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2 Samuel 12:4

Justice

2 The rich man had a great number of sheep and cattle,

3 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.

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!

6 Because he has done this thing and has shown no pity, he must pay for the lamb four times over.”

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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
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.”
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.
WEB
A traveler came to the rich man, and he didn’t want to take of his own flock and of his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him, but took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
ASV
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.
DARBY
And there came a traveller to the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that had come to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that had come to him.
BLB
And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare for the wayfaring man who had come to him. And he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
ÅB
Så kom det en veifarende mann til den rike; men han nente ikke å ta noe av sitt småfe eller storfe og lage det til for den reisende som var kommet til ham, men tok den fattige manns lam og laget det til for den mann som var kommet til ham.
OTB
Nå kom det en besøkende til den rike mannen, og han kunne ikke få seg til å ta noe dyr fra sin egen flokk eller hjord for å tilberede for den reisende som hadde kommet til ham; så han tok den fattige mannens lam og tilberedte det for mannen som hadde kommet til ham."
B1930
Så kom det en veifarende mann til den rike; men han nente ikke å ta noget av sitt småfe eller storfe og lage det til for den reisende som var kommet til ham, men tok den fattige manns lam og laget det til for den mann som var kommet til ham.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • James 1:14

    But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

    Read in context

  • 2 Samuel 11:3–4

    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 context

  • Genesis 18:2–7

    And Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

    Read in context