On the Death of the Young

David prayed to God for his child; he fasted, and lay all night upon the ground. The elders of his house tried to raise him from the ground, but he would not rise, nor would he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child died. The servants of King David  feared to tell him  that  the  child  was  dead, for they  reasoned: "While his child  was  still alive,  he did  not listen  to us when we spoke  to him. How, then, can we tell him that the child is dead?  He may do himself some harm."

When David noticed that his servants were whispering to each other, he realized that the child was dead. Then   David   asked   his servants, "Is the child dead?" They answered, "He is dead." So David  arose from  the ground and  washed and  changed his clothes, and  he  went  to  the  house of  the  Lord,  and  he  worshipped. Then  he went  to his own  house  and, when he asked, they  set food  before  him,  and  he  ate.  His servants then asked   him, “What is this thing that you have done?" And  David  replied, "While the child  was still alive,  I fasted  and  I wept, for I said,  'Who  knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that  the child will live?' But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me."

II Samuel 12:16-23