2 Samuel

11 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time of the going forth of kings, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and laid siege to Rabbah,—but David was remaining in Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass that at eventide David arose from his couch, and walked to and fro on the roof of the king’s house, when from the roof he saw a woman bathing herself,—the woman being exceeding beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired after the woman,—and one said—Is not this Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, and fetched her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, she having purified herself from her uncleanness,—and she returned unto her own house.

5 And the woman, having conceived, sent and told David and said, I am with child.

6 Then sent David unto Joab, Send unto me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah unto David.

7 And when Uriah had come in unto him, David asked—how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, and how the war prospered.

8 Then said David unto Uriah, Go down unto thy house and bathe thy feet. And when Uriah went out of the house of the king, there followed him a present from the king.

9 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house, with all the servants of his lord,—and went not down unto his own house.

10 And it was told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his own house. So David said unto Uriah—Was it not from a journey thou didst come? why, then, hast thou not been down unto thine own house?

11 And Uriah said unto David—The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in huts and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord on the face of the field are encamped, Was I then to enter my own house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life, yea by the life of thy soul, I could not do this thing.

12 Then said David unto Uriah—Abide here to-day also, and to-morrow will I let thee go. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day and the morrow.

13 And David called him and he did eat before him and drank and he made him drunk,—and he went forth in the evening to lie down on his bed with the servants of his lord, but unto his own house went he not down.

14 And so it was in the morning that David wrote a letter unto Joab,—and sent it by the hand of Uriah;

15 and he wrote in the letter, saying,—Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he be smitten and die.

16 So it came to pass, when Joab was laying siege to the city, that he put Uriah in the place where he knew that the men of valour were.

17 And forth sallied the men of the city and fought with Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David,—then died also Uriah the Hittite.

18 So Joab sent and told David all the news of the battle;

19 and he charged the messenger saying,—When thou hast ended all the news of the battle in speaking unto the king,

20 then shall it be, if the king’s anger arise, and he say unto thee, Why came ye near unto the city to fight? Knew ye not, that they would shoot from off the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not a woman cast on him an upper millstone from off the wall that he died, in Thebez? Wherefore came ye near unto the wall? Then shalt thou say—Moreover, thy servant Uriah the Hittite died.

22 And the messenger went his way,—and came in and told David, all that Joab had sent him [to tell].

23 And the messenger said unto David, The men were too strong for us, and sallied forth against us in the field,—so we were drawn against them as far as the opening of the gate.

24 Then did the archers shoot upon thy servants from off the wall, and there died some of the servants of the king,—moreover also thy servant Uriah the Hittite died.

25 Then said David unto the messenger—Thus shalt thou say unto Joab—Let not this thing be grievous in thine eyes for now this one and then that one doth the sword devour,—make hot thy battle against the city and overthrow it; Thus embolden thou him.

26 And when Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made loud lamentation over her lord.

27 And when the time of mourning had passed, David sent and received her into his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing which David had done was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh.