2 Samuel 12:13-25 - David Repents, But The Child Dies

¹³ Then said David unto Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said again to David, "The LORD hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. ¹⁴ Howbeit, because in doing this deed thou hast given the enemies of the LORD a cause to rail, the child that is born thee shall die surely." ¹⁵ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child, that Uriah's wife bare David, and it sickened. ¹⁶ And David besought God for the boy and fasted and went and lay all night upon the earth. ¹⁷ And the elders of his house arose and went to him to take him up from the earth. But he would not, neither yet eat meat with them.

¹⁸ And it happened the seventh day that the child died. But the servants of David durst not tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "See, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice. How much more then will he vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?"

¹⁹ But David saw his servants whispering and thereby perceived that the child was dead, and said unto his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "Yea."

²⁰ Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel, and went into the house of the LORD and prayed; and after came to his own house and bade that they should set meat before him, and he did eat.

²¹ Then said his servants unto him, "What is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for thy child while it was alive, and as soon as it was dead thou didst rise up and didst eat meat."

²² And he answered, "While the child was alive, I fasted and wept. For I this thought, 'Who can tell whether God will have mercy on me that the child may live?' ²³ But now, seeing it is dead, wherefore should I fast? Can I bring him again any more? I shall go to him: but he shall not come again to me."

²⁴ And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her, and she bare a son whose name was called Solomon, and the LORD loved him. ²⁵ And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and called his name Jedidiah, of the LORD's behalf.