11
1 At
the return of
the year, at
the time when
kings go out,
David sent Joab
and his servants
with him, and
all Israel; and
they destroyed the
children of Ammon
and besieged
Rabbah. But David
stayed at
Jerusalem.
2 At
evening, David
arose from his
bed and walked
on the roof
of the king’s
house. From the
roof, he saw
a woman bathing,
and the woman
was very beautiful
to look at.
3 David
sent and inquired
after the woman.
One said, “Isn’t this
Bathsheba, the
daughter of Eliam, Uriah
the Hittite’s wife?”
4 David
sent messengers,
and took her;
and she came
in to him,
and he lay
with her (for
she was purified
from her
uncleanness); and
she returned to
her house.
5 The
woman conceived;
and she sent and
told David,
and said, “I am
with child.”
6 David
sent to Joab, “Send
me Uriah the
Hittite.” Joab
sent Uriah to
David.
7 When Uriah
had come to
him, David asked
him how Joab
did, and how
the people fared,
and how the
war prospered.
8 David
said to Uriah, “Go
down to your
house and wash
your feet.” Uriah
departed out of
the king’s house,
and a gift
from the king
was sent after
him.
9 But Uriah
slept at the
door of the
king’s house with
all the servants
of his lord,
and didn’t go down
to his house.
10 When they
had told David,
saying, “Uriah didn’t go down
to his house,”
David said to Uriah, “Haven’t
you come from
a journey?
Why didn’t you go
down to your
house?”
11 Uriah said
to David, “The ark,
Israel, and Judah,
are staying in
tents; and my lord
Joab and the
servants of my lord
are encamped in
the open field.
Shall I then
go into my
house to eat and
to drink, and
to lie with
my wife? As
you live, and
as your soul
lives, I will
not do this
thing!”
12 David said
to Uriah, “Stay
here today also,
and tomorrow I
will let you
depart.” So Uriah
stayed in
Jerusalem that day
and the next
day.
13 When
David had called
him, he ate and
drank before him;
and he made
him drunk. At
evening, he went
out to lie
on his bed
with the servants
of his lord,
but didn’t go down
to his house.
14 In
the morning, David
wrote a letter
to Joab and
sent it by
the hand of Uriah.
15 He
wrote in the
letter, saying, “Send Uriah to
the forefront of
the hottest battle,
and retreat from
him, that he
may be struck
and die.”
16 When
Joab kept watch
on the city,
he assigned Uriah
to the place
where he knew
that valiant men
were.
17 The
men of the
city went out
and fought with
Joab. Some of
the people fell,
even of David’s
servants; and Uriah
the Hittite died
also.
18 Then
Joab sent and
told David all
the things
concerning the war;
19 and
he commanded the
messenger, saying, “When
you have finished
telling all the
things concerning
the war to
the king,
20 it
shall be that,
if the king’s
wrath arise, and
he asks you, ‘Why
did you go
so near to
the city to
fight? Didn’t you
know that they
would shoot from
the wall?
21 Who
struck Abimelech the
son of
Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman
cast an upper
millstone on him
from the wall,
so that he
died at Thebez?
Why did you
go so near
the wall?’ then
you shall say, ‘Your
servant Uriah the
Hittite is also
dead.’ ”
22 So
the messenger went,
and came and showed
David all that
Joab had sent
him for.
23 The
messenger said to
David, “The men
prevailed against
us, and came
out to us
into the field;
and we were
on them even
to the entrance
of the gate.
24 The
shooters shot at
your servants from
off the wall;
and some of the
king’s servants
are dead, and
your servant Uriah
the Hittite is
also dead.”
25 Then
David said to
the messenger, “Tell
Joab, ‘Don’t let this
thing displease
you, for the
sword devours one
as well as
another. Make your
battle stronger
against the city,
and overthrow it.’
Encourage him.”
26 When Uriah’s
wife heard that Uriah
her husband was
dead, she mourned
for her husband.
27 When
the mourning was
past, David sent
and took her
home to his
house, and she
became his wife
and bore him
a son. But
the thing that
David had done
displeased the
LORD.