Then Yahweh caused the baby (that Uriyyah’s wife had given birth to) to get sick. 16 David pleaded with Yahweh for the boy’s sake, and he fasted, and he spent the entire night lying down on the ground. 17 The influential members of his household got beside him to try to get him up from the ground, but he wouldn’t budge, and he wouldn’t eat anything they brought. 18 Then on the seventh day, the baby died, but David’s servants were afraid to tell him because after seeing his response when the child was sick, they were afraid of what he might do to himself when he found out that his son had died.

19 However, when David noticed his servants whispering together, he realised that the baby must have died, and he asked them, “Did the baby die?”

“Yes,” they answered, “he passed away.”

20 Then David got up from the ground and washed, and he rubbed lotions on and changed his clothes, then he entered Yahweh’s tent and worshipped him. Then he went back home and asked for food to be served, and he ate.

21 His servants queried him, “We don’t understand what just happened: when the baby was alive you fasted and wept, but yet when he dies, you get up and have a meal?”

22 “While the child was still alive,” David replied, “I fasted and I wept, because I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh might be gracious to me and let him live.’ 23 But now that he’s dead, there’s no more reason to fast—I can’t bring him back again. One day I’ll go to him, but he’ll never come back here to me.” 24 Then David comforted his wife Batsheva.