Misit ergo Dominus Nathan ad David: qui cum venisset ad eum, dixit ei: Duo viri erant in civitate una, unus dives, et alter pauper.

So it was that the Lord sent Nathan on an errand to David; and this was the mes-sage he brought him. There were two men that lived in the same town, one rich, one poor.

And the Lord sent Nathan to David: and when he was come to him, he said to him: There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor.

Dives habebat oves et boves plurimos valde.

The rich man had flocks and herds in great abundance;

The rich man had exceeding many sheep and oxen.

Pauper autem nihil habebat omnino, præter ovem unam parvulam quam emerat et nutrierat, et quæ creverat apud eum cum filiis ejus simul, de pane illius comedens, et de calice ejus bibens, et in sinu illius dormiens: eratque illi sicut filia.

the poor man had nothing except one ewe-lamb which he had bought and reared, letting it grow up in his house like his own children, share his own food and drink, sleep in his bosom; it was like a daughter to him.

But the poor man had nothing at all but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up, and which had grown up in his house together with his children, eating of his bread, and drinking of his cup, and sleeping in his bosom: and it was unto him as a daughter.

Cum autem peregrinus quidam venisset ad divitem, parcens ille sumere de ovibus et de bobus suis, ut exhiberet convivium peregrino illi qui venerat ad se, tulit ovem viri pauperis, et præparavit cibos homini qui venerat ad se.

The rich man was to entertain a friend, who was on his travels; and, to make a feast for this foreign guest, he would take no toll of his own flocks and herds; he robbed the poor man of the one lamb that was his, and welcomed the traveller with that.

And when a certain stranger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stranger, who was come to him, but took the poor man’s ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

Iratus autem indignatione David adversus hominem illum nimis, dixit ad Nathan: Vivit Dominus, quoniam filius mortis est vir qui fecit hoc.

David, burning with indignation at the wrong, said to Nathan, As the Lord is a living God, death is the due of such a man as this;

And David’s anger being exceedingly kindled against that man, he said to Nathan: As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this is a child of death.

Ovem reddet in quadruplum, eo quod fecerit verbum istud, et non pepercerit.

for this cruel deed of his, he shall make compensation fourfold.

He shall restore the ewe fourfold, because he did this thing, and had no pity.

Dixit autem Nathan ad David: Tu es ille vir. Hæc dicit Dominus Deus Israël: Ego unxi te in regem super Israël, et ego erui te de manu Saul,

And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.Here is a message for thee, said he, from the Lord God of Israel: I anointed thee king of Israel, I saved thy life when Saul threatened it;

And Nathan said to David: Thou art the man. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel: I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee from the hand of Saul,

et dedi tibi domum domini tui, et uxores domini tui in sinu tuo, dedique tibi domum Israël et Juda: et si parva sunt ista, adjiciam tibi multo majora.

I gave thee thy master’s goods to enjoy, thy master’s wives to cherish in thy bosom; all Israel and Juda are in thy power, and if that were not enough, more should be thine for the asking.

And gave thee thy master’s house and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and Juda: and if these things be little, I shall add far greater things unto thee.

Quare ergo contempsisti verbum Domini, ut faceres malum in conspectu meo? Uriam Hethæum percussisti gladio, et uxorem illius accepisti in uxorem tibi, et interfecisti eum gladio filiorum Ammon.

And thou, wouldst thou defy the Lord’s commandment, and do the wrong he hates, putting Urias the Hethite to the sword, so as to take his wife for thy own? The men of Ammon struck the blow, but thou art his murderer.

Why therefore hast thou despised the word of the Lord, to do evil in my sight? Thou hast killed Urias the Hethite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Quam ob rem non recedet gladius de domo tua usque in sempiternum, eo quod despexeris me, et tuleris uxorem Uriæ Hethæi ut esset uxor tua.

For the wrong thou hast done in robbing Urias the Hethite of his wife, to make her thine, murder shall be the heirloom of thy own race.

Therefore the sword shall never depart from thy house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Urias the Hethite to be thy wife.

