King James Version

2 Samuel 12:4

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.

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Hebrew

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וַיָּ֣בֹאvayavoand to comeבּוֹאconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and to come”, the next action in the storyH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…הֵלֶךְ֮helekhtravellerהֵלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “traveller”, the ordinary formH1982properly, a journey, i.e. (by implication) a wayfarer; also a flowing[idiom] dropped, traveller.לְאִ֣ישׁleishto a certainאִישׁpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “to a certain”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הֶֽעָשִׁיר֒heashirthe richעָשִׁירdefinite article, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “the rich”, the ordinary formH6223rich, whether literal or figurative (noble)rich (man).וַיַּחְמֹ֗לvayachmoland spareחָמַלconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and spare”, the next action in the storyH2550to commiserate; by implication, to sparehave compassion, (have) pity, spare.לָקַ֤חַתlaqachatto takeלָקַחpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to take”, the to-form of the verbH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.מִצֹּאנוֹ֙mitsonvofrom flockצֹאןpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “from flock”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6629a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)(small) cattle, flock ([phrase] -s), lamb ([phrase] -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).וּמִבְּקָר֔וֹumibqarvoand from herdבָּקָרconjunction, preposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and from herd”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1241beef cattle or an animal of the ox family of either gender (as used for plowing); collectively, a herdbeeve, bull ([phrase] -ock), [phrase] calf, [phrase] cow, great (cattle), [phrase] heifer, herd, kine, ox.לַעֲשׂ֕וֹתlaasotto doעָשָׂהpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to do”, the to-form of the verbH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…לָאֹרֵ֖חַlaorechato wayfaringאָרַחpreposition, with the article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “to wayfaring”, a verb used as a describing wordH732to travelgo, wayfaring (man).הַבָּאhabathe to comeבּוֹאdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the to come”, a verb used as a describing wordH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…ל֑וֹlvotoל֑וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toוַיִּקַּ֗חvayiqachand takeלָקַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and take”, the next action in the storyH3947to take (in the widest variety of applications)accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, [idiom] many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).כִּבְשַׂת֙kivsatlambכִּבְשָׂהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “lamb”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3535a ewe(ewe) lamb.הָאִ֣ישׁhaishthe a certainאִישׁdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הָרָ֔אשׁharashthe lackרוּשׁdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the lack”, a verb used as a describing wordH7326to be destitutelack, needy, (make self) poor (man).וַֽיַּעֲשֶׂ֔הָvayaasehaand doעָשָׂהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and do”, the next action in the storyH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…לָאִ֖ישׁlaishto a certainאִישׁpreposition, with the article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “to a certain”, the ordinary formH376a man as an individual or a male person; often used as an adjunct to a more definite term (and in such cases frequently not expressed in translation)also, another, any (man), a certain, [phrase] champion, consent, each, every (one), fellow, (foot-, husband-) man, (good-, great, mighty) man, he, high (degree), him (that is), husband, man(-kind), [phrase] none, one, people, person, [phra…הַבָּ֥אhabathe to comeבּוֹאdefinite article, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “the to come”, a verb used as a describing wordH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…אֵלָֽיוelayvamongאֵלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

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.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

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.

Young’s Literal Translation

And there cometh a traveller to the rich man, And he spareth to take Of his own flock, and of his own herd, To prepare for the traveller Who hath come to him, And he taketh the ewe-lamb of the poor man, And prepareth it for the man Who hath come unto him.'

World English Bible

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.”

Darby Translation

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.

Douay-Rheims

And when a certain stranger was come to the rich man, he spared to take of his own sheep and oxen, to make a feast for that stranger, who was come to him, but took the poor man’s ewe, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And a traveller came to the rich man, and he spared to take of his flocks and of his herds, to dress for the traveller that came to him; and he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that came to him.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ ἦλθε πάροδος τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ πλουσίῳ, καὶ ἐφείσατο λαβεῖν ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τῶν βουκολίων αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι τῷ ξένῳ ὁδοιπόρῳ τῷ ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔλαβε τὴν ἀμνάδα τοῦ πένητος. καὶ ἐποίησεν αὐτὴν τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ἐλθόντι πρὸς αὐτόν.