“Then David gathered all the people together, and went out against Rabbath: and after fighting, he took it. And he took the crown of their king from his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold, set with the most precious stones, and it was put upon David’s head, and the spoils of the city which ere very great he carried away.
And bringing forth the people thereof he sawed them, and drove over them with chariots armed with iron: and divided them with knives, and made them pass through brickkilns: so did he to all the cities of the children of Ammon: and David returned, with all the army to Jerusalem.”—2 Kings (2 Samuel) 12: 29-31 Douay-Rheims Translation
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“So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it and took it. He took the crown of Milcom from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. He also brought forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount.
He brought out the people who were in it, an set them to work with saws and iron picks and iron axes, or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.”—2 Samuel 12: 29-31, New Revised Standard Version
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Two passages, two very different stories. Which is it? They cannot both be true.
The Douay-Rheims Version is the nearest, most-direct translation from the Latin Vulgate, the first and uniform version of The Bible translated by Saint Jerome, direct from Hebrew in the fourth century, so that lay-Christians could read the Word of God in their common language (yes, Latin was the common language of the Roman Empire, not the archaic language we now see it as, and translation of the Bible from Hebrew to Latin was to make The Word of God accessible to all literate persons of the Roman world and empire).
The New Revised Standard Version appeared in 1989. Why has it been softened? Why is it so different? When the narrative is so completely different, or changed—why and for what reason?
This passage comes in after of a pivotal moment in David’s life and story. He has just slept with Bethsabee (Bathsheba), the wife of Uriah the Hittite. He has sent Uriah to the frontline to be killed, along with others, since David was unable to get him to return and sleep with his wife and thereby hide conception of the infidelity. David has just been judged, rebuked and condemned for his action by Nathan the high priest. Solomon, the second son from Bathsheba after their first, from infidelity, has died by God’s judgment of David’ act.
We have seen what David has done, why should we lessen, or erase in storied rewrite, what it was that David did? Don’t hide his sin. The ugliness is part of the story.
His kingdom is about to fall. He is about to be banished, hunted, and to flee for his life. Would not part of this be cause and reason for his own hardness and violence of heart?
Even when David’s throne and kingdom are restored, it will break at the hands of his son—Solomon—born of marriage begun of infidelity to woman, Hittite, whose example of idolatry and worship, as was culture of the Hittites, led to Solomon’s abandonment and forsaking of God.
David, while perhaps man after God’s own heart, in youth, became something different—just as Muhammad became when given power as well. Corrupted, conquering, hard of heart: these are the book ends of who religions call holy in before and aft of the moment in mankind when the Son of God appeared and walked amongst us on this earth.
Jesus rebuked these ways. Jesus rebuked these kingdoms—power and politics given titles of religion. Christ, Christianity, these were different. Where before and aft, kingdoms for gods were spread by the sword, one arose from the ruins of an empire that treated those who followed, practiced, and worshipped Christ as sacrificial lambs, and a Kingdom of God arose not of sword’s blood letting of enemies, but in example and witnessed sacrifice of those who lived and evangelized Christ’s Gospel.
World and man have not changed and when you look at the violence in our present age: Israel and Islam still war for kingdoms of earth. Neither desire peace. Peace does not come of kingdoms that spread by sword but by One whose example is self-sacrifice and forgiveness of sins so that the violence and bloodlust for world-power and eminence may be broken.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth…Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy…Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God…Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God…Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…”
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Light. Without, there is only war—it doesn’t matter the kingdom—as bookends of mankind’s story tell.