Itaque hæc dicit Dominus: Ecce ego suscitabo super te malum de domo tua, et tollam uxores tuas in oculis tuis, et dabo proximo tuo: et dormiet cum uxoribus tuis in oculis solis hujus.

This is the Lord’s message to thee: I mean to stir up rebellion against thee in thy own household; before thy very eyes take thy own wives from thee and give them to another, that shall bed them in the full light of yonder sun.

Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thy own house, and I will take thy wives before thy eyes and give them to thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

Tu enim fecisti abscondite: ego autem faciam verbum istud in conspectu omnis Israël, et in conspectu solis.

Thou didst go to work secretly; when this threat of mine is fulfilled, all Israel and yonder sun shall witness it.

For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing in the sight of all Israel, and in the sight of the sun.

Et dixit David ad Nathan: Peccavi Domino. Dixitque Nathan ad David: Dominus quoque transtulit peccatum tuum: non morieris.

Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord; and Nathan answered, The Lord has given thy sin quittance, thou shalt not die for it.

And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David: The Lord also hath taken away thy sin: thou shalt not die.

Verumtamen quoniam blasphemare fecisti inimicos Domini, propter verbum hoc, filius qui natus est tibi, morte morietur.

But thou hast brought on the Lord the contempt of his enemies, and the son that has been born to thee is doomed to die.

Nevertheless, because thou hast given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, for this thing, the child that is born to thee, shall surely die.

Et reversus est Nathan in domum suam. Percussit quoque Dominus parvulum quem pepererat uxor Uriæ David, et desperatus est.

So Nathan went home, and now the little son Urias’ wife had borne to David was struck down by the Lord, and no hope was left for him.

And Nathan returned to his house. The Lord also struck the child which the wife of Urias had borne to David, and his life was despaired of.

Deprecatusque est David Dominum pro parvulo: et jejunavit David jejunio, et ingressus seorsum, jacuit super terram.

David still interceded for him with the Lord, keeping strict fast and passing his nights on the ground;

And David besought the Lord for the child: and David kept a fast, and going in by himself lay upon the ground.

Venerunt autem seniores domus ejus, cogentes eum ut surgeret de terra: qui noluit, nec comedit cum eis cibum.

he would not humour his counsellors when they came and bade him rise to his feet again, nor would he take food with them.

And the ancients of his house came, to make him rise from the ground: but he would not, neither did he eat meat with them.

Accidit autem die septima ut moreretur infans: timueruntque servi David nuntiare ei quod mortuus esset parvulus: dixerunt enim: Ecce cum parvulus adhuc viveret, loquebamur ad eum, et non audiebat vocem nostram: quanto magis si dixerimus: Mortuus est puer, se affliget?

Then, after six days, the child died; and David’s servants had not the courage to tell him it was so. If he would not listen to our remonstrances, they thought, while the child yet lived, what penance will he do when we tell him it is dead!

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 when the child was yet alive, we spoke to him, and he would not hearken to our voice: how much more will he afflict himself if we tell him that the child is dead?

Cum ergo David vidisset servos suos mussitantes, intellexit quod mortuus esset infantulus: dixitque ad servos suos: Num mortuus est puer? Qui responderunt ei: Mortuus est.

But David, as he marked them whispering to one another, guessed what had befallen; The child is dead? he asked, and when he heard that it was,

But when David saw his servants whispering, he understood that the child was dead: and he said to his servants: Is the child dead? They answered him: He is dead.

Surrexit ergo David de terra, et lotus unctusque est: cumque mutasset vestem, ingressus est domum Domini: et adoravit, et venit in domum suam, petivitque ut ponerent ei panem, et comedit.

he rose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, changed his garments, and went into the Lord’s house to do reverence there. Then he came back to his house, asked for food, and ate.

Then David arose from the ground, and washed and anointed himself: and when he had changed his apparel, he went into the house of the Lord: and worshipped, and then he came into his own house, and he called for bread, and ate.

Dixerunt autem ei servi sui: Quis est sermo quem fecisti? propter infantem, cum adhuc viveret, jejunasti et flebas: mortuo autem puero, surrexisti, et comedisti panem.

And when his servants asked what his meaning was, that he should fast and lament over the child still living, rise up and take food once the child was dead,

And his servants said to 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 up, and eat bread.

Qui ait: Propter infantem, dum adhuc viveret, jejunavi et flevi: dicebam enim: Quis scit si forte donet eum mihi Dominus, et vivat infans?

he answered, Fast and lament I would, for the child’s sake, while he lived; It may be, I thought, the Lord will grant me his life.

And he said: While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept for him: for I said: Who knoweth whether the Lord may not give him to me, and the child may live?

Nunc autem quia mortuus est, quare jejunem? numquid potero revocare eum amplius? ego vadam magis ad eum: ille vero non revertetur ad me.

Now that he is dead, what need to fast? Can I bring him back from the grave? I shall go to be with him, he will not come back to me.

But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Shall I be able to bring him back any more? I shall go to him rather: but he shall not return to me.

Et consolatus est David Bethsabee uxorem suam, ingressusque ad eam dormivit cum ea: quæ genuit filium, et vocavit nomen ejus Salomon: et Dominus dilexit eum.

Then David comforted his wife Bethsabee, and took her to his bed; and she bore him a son whom he called Solomon. Him the Lord loved,

And David comforted Bethsabee his wife, and went in unto her, and slept with her: and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him.

Misitque in manu Nathan prophetæ, et vocavit nomen ejus, Amabilis Domino, eo quod diligeret eum Dominus.

and sent word by the prophet Nathan that he was to be called The Lord’s Favourite, in proof of his great love.

And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name, Amiable to the Lord, because the Lord loved him.

Igitur pugnabat Joab contra Rabbath filiorum Ammon, et expugnabat urbem regiam.

Meanwhile, Joab was attacking Rabbath, and took the royal quarter of it.

And Joab fought against Rabbath of the children of Ammon, and laid close siege to the royal city.

Misitque Joab nuntios ad David, dicens: Dimicavi adversum Rabbath, et capienda est Urbs aquarum.

Then he sent a message to David, I have been attacking Rabbath, but the river-side part of the city remains yet to be won.

And Joab sent messengers to David, saying: I have fought against Rabbath, and the city of waters is about to be taken.

Nunc igitur congrega reliquam partem populi, et obside civitatem, et cape eam: ne cum a me vastata fuerit urbs, nomini meo ascribatur victoria.

Muster all the rest of thy army to attack the city and take it; I would not earn the credit of the victory by taking it myself.

Now therefore gather thou the rest of the people together, and besiege the city and take it: lest when the city shall be wasted by me, the victory be ascribed to my name.

Congregavit itaque David omnem populum, et profectus est adversum Rabbath: cumque dimicasset, cepit eam.

So David, mustering all his forces, marched on Rabbath and stormed it.

Then David gathered all the people together, and went out against Rabbath: and after fighting, he took it.

Et tulit diadema regis eorum de capite ejus, pondo auri talentum, habens gemmas pretiosissimas: et impositum est super caput David. Sed et prædam civitatis asportavit multam valde:

He took the king’s crown from his head, a crown of gold weighing a full talent, set with the rarest jewels, and wore it himself; much plunder he carried off from the city besides.

And he took the crown of their king from his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold, set with most precious stones, and it was put upon David’s head, and the spoils of the city which were very great he carried away.

populum quoque ejus adducens serravit, et circumegit super eos ferrata carpenta: divisitque cultris, et traduxit in typo laterum: sic fecit universis civitatibus filiorum Ammon. Et reversus est David et omnis exercitus in Jerusalem.

As for the people, he had them brought out and sawed in pieces, or crushed under iron chariots, or cut up with knives, or passed through a brick-kiln; and the same treatment he gave to all the cities of Ammon. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem.

And bringing forth the people thereof he sawed them, and drove over them chariots armed with iron: and divided them with knives, and made them pass through brickkilns: so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon: and David returned, with all the army to Jerusalem.