2 Samuel 11

1 In the spring, at the time of year when kings go out to war, David sent out Joab and his officers and the whole Israelite army on an attack. They massacred the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. However, David remained behind in Jerusalem.

And it came to pass, at the return of the same season of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of 'Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained behind at Jerusalem.

2 Late one afternoon, David got up from taking a nap and was walking on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

And it happened at evening-tide, that David arose from off his couch, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and he saw from the roof a woman bathing herself; and the woman was of a very beautiful appearance.

3 David sent someone to find out about the woman. He was told, “It's Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, and wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

And David sent and inquired after the woman; and some one said, Behold, this is Beth-sheba', the daughter of Eli'am, the wife of Uriyah the Hittite.

4 David sent messengers to fetch her. When she came to him, he had sex with her. (Now she had just purified herself from having her period.) Afterwards she went back home.

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, and she had just purified herself from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.

5 Bathsheba became pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him, “I'm pregnant.”

And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6 So David sent a message to Joab, telling him, “Send Uriah the Hittite to me.” Joab sent him to David.

And David sent to Joab, Send unto me Uriyah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriyah to David.

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

And when Uriyah was come unto him, David asked after the well-being of Joab, and after the well-being of the people, and how the war prospered.

8 Then David told Uriah, “Go home now and have a rest.” Uriah left the palace, and the king sent him a gift after he'd gone.

And David said to Uriyah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriyah went forth out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of food from the king.

9 But Uriah didn't go home. He slept in the guardroom at the palace entrance with all the king's guards.

But Uriyah laid himself down at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 David was told, “Uriah didn't go home,” so he asked Uriah, “Haven't you just got back from being away? Why didn't you go home?”

And they told David, saying, Uriyah is not gone down unto his house: and David said unto Uriyah, Art thou not come from a journey? why then art thou not gone down unto thy own house?

11 Uriah answered, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and my master Joab and his men are camped out in the open. How can I go home and eat and drink and sleep with my wife? On my life I won't do such a thing!”

Then said Uriyah unto 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: and should I alone go unto my 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 David told him, “Stay here today, and tomorrow I'll send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next.

And David said unto Uriyah, Tarry here also this day, and tomorrow will I send thee off. So Uriyah remained in Jerusalem on that day and the following.

13 David invited Uriah to dinner. Uriah ate and drank with him, and David got Uriah drunk. But in the evening he went to sleep on his mat with the king's guards, and didn't go home.

And David invited him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunken; and he went out in the evening to lie down on his resting-place with the servants of his lord; but to his house he did not go down.

14 In the morning David wrote Joab a letter, and gave it to Uriah to take to him.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriyah.

15 In the letter, David told Joab, “Put Uriah right in the front where the fighting is worst, and then pull back behind him so that he'll be attacked and killed.”

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriyah in front, opposite to the hottest fight, and then withdraw from behind him, that he may be smitten and die.

16 As Joab besieged the town, he made Uriah take a place where he knew the strongest enemy men would be fighting.

And it came to pass, when Joab was enclosing the city, that he placed Uriyah toward the spot of which he knew that valiant men were there.

17 When the town's defenders came out and attacked Joab, some of David's men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.

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 there died also Uriyah the Hittite.

18 Joab sent David a full report about the battle.

Then did Joab send, and told unto David all the events of the war.

19 He ordered the messenger, saying, “When you've finished telling the king all about the battle,

And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished telling all the events of the war to the king,

20 if the king's gets angry and asks you, ‘Why did you get so near to the town in the attack? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?

And it happen that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore did you approach unto the city to fight? knew ye not, that they would shoot down from off the wall?

21 Who killed Abimelech, son of Jerub-Besheth? Wasn't it a woman who dropped a millstone on him from the wall, killing him there in Thebez? Why on earth did you get so close to the wall?’ Just tell him, ‘In addition, your officer Uriah the Hittite was killed.’”

Who smote Abimelech the son of Yerubbesheth? did not a woman throw down upon him a piece of an upper mill-stone from off the wall so that he died at Thebez? