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.

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.

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:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

And he sent word by Nathan the prophet, who gave him the name Jedidiah, by the word of the Lord.

And Joab sent men to David, saying, I have made war against Rabbah and have taken the water-town.

Then David got all the people together and went to Rabbah and made war on it and took it.

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.

Now after this, it came about that Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar and David's son Amnon was in love with her.

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother: and Jonadab was a very wise man.

Then Jonadab said to him, Go to your bed, and let it seem that you are ill: and when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread, and get the food ready before my eyes, so that I may see it and take it from her hand.

Then David sent to the house for Tamar and said, Go now to your brother Amnon's house and get a meal for him.

And she took the cooking-pot, and put the cakes before him, but he would not take them. And Amnon said, Let everyone go away from me. So they all went out.

And when she took them to give them to him, he put his arms round her and said, Come to bed, my sister.

What will become of me in my shame? and as for you, you will be looked down on with disgust by all Israel. Now then, go and make your request to the king, for he will not keep me from you.

Then Amnon was full of hate for her, hating her with a hate greater than his earlier love for her. And he said to her, Get up and be gone.

Then he gave a cry to the servant who was waiting on him and said, Put this woman out, and let the door be locked after her.

And Tamar, in her grief, put dust on her head and she put her hand on her head and went away crying loudly.

But when King David had news of all these things he was very angry but he did not make trouble for Amnon his son, for he was dear to David, being his oldest son.

Now after two full years, Absalom had men cutting the wool of his sheep in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim: and he sent for all the king's sons to come to his feast.

And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, or the number will be over-great for you. And he made his request again, but he would not go, but he gave him his blessing.

But Absalom went on requesting him till he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom made a great feast like a feast for a king.

So Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom had given them orders. Then all the king's sons got up, and every man got on his beast and went in flight.

Then the king got up in great grief, stretching himself out on the earth: and all his servants were by his side, with their clothing parted.

So now, let not my lord the king take this thing to heart, with the idea that all the king's sons are dead: for only Amnon is dead.

And Jonadab said to the king, See, the king's sons are coming as your servant said, so it is.

So Absalom went in flight and came to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur, where he was for three years.

And the heart of David was wasted with desire for Absalom: for he was comforted for the death of Amnon.

Now it was clear to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, that the king's heart was turning to Absalom.

And come to the king and say these words to him. So Joab gave her words to say.

And the king said to her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

And now all the family is turned against me, your servant, saying, Give up him who was the cause of his brother's death, so that we may put him to death in payment for the life of his brother, whose life he took and we will put an end to the one who will get the heritage: so they will put out my last burning coal, and my husband will have no name or offspring on the face of the earth.

And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, My lord, O king, may the sin be on me and on my family, and may the king and the seat of his kingdom be clear of sin!

Then she said, Let the king keep in mind the Lord your God, so that he who gives punishment for blood may be kept back from further destruction and that no one may send death on my son. And he said, By the living Lord, not a hair of your son's head will come to the earth.

And the woman said, Why have you had such a thought about the people of God? (for in saying these very words the king has put himself in the wrong because he has not taken back the one whom he sent far away.)

And now it is my fear of the people which has made me come to say these words to my lord the king: and your servant said, I will put my cause before the king, and it may be that he will give effect to my request.

Then your servant said, May the word of my lord the king give me peace! for my lord the king is as the angel of God in his hearing of good and bad: and may the Lord your God be with you!

And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman in answer said, By the life of your soul, my lord the king, it is not possible for anyone to go to the right hand or to the left from anything said by the king: your servant Joab gave me orders, and put all these words in my mouth:

And the king said to Joab, See now, I will do this thing: go then and Come back with the young man Absalom.

So Joab got up and went to Geshur and came back again to Jerusalem with Absalom.

Now in all Israel there was no one so greatly to be praised for his beautiful form as Absalom: from his feet to the crown of his head he was completely beautiful.

And Absalom was the father of three sons and of one daughter named Tamar, who was very beautiful.

Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

Then Joab came to Absalom in his house and said to him, Why have your servants put my field on fire?

So Joab went to the king and said these words to him: and when the king had sent for him, Absalom came, and went down on his face on the earth before the king: and the king gave him a kiss.

And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:

For it is said, All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of the grass. The grass becomes dry and the flower dead:

So putting away all wrongdoing, and all tricks and deceits and envies and evil talk,

If you have had a taste of the grace of the Lord:

You, as living stones, are being made into a house of the spirit, a holy order of priests, making those offerings of the spirit which are pleasing to God through Jesus Christ.

And the value is for you who have faith but it is said for those without faith, The very stone which the builders put on one side, was made the chief stone of the building

But you are a special people, a holy nation, priests and kings, a people given up completely to God, so that you may make clear the virtues of him who took you out of the dark into the light of heaven.

My loved ones, I make this request with all my heart, that, as those for whom this world is a strange country, you will keep yourselves from the desires of the flesh which make war against the soul

Keep all the laws of men because of the Lord those of the king, who is over all,

Because it is God's pleasure that foolish and narrow-minded men may be put to shame by your good behaviour:

Have respect for all, loving the brothers, fearing God, honouring the king.

For it is a sign of grace if a man, desiring to do right in the eyes of God, undergoes pain as punishment for something which he has not done.

This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:

To sharp words he gave no sharp answer when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:

Because, like sheep, you had gone out of the way but now you have come back to him who keeps watch over your souls.