1
And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings* go forth to battle, that DavidsentJoab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besiegedRabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
2
And it came to pass in an eveningtide*, that Davidarose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king'shouse: and from the roof he saw a womanwashing herself; and the woman was verybeautiful to look upon.
3
And Davidsent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba,[a] the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4
And Davidsentmessengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
5
And the womanconceived, and sent and toldDavid, and said, I am with child.
6
And Davidsent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And JoabsentUriah to David.
7
And when Uriah was come unto him, Daviddemanded of him how Joab[b]did, and how the peopledid, and how the warprospered.
8
And Davidsaid to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king'shouse, and there followed[c] him a mess of meat from the king.
9
But Uriahslept at the door of the king'shouse with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10
And when they had toldDavid,saying, Uriah went not down unto his house,Davidsaid unto Uriah,Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
11
And Uriahsaid unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah,abide in tents; and my lordJoab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the openfields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soulliveth, I will not do this thing.
12
And Davidsaid to Uriah,Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriahabode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13
And when David had called him, he did eat and drinkbefore him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14
And it came to pass in the morning, that Davidwrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15
And he wrote in the letter,saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefrontof the hottest[d]battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16
And it came to pass, when Joabobserved the city, that he assignedUriah unto a place where he knew that valiantmen were.
17
And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittitedied also.
18
Then Joabsent and toldDavid all the things concerning the war;
19
And charged the messenger,saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
20
And if so be that the king'swratharise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
21
Who smoteAbimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a womancast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servantUriah the Hittite is dead also.
22
So the messengerwent, and came and shewedDavid all that Joab had sent him for.
23
And the messengersaid unto David, Surely the menprevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
24
And the shootersshot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king'sservants be dead, and thy servantUriah the Hittite is dead also.
25
Then Davidsaid unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thingdisplease[e]* thee, for the sworddevoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
26
And when the wife of Uriahheard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27
And when the mourning was past, Davidsent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had donedispleased[f]* the LORD.