The Second of Samuel
11 And it came about at the return of the year,*+ at the time that kings sally forth,+ that David proceeded to send Joʹab and his servants with him and all Israel, that they might bring the sons of Amʹmon to ruin+ and lay siege to Rabʹbah,+ while David was dwelling in Jerusalem.
2 And it came about at the time of evening that David proceeded to rise from his bed and walk about on the rooftop+ of the king’s house; and from the rooftop he caught sight+ of a woman bathing herself,* and the woman was very good in appearance.+ 3 Then David sent and inquired about the woman+ and someone said: “Is this not Bath-sheʹba+ the daughter of E·liʹam*+ the wife of U·riʹah+ the Hitʹtite?”+ 4 After that David sent messengers that he might take her.+ So she came in to him+ and he lay down with her,+ while she was sanctifying herself from her uncleanness.+ Later she returned to her house.
5 And the woman became pregnant. Consequently she sent and told David and said: “I am pregnant.” 6 At this David sent to Joʹab, saying: “Send to me U·riʹah the Hitʹtite.” So Joʹab sent U·riʹah to David. 7 When U·riʹah came to him, David began to ask how Joʹab was getting along and how the people were getting along and how the war was getting along. 8 Finally David said to U·riʹah: “Go down to your house and bathe your feet.”+ Accordingly U·riʹah went out from the king’s house, and the king’s courtesy gift* went out following him. 9 However, U·riʹah lay down at the entrance of the king’s house with all the other servants of his lord, and he did not go down to his own house. 10 So they told David, saying: “U·riʹah did not go down to his own house.” Upon that David said to U·riʹah: “It is from a journey that you have come in, is it not? Why have you not gone down to your own house?” 11 At this U·riʹah said to David: “The Ark+ and Israel and Judah are dwelling in booths, and my lord Joʹab and the servants of my lord+ are camping on the face of the field, and I—shall I go into my own house to eat and drink and to lie down with my wife?+ As you are living and as your soul is living,+ I shall not do this thing!”
12 Then David said to U·riʹah: “Dwell here also today, and tomorrow I shall send you away.” Therefore U·riʹah kept dwelling in Jerusalem on that day and the day following. 13 Further, David called him that he might eat before him and drink. So he got him drunk.+ Nevertheless, he went out in the evening to lie down on his bed with the servants of his lord, and to his own house he did not go down. 14 And it came about in the morning that David proceeded to write a letter+ to Joʹab and send it by the hand of U·riʹah. 15 So he wrote in the letter, saying:+ “PUT U·riʹah in front of the heaviest battle charges,+ and YOU men must retreat from behind him, and he must be struck down and die.”+
16 And it came about that while Joʹab was keeping guard over the city he kept U·riʹah put in the place where he knew that there were valiant men.+ 17 When the men of the city came on out and went fighting against Joʹab, then some of the people, the servants of David, fell and U·riʹah the Hitʹtite also died.+ 18 Joʹab now sent that he might report to David all the matters of the war. 19 And he went on to command the messenger, saying: “As soon as you finish speaking to the king about all the matters of the war, 20 then it must occur that if the rage of the king comes up and he does say to you, ‘Why did YOU have to go so near to the city to fight? Did YOU men not know that they would shoot from on top of the wall? 21 Who was it that struck down A·bimʹe·lech+ the son of Je·rubʹbe·sheth?*+ Was it not a woman that pitched an upper millstone upon him+ from on top of the wall so that he died at Theʹbez?+ Why did YOU men have to go so close to the wall?’ you must also say, ‘Your servant U·riʹah the Hitʹtite died too.’”+
22 So the messenger went and came and told David all about which Joʹab had sent him. 23 And the messenger went on to say to David: “The men proved superior to us, so that they came out against us into the field; but we kept pressing them right up to the entrance of the gate. 24 And the shooters kept shooting at your servants from on top of the wall,+ so that some of the servants of the king died; and your servant U·riʹah the Hitʹtite also died.”+ 25 At that David said to the messenger: “This is what you will say to Joʹab, ‘Do not let this matter appear bad in your eyes, for the sword eats+ up one as well as another. Intensify your battle against the city and throw it down.’+ And encourage him.”
26 And the wife of U·riʹah got to hear that U·riʹah her husband had died, and she began to wail+ over her owner.*+ 27 When the mourning period+ was past, David immediately sent and took her home to his house, and she came to be his wife.+ In time she bore to him a son, but the thing that David had done appeared bad+ in the eyes+ of Jehovah.