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
Bathsheba, 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 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 shown 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.
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