David’s baby died

Then Yahweh caused the baby t o become very sick, the one that Uriah’s wife had given birth to. 16 So David prayed to God that the child would not die. He ◄fasted/abstained from food►, and he went into the room where he slept and lay all night on the floor. 17 The next morning his advisors stood around him and urged him to get up. But he would not get up, and he would not eat any food with them.

18 One week later the baby died. David’s servants were afraid to tell that to David. They said to each other, “Hey, while the baby was still alive, we talked to him, but he would not answer us. Now, if we tell him that the baby is dead [RHQ], he may do something to harm himself!”

19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering something to each other, he realized that the baby must be dead. So he asked them, “Is the baby dead?” They replied, “Yes, he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the floor. He bathed himself, put lotions on his body, and put on other clothes, Then he went into Yahweh’s Sacred Tent and worshiped Yahweh. Then he went home. He asked his servants for some food. They gave him some, and he ate it.

21 Then his servants said to him, “We do not understand [RHQ] why you have done this! While the baby was still alive, you cried for him and refused to eat anything. But now that the baby has died, you are not crying any more! You got up and ate some food!”

22 David replied, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted and cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahweh may be merciful to me and not allow the baby to die’. 23 But now the baby is dead. So ◄there is no reason for me to any more./why should I any more?► [RHQ] ◄Can I bring him back to me?/I certainly cannot bring him back to me!► [RHQ] Some day I will go to where he is, but he will not return to me.”

24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba. Then he ◄slept/had sexual relations► with her, and she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son. David named that son Solomon. Yahweh loved that little boy. 25 He told the prophet Nathan to tell David to name the baby boy Jedediah which means ‘loved by Yahweh’, because Yahweh loved him.