20. Then David got up from the floor, washed himself, put lotions on, and changed his clothes. Then he went into the Lord’s house to worship. After that, he went home and asked for something to eat. His servants gave him some food, and he ate.
21. David’s servants said to him, “Why are you doing this? When the baby was still alive, you fasted and you cried. Now that the baby is dead, you get up and eat food.”
22. David said, “While the baby was still alive, I fasted, and I cried. I thought, ‘Who knows? Maybe the Lord will feel sorry for me and let the baby live.’
23. But now that the baby is dead, why should I fast? I can’t bring him back to life. Someday I will go to him, but he cannot come back to me.”
24. Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife. He slept with her and had sexual relations with her. She became pregnant again and had another son, whom David named Solomon. The Lord loved Solomon.
25. The Lord sent word through Nathan the prophet to name the baby Jedidiah, because the Lord loved the child.
26. Joab fought against Rabbah, a royal city of the Ammonites, and he was about to capture it.
27. Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured its water supply.
28. Now bring the other soldiers together and attack this city. Capture it before I capture it myself and it is called by my name!”
29. So David gathered all the army and went to Rabbah and fought against it and captured it.
30. David took the crown off their king’s head and had it placed on his own head. That gold crown weighed about seventy-five pounds, and it had valuable gems in it. And David took many valuable things from the city.
31. He also brought out the people of the city and forced them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes. He also made them build with bricks. David did this to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his army returned to Jerusalem.