章：1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
12:1 耶和华差遣拿单去见大卫。拿单到了大卫那里，对他说，在一座城里有两个人，一个是富户，一个是穷人。
And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
12:2 富户有许多牛群羊群。
The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
12:3 穷人除了所买来养活的一只小母羊羔之外，别无所有。羊羔在他家里和他儿女一同长大，吃他所吃的，喝他所喝的，睡在他怀中，在他看来如同女儿一样。
But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
12:4 有一客人来到这富户家里。富户舍不得从自己的牛群羊群中取一只预备给客人吃，却取了那穷人的羊羔，预备给客人吃。
And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
12:5 大卫就甚恼怒那人，对拿单说，我指着永生的耶和华起誓，行这事的人该死。
And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
12:6 他必偿还羊羔四倍。因为他行这事，没有怜恤的心。
And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
12:7 拿单对大卫说，你就是那人。耶和华以色列的神如此说，我膏你作以色列的王，救你脱离扫罗的手。
And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
12:8 我将你主人的家业赐给你，将你主人的妻交在你怀里，又将以色列和犹大家赐给你。你若还以为不足，我早就加倍地赐给你。
And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
12:9 你为什么藐视耶和华的命令，行他眼中看为恶的事呢。你借亚扪人的刀杀害赫人乌利亚，又娶了他的妻为妻。
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
12:10 你既藐视我，娶了赫人乌利亚的妻为妻，所以刀剑必永不离开陪的家。
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
12:11 耶和华如此说，我必从你家中兴起祸患攻击你。我必在你眼前把你的妃嫔赐给别人，他在日光之下就与她们同寝。
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12:12 你在暗中行这事，我却要在以色列众人面前，日光之下，报应你。
For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
12:13 大卫对拿单说，我得罪耶和华了。拿单说，耶和华已经除掉你的罪，你必不至于死。
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
12:14 只是你行这事，叫耶和华的仇敌大得亵渎的机会，故此，你所得的孩子必定要死。
Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
12:15 拿单就回家去了。耶和华击打乌利亚妻给大卫所生的孩子，使他得重病。
And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
12:16 所以大卫为这孩子恳求神，而且禁食，进入内室，终夜躺在地上。
David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
12:17 他家中的老臣来到他旁边，要把他从地上扶起来，他却不肯起来，也不同他们吃饭。
And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
12:18 到第七日，孩子死了。大卫的臣仆不敢告诉他孩子死了，因他们说，孩子还活着的时候，我们劝他，他尚且不肯听我们的话，若告诉他孩子死了，岂不更加忧伤吗。
And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
12:19 大卫见臣仆彼此低声说话，就知道孩子死了，问臣仆说，孩子死了吗。他们说，死了。
But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
12:20 大卫就从地上起来，沭浴，抹膏，换了衣裳，进耶和华的殿敬拜。然后回宫，吩咐人摆饭，他便吃了。
Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
12:21 臣仆问他说，你所行的是什么意思。孩子活着的时候，你禁食哭泣。孩子死了，你倒起来吃饭。
Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
12:22 大卫说，孩子还活着，我禁食哭泣。因为我想，或者耶和华怜恤我，使孩子不死也未可知。
And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
12:23 孩子死了，我何必禁食，我岂能使他返回呢。我必往他那里去，他却不能回我这里来。
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
12:24 大卫安慰他的妻拔示巴，与她同寝，她就生了儿子，给他起名叫所罗门。耶和华也喜爱他，
And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
12:25 就藉先知拿单赐他一个名字，叫耶底底亚，因为耶和华爱他。
And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
12:26 约押攻取亚扪人的京城拉巴。
And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
12:27 约押打发使者去见大卫，说，我攻打拉巴，取其水城。
And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
12:28 现在你要聚集其馀的军兵来，安营围攻这城，恐怕我取了这城，人就以我的名叫这城。
Now 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.
12:29 于是大卫聚集众军，往拉巴去攻城，就取了这城，
And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
12:30 夺了亚扪人之王所戴的金冠冕（王或作玛勒堪。玛勒堪就是米勒公，又名摩洛，亚扪族之神名），其上的金子重一他连得，又嵌着宝石。人将这冠冕戴在大卫头上。大卫从城里夺了许多财物，
And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
12:31 将城里的人拉出来，放在锯下，或铁耙下，或铁斧下，或叫他经过砖窑（或作强他们用锯，或用打粮食的铁器，或用铁斧作工，或使在砖窑里服役）。大卫待亚扪各城的居民都是如此。其后，大卫和众军都回耶路撒冷去了。
And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
撒母耳记下12参考
从来忠言皆逆耳，然而劝诫者不单需要勇气，还需要有说话的智慧……
12:1-15 拿单既然作先知，自应嫉恶如仇，即使是君王犯法，也一样指责。要令大卫看出自己的错来，需要极大的勇气和技巧，说得婉转动听才可收效。在你必须对人讲出逆耳忠言的时候，你应当求神赐你勇气、技巧与口才，才能讲得恰到好处。如果你想对方有良好的回应，就要先好好地思索你所要讲的话。劝戒的方式与内容是同样重要的，切记将你的话语用智慧修饰。
冲动的言语难以改变一个人，心平气和地想一想，他需要的是 ……
12:5-6 经过一年时间，大卫对于自己的罪已极其麻木不仁，他不觉得自己就是拿单隐喻之中的大罪人。我们谴责别人的过错，常是自己也易犯的。你的朋友、同事及你的家庭中，哪些人是你最常批评的呢？你若是要力图改变他们，不如求神帮助你了解他们的感受，更清楚地看出你自己的缺点；你会看出，你谴责别人的时候，其实已经谴责了自己。
事后追悔，不如及早防备，因为罪的结果实在使人轻慢不得……
12:10-14 这几节的预言都应验了。由于大卫杀害乌利亚，夺了他的妻子，以致（1）他家中不断有凶杀的威胁（13:26-30；18:14-15；王上2:23-25）；（2）他儿子背叛他（15:13）；（3）他的妃嫔在众目睽睽之下与别人同寝（16:20-23）；（4）他与拔示巴所生的头一个孩子死了（12:18）。他若知道犯罪带来的痛苦后果，就不会追求一时的罪中之乐了。
神真奇妙，他既不宽容罪恶，却又屡次饶恕罪人。此刻我是让他震怒，抑或蒙他宽待？
12:13 大卫王因这次事件，写了诗篇第五十一篇，使人对他的性格有更深的了解，也给我们罪得赦免的盼望。不管你为自己犯罪感到多么的痛苦，所犯的罪有多沉重，你都可以像大卫一样向神倾心吐意，求他赦免。我们认罪悔改以后，神总要赦宥。大卫也写了诗篇三十二篇，表明他罪蒙赦免的喜乐。
神接纳了我，不等于罪行的恶果会被勾销……
12:14 大卫虽然承认自己的罪（12:13），神仍处罚他，叫他所生的儿子死亡。犯罪的后果是无法改变的，有时道歉也无法挽回。神赦免我们，使我们可以与他相交、恢复关系，但是他并不会因此就取消我们因过错带来的一切后果。我们可能冲口而出说：“假使这件事错了的话，我可以向神赔个不是。”但是必须记住，我们可能使许多事情无可挽回，后果无法估计。
我常有这分疑惑：为甚么成年人犯罪，会祸及小孩子身上？
12:14 这个孩子为甚么要死？这并不是神对通奸所生的孩子的刑罚，乃是对大卫犯罪的审判。大卫与拔示巴也该死，但是神饶恕了他们的性命，却叫这孩子死去，因为神要大卫去建立以色列国度，他还有工作要大卫去完成。这孩子的死对大卫来说，也许比自己死去还要痛苦。
婴儿的死亡固然是悲剧，总好过神令全民族死亡。神赦免大卫的罪，但是并未免去他一切的刑罚。
回转，是一切爱的开始……
12:20-24 大卫没有继续活在罪中，他回转归向神，神就赦免了他，使他重新生活。他为大卫与拔示巴以后所生的儿子所罗门赐下一个名字：耶底底亚，就是“耶和华爱他”的意思（12:25）；是叫他纪念神的恩典。我们回转归向神，领受他赦罪之恩，他就赐我们新的开始。不过先要像大卫一样向神认罪、归向他，才能感受到罪的赦免，然后重新生活，努力向前。
生离死别的悲痛，究竟可以从哪里得著安慰？
12:22-23 孩子的死亡，可能是人生最痛苦的体验。如此艰苦情势之下的安慰，可参看诗篇16篇9至11节、17篇15节、139篇；以赛亚书40章11节。
蒙神喜悦的孩子的出生，安慰了经历丧亲之痛的心灵……
12:24 所罗门是大卫与拔示巴所生的第四个儿子（参代上3:5），在他们第一个儿子死后，到所罗门的出生，中间经过了一些年日。拔示巴可能因第一个孩子的死犹有余哀。