaléma.
1And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. (Sd 9,8; 2S 7,2; 2S 7,4; 2S 7,17; 2S 12,7; 2S 12,13; 2S 12,15; 2S 12,25; 2S 14,5; 1Kr 1,10; 1Kr 1,22; 1Kr 1,34; 1Kr 4,5; 1Kr 20,35; 1Pa 29,29; 2Pa 9,29)2The rich man had very many flocks and herds,3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms,[1] and it was like a daughter to him.4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”5Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, (Rt 3,13)6and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” (Ex 22,1; L 19,8)7Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. (1S 16,13)8And I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.9Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. (Nu 15,31; 1S 15,19; 2S 11,15; 2S 11,17; 2S 11,27)10Now 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.’11Thus says 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.12For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” (2S 16,22)13David 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. (1S 15,24; 2S 24,10; Ž 32,1; Ž 32,5; Ž 51,4; Mi 7,18; Za 3,4)14Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord,[2] the child who is born to you shall die.” (Iz 52,5; Ez 36,20; Ez 36,23; Ř 2,24)
David’s Child Dies
15Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick.16David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. (2S 13,31; 1Kr 21,27)17And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them.18On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David 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 did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.”19But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.”20Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. (Rt 3,3; Jb 1,20)21Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”22He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ (Jon 3,9)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.” (Jb 7,8)
Solomon’s Birth
24Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, 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 (1Pa 22,9; Mt 1,6)25and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah,[3] because of the Lord.
Rabbah Is Captured
26Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. (Dt 3,11; 2S 11,1; 1Pa 20,1)27And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters.28Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name.”29So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it.30And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent[4] of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount.31And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at[5] the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.