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.
Factum est autem, vertente anno, eo tempore quo solent reges ad bella procedere, misit David Ioab, et servos suos cum eo, et universum Israel, et vastaverunt filios Ammon, et obsederunt Rabba: David autem remansit in Ierusalem.
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.
Dum hæc agerentur, accidit ut surgeret David de strato suo post meridiem, et deambularet in solario domus regiæ: viditque mulierem se lavantem, ex adverso super solarium suum: erat autem mulier pulchra valde.
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.”
Misit ergo rex, et requisivit quæ esset mulier. Nunciatumque est ei quod ipsa esset Bethsabee filia Eliam, uxor Uriæ Hethæi.
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.
Missis itaque David nunciis, tulit eam. Quæ cum ingressa esset ad illum, dormivit cum ea: statimque sanctificata est ab immunditia sua:
5 And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
et reversa est domum suam concepto fœtu. Mittensque nunciavit David, et ait: Concepi.
6 At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
Misit autem David ad Ioab, dicens: Mitte ad me Uriam Hethæum. Misitque Ioab Uriam ad David.
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
Et venit Urias ad David. Quæsivitque David quam recte ageret Ioab, et populus, et quomodo administraretur bellum.
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.
Et dixit David ad Uriam: Vade in domum tuam, et lava pedes tuos. Et egressus est Urias de domo regis, secutusque est eum cibus regius.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
Dormivit autem Urias ante portam domus regiæ cum aliis servis domini sui, et non descendit ad domum suam.
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?”
Nunciatumque est David a dicentibus: Non ivit Urias in domum suam. Et ait David ad Uriam: Numquid non de via venisti? Quare non descendisti in domum tuam?
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!”
Et ait Urias ad David: Arca Dei et Israel et Iuda habitant in papilionibus, et dominus meus Ioab, et servi domini mei super faciem terræ manent: et ego ingrediar domum meam, ut comedam et bibam, et dormiam cum uxore mea? Per salutem tuam, et per salutem animæ tuæ non faciam rem hanc.
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.
Ait ergo David ad Uriam: Mane hic etiam hodie, et cras dimittam te. Mansit Urias in Ierusalem in die illa et altera:
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.
et vocavit eum David ut comederet coram se et biberet, et inebriavit eum: qui egressus vespere, dormivit in strato suo cum servis domini sui, et in domum suam non descendit.
14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
Factum est ergo mane, et scripsit David epistolam ad Ioab: misitque per manum Uriæ,
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.”
scribens in epistola: Ponite Uriam ex adverso belli, ubi fortissimum est prælium: et derelinquite eum, ut percussus intereat.
16 So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.
Igitur cum Ioab obsideret urbem, posuit Uriam in loco ubi sciebat viros esse fortissimos.
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.
Egressique viri de civitate, bellabant adversum Ioab, et ceciderunt de populo servorum David, et mortuus est etiam Urias Hethæus.
18 Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
Misit itaque Ioab, et nunciavit David omnia verba prælii:
19 and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,
præcepitque nuncio, dicens: Cum compleveris universos sermones belli ad regem,
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?
si eum videris indignari, et dixerit: Quare accessistis ad murum, ut præliaremini? An ignorabatis quod multa desuper ex muro tela mittantur?
21 Who was the one to strike 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 so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
Quis percussit Abimelech filium Ierobaal? Nonne mulier misit super eum fragmen molæ de muro, et interfecit eum in Thebes? Quare iuxta murum accessistis? dices: Etiam servus tuus Urias Hethæus occubuit.
22 So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.
Abiit ergo nuncius, et venit, et narravit David omnia quæ ei præceperat Ioab.
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.
Et dixit nuncius ad David: Prævaluerunt adversum nos viri, et egressi sunt ad nos in agrum: nos autem facto impetu persecuti eos sumus usque ad portam civitatis.
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.”
Et direxerunt iacula sagittarii ad servos tuos ex muro desuper: mortuique sunt de servis regis, quin etiam servus tuus Urias Hethæus mortuus est.
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.”
Et dixit David ad nuncium: Hæc dices Ioab: Non te frangat ista res: varius enim eventus est belli, nunc hunc, et nunc illum consumit gladius: conforta bellatores tuos adversus urbem, ut destruas eam, et exhortare eos.
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
Audivit autem uxor Uriæ, quod mortuus esset Urias vir suus, et planxit eum.
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.
Transacto autem luctu misit David, et introduxit eam in domum suam, et facta est ei uxor, peperitque ei filium: et displicuit verbum hoc, quod fecerat David, coram Domino.
