1 David and Bathsheba Now it happened 11:1 Lit at the return of the year in the spring, at the time when 11:1 As in mss and versions; M.T. messengers kings go outto battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
2 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.
3 So David sent and 11:3Or sought out inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
4 Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.
5 And the woman became pregnant; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am pregnant.”
6 Then David sent to Joab,saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the 11:7Lit peace state of Joab and the 11:7Lit peace state of the people and the 11:7Lit peace state of the war.
8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and a present from the king went out after him.
9 But Uriah lay down at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
10 Then they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house.” And David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
11 And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in 11:11Temporary shelters booths, and my lord Joab and the 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.”
12 Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you out.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the 11:12Lit morrow next.
13 Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants, but he did not go down to his house.
14 Now it happened in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and sentitby the hand of Uriah.
15 And he had written in the letter, saying, “ 11:15Lit Give Place Uriah in the front line of the 11:15Lit strong fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”
16 So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew therewerevaliant men.
17 And the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the events of the war.
19 And he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king,
20 and if it happens that the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you approach the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
21 Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall so he died at Thebez? Why did you approach the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”
22 So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent himto tell.
23 And the messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we 11:23Lit were upon pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate.
24 And the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.”
25 Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing be evil in your sight, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and 11:25Lit pull tear it down’; andsostrengthen him.”
26 Then the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband had died, so she lamented over her husband.
27 Then thetime ofmourning passed by, and David sent and gathered her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of Yahweh.