2 Samuel 12:16–23

¹⁶David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David ^afasted and went and ^blay all night on the ground.

^17aThe elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.

¹⁸Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, “Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!”

¹⁹But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.”

²⁰So David arose from the ground, ^awashed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and ^bworshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.

²¹Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? ¹While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.”

²²He said, “While the child was still alive, ^aI fasted and wept; for I said, ‘^bWho knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’

²³“But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? ^aI will go to him, but ^bhe will not return to me.”