12:1
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:2  
    [kjv]  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
    [bbe]  The man of wealth had great numbers of flocks and herds;
12:3
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:4  
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:5
    [kjv]  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:
    [bbe]  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:
12:6
    [kjv]  And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
    [bbe]  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.
12:7
    [kjv]  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;
    [bbe]  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;
12:8 
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:9
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:10
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:11
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:12
    [kjv]  For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
    [bbe]  You did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and in the light of the sun.
12:13
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  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.
12:14  
    [kjv]  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.
    [bbe]  But still, because you have had no respect for the Lord, death will certainly overtake the child who has newly come to birth.
12:15  
    [kjv]  And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
    [bbe]  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.
12:16  
    [kjv]  David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
    [bbe]  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,............