aThen it happened 1 bin the spring
, 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 sons
of Ammon
and cbesieged
Rabbah
. But David
stayed
at Jerusalem
.
Now when evening came
David
arose
from his bed
and walked
around
on athe roof
of the king's
house
, and from the roof
he saw
a woman
bathing
; and the woman
was very
beautiful
in appearance
.
So David sent
and inquired
about the woman
. And one said
, "Is this
not aBathsheba
, the daughter
of Eliam
, the wife
of bUriah
the Hittite
?"
David sent
messengers
and took
her, and when she came
to him, ahe lay
with her; band when she had purified
herself from her uncleanness
, she returned
to her house
.
The woman conceived
; and she sent
and told
David
, and said
, " aI am
pregnant
."
Then David sent
to Joab
, saying, "Send
me Uriah
the Hittite
." So Joab
sent
Uriah
to David
.
When Uriah came
to him, aDavid
asked
concerning the welfare
of Joab
and 1the people
and the state
of the war
.
Then David said
to Uriah
, "Go
down
to your house
, and awash
your feet
." And Uriah
went
out of the king's
house
, and a present
from the king
1was sent
out after
him.
But Uriah slept
aat the door
of the king's
house
with all
the servants
of his lord
, and did not go
down
to his house
.
Now when they told David
, saying
, "Uriah
did not go
down
to his house
," David
said
to Uriah
, "Have you not come
from a journey
? Why
did you not go
down
to your house
?"
Uriah said
to David
, " aThe ark
and Israel
and Judah
are staying
in 1temporary
shelters
, and my lord
Joab
and bthe servants
of my lord
are camping
in the open
field
. Shall I then go
to my house
to eat
and to drink
and to lie
with my wife
? By your life
and the life
of your soul
, I will not do
this
thing
."
Then David said
to Uriah
, " aStay
here
today
also
, and tomorrow
I will let
you go
." So Uriah
remained
in Jerusalem
that day
and the 1next
.
Now David called
him, and he ate
and drank
before
him, and he amade
him drunk
; and in the evening
he went
out to lie
on his bed
bwith his lord's
servants
, but he did not go
down
to his house
.
Now in the morning David
awrote
a letter
to Joab
and sent
it by the hand
of Uriah
.
aHe had written in the letter
, saying
, " 1Place
Uriah
in the front
line
of the 2fiercest
battle
and withdraw
from him, bso that he may be struck
down
and die
."
So it was as Joab kept
watch
on the city
, that he put
Uriah
at the place
where
he knew
there were valiant
men
.
The men of the city
went
out and fought
against
Joab
, and some
of the people
among
David's
servants
fell
; and aUriah
the Hittite
also
died
.
Then Joab sent
and reported
to David
all
the events
of the war
.
He charged the messenger
, saying
, "When you have finished
telling
all
the events
of the war
to the king
,
and if it happens
that the king's
wrath
rises
and he says
to you, `Why
did you go
so near
to the city
to fight
? Did you not know
that they would shoot
from the wall
?
`Who astruck
down
Abimelech
the son
of Jerubbesheth
? Did not a woman
throw
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 dead
also
.' "
So the messenger departed
and came
and reported
to David
all
that Joab
had sent
him to tell.
The messenger said
to David
, "The men
prevailed
against
us and came
out against
us in the field
, but we 1pressed
them as far
as the entrance
of the gate
.
"Moreover, the archers shot
at your servants
from the wall
; so some
of the king's
servants
are dead
, and your servant
Uriah
the Hittite
is also
dead
."
Then David said
to the messenger
, "Thus
you shall say
to Joab
, `Do not let this
thing
1displease
you, for the sword
devours
one
as well as another
; make
your battle
against
the city
stronger
and overthrow
it'; and so encourage
him."
Now when the wife of Uriah
heard
that Uriah
her husband
was dead
, ashe mourned
for her husband
.
When the time of mourning was over
, David
sent
and 1brought
her to his house
and ashe became
his wife
; then she bore
him a son
. But bthe thing
that David
had done
was evil
in the sight
of the LORD
.