2 Samuel 11

1 In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.

2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

3 So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

4 Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.

5 And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

6 At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.

7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going.

8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.

10 And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”

11 Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”

12 “Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.

14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15 In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”

16 So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the strongest enemy soldiers were.

17 And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.

18 Joab sent to David a full account of the battle

19 and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king a full account of the battle,

20 if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?

21 Who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”

22 So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.

23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.

24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”

25 Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”

26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.

27 And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.

1 ¶ And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth [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 tarried still at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman [was] very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And [one] said, [Is] not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, 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 woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I [am] with child.

6 ¶ And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded [of him] how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess [of meat] from the king.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from [thy] journey? why [then] didst thou not go down unto thine house?

11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? [as] thou livest, and [as] thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

13 And when David had called him, he did eat 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 went not down to his house.

14 ¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote 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 forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men [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 Hittite died also.

18 Then Joab sent and told David 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's wrath arise, 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 smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast 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 servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed 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 shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and [some] of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth 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 Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

1 And it came to pass, when the year was expired, at the time that kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, to destroy the children of Ammon, and to occupy Rabbah: but David abode at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass about even, that David arose from his couch, and went up to the roof of the king's house, and saw a woman washing herself from the roof: and the woman was very beautiful in form.

3 And David sent and asked for the woman, saying, Is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 And David sent messengers, and fetched her. And when she was come in unto him, he slept with her. And she purged herself from her uncleanness, and returned unto her house.

5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, saying, I am with child.

6 And David sent unto Joab, saying, Send unto me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah unto David.

7 And when Uriah came to him, David asked if it were well with Joab, and with the people, and with the battle.

8 And David said unto Uriah, Go down to thine house, and wash thy feet. And when Uriah was gone out to the king's house, he followed him after the king's present.

9 And Uriah lay down to sleep at the door of the king's house, where all the servants of his lord lay, and went not down into his house.

10 And it was told David, saying, Uriah went not down to his house: and David said unto him, Didst thou not come over the field? Why wentest thou not down to thine own house?

11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, dwell in tents; and Joab my lord, and my lord's servants, lie in the field: and shall I go into mine house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do it.

12 And David said unto Uriah, Stay here this day, and tomorrow I will send thee away. So Uriah abode at Jerusalem by day, and by night.

13 And David invited him to eat and drink before him, and made him drunken. And it came to pass in the evening, that he went out to lie down in his bed with his master's servants, and went not down to his house.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter unto Joab, and sent it by Uriah.

15 And he wrote thus in the epistle, Set Uriah in the battle, where it is hardest, and turn aside behind him, that he may be slain and die.

16 And it came to pass, when Joab was round about the city, that he set Uriah in the place where he knew that there were men of war.

17 And when the men of the city came out, and fought against Joab, some of the people of David's servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18 And Joab sent, and told David all the bargain of the battle.

19 And he commanded the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of all the bargain of the battle with the king

20 And behold, the king is wroth, and saith unto thee, Why have ye come so nigh unto the city to battle? know ye not how to shoot from the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a mill upon him from the wall, and he died in Thebez? Wherefore have ye come nigh unto the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

22 And the messenger went and came, and told David all things, wherefore Joab had sent him.

23 And the messenger said unto David, The men rose up against us, and fell out unto us into the field: and we were with them unto the gate of the gate.

24 And the archers shot from the wall at thy servants, and slew some of the king's servants: and Uriah thy servant the Hittite is dead also.

25 And David said unto the messenger: Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing offend thee: for now the sword devoureth this, now that. Stop the battle against the city, that thou mayest break it; and be of good cheer.

26 And when Uriah's wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her landlord.

27 And when she had mourned, David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the deed which David did displeased the LORD.