Na You Be Di Man

One prophet tell di king one story about one poor man and one lamb wey dem thief. Di king vex well well. Di man wey do dis thing suppose die! Di prophet look am for eye. Na you be di man.

Na spring time, di time of di year when kings dey go war. David send im general Joab and di whole army of Israel go surround Rabbah, di capital of di Ammonites. But David imself stay back for Jerusalem. One evening, e get up from im bed come waka for di roof of di palace. From there, e see one woman dey bathe. She fine well well. E ask who she be. Na Bathsheba, di wife of Uriah di Hittite, one of im own soldiers, wey dey fight for war dat very time.

David send messengers, and dem bring her come meet am, and e sleep with her. Then she go back to her house. After some time, one message come back to di palace, so short say one breath fit talk am. I get belle. Readers don dey ask for long time how much choice Bathsheba get when di king send for her. Di Bible no tell us wetin she dey think. But e clear whose wrong dis one be. Every action na David own. E see. E send. E take.

Now David try to cover am. E call Uriah come back from di battle, ask am with respect how di war dey go, and send am go im house make e rest, so dat everybody go think say na Uriah get di pikin. But Uriah no gree go house. E sleep for di palace door with di servants. Di ark and Israel and Judah dey live inside tent, e talk. My commander and im men dey camp for open field. How I go take go my house go chop and drink and sleep with my wife? David even make am drunk. Still e no go. So David write letter give Joab, and na Uriah imself e give di letter carry go. Put Uriah for front, where di fight hot pass, then draw back from am. Joab do am. Dem kill Uriah for battle. When di time of mourning finish, David bring Bathsheba come im house, and she become im wife and born son for am. But di Bible add one quiet line. Di thing wey David do no please Di Lord.

So Di Lord send di prophet Nathan to David. Nathan tell am about two men for one town. One rich man wey get plenty flocks, and one poor man wey get only one small female lamb. Di lamb grow up with im children. E dey chop from im plate and sleep for im arms. E be like daughter to am. When one traveller come visit, di rich man no gree take animal from im own flocks. E take di poor man lamb, cook am serve. David vex like fire. Dat man must pay four times, e talk, because e no get pity. And Nathan talk, Na you be di man. Then e talk for God. I make you king. I give you everything. Why you despise my word? Trouble go now rise against you from your own house.

David no argue. E no give excuse. E talk, I don sin against Di Lord. And Nathan answer, Di Lord don take away your sin. You no go die. But di consequences remain. Di baby fall sick. David fast and lie down for ground di whole night, dey beg for di pikin. For di seventh day, di pikin die. David get up, wash imself, go worship, then e chop. Im servants confuse. E tell dem: when di pikin still dey alive, I hope say God fit show mercy. Now I no fit bring am back. Later, David comfort Bathsheba, and she born another son. Dem name am Solomon, and Di Lord love am.

Di city wey David army surround, Rabbah of di Ammonites, no disappear. Later e become di city wey dem dey call Philadelphia, and today na Amman, di capital of Jordan. And di spring timing fit di old world. Armies dey wait until di rain of cold season finish and di roads dry before dem march. Na why di story start by talking say na di time when kings dey go battle, and David stay for house.

Dis story dey for Second Samuel, chapter eleven and twelve. E show how one wrong choice, wey person hide instead of confess, lead to another and another. E also show say when David finally talk di truth, God forgive am. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Something dey wey you dey try cover, wey God dey invite you to bring come out for light?