[1] It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out
[to battle], that 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] It happened at evening, that David arose
from off his bed, and walked on the roof of the king`s house: and from the
roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look on.
[3] David send and inquired after the woman. One said, Is not this
Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? [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, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. Joab
sent Uriah to David. [7] When Uriah was come to him, David asked of 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 there followed him a mess [of food] from the
king. [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 did you not go down to your house?
[11] Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths;
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 abode in Jerusalem that day, and the next day. [13] When
David had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk:
and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord,
but didn`t go down to his house. [14] It happened in the morning, that
David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. [15] He
wrote in the letter, saying, Set you Uriah in the forefront of the hottest
battle, and retire you from him, that he may be struck, and die. [16] It
happened, when Joab kept watch on the city, that 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: and there fell some of the people, even of the
servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. [18] Then Joab sent and
told David all the things concerning the war; [19] and he charged the
messenger, saying, "When you have made an end of telling all the things
concerning the war to the king, [20] it shall be that, if the king`s wrath
arise, and he tells 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 shall you say, `Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.`"
[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 dead also. [25] Then David said to the messenger, Thus shall you
tell Joab, Don`t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as
well as another; make your battle more strong against the city, and
overthrow it: and encourage you him. [26] When the wife of Uriah heard that
Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation 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 Yahweh.
