2 Samuel 12:3
1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,
but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him.
4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, who refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.”
5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan: “As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms and was like a daughter to him.
- 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.
- WEB
- but the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and raised. It grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food, drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him.
- ASV
- 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 morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
- DARBY
- but the poor man had nothing at all, but one little ewe lamb which he had bought, and was nourishing; and it grew up with him, and together with his children: it ate of his morsel, and drank of his own cup, and slept in his bosom, and was to him as a daughter.
- BLB
- And the poor one [had] not anything, but if one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and kept alive. And it grew up with him and with his children together. Of his own food it ate, and from his own cup it drank, and in his bosom it lay, and it was to him like a daughter.
- ÅB
- men den fattige hadde ikke annet enn et eneste lite lam, som han hadde kjøpt og fødd opp; det vokste opp hos ham sammen med hans barn; det spiste av hans brød og drakk av hans beger og lå i hans fang og var som en datter for ham.
- OTB
- Men den fattige mannen hadde ingenting annet enn et lite lam som han hadde kjøpt og oppfostret; og det vokste opp sammen med ham og hans barn. Det spiste av hans brød, og drakk av hans kopp, og lå i hans fang, og var som en datter for ham.
- B1930
- men den fattige hadde ikke annet enn et eneste lite lam, som han hadde kjøpt og fødd op; det vokste op hos ham sammen med hans barn; det åt av hans brød og drakk av hans beger og lå i hans fang og var som en datter for ham.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Micah 7:5
Do not rely on a friend; do not trust in a companion. Seal the doors of your mouth from her who lies in your arms.
Read in context2 Samuel 11:3
So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
Read in contextDeuteronomy 13:6
If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you embrace, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (which neither you nor your fathers have known,
Read in contextProverbs 5:18–19
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth:
Read in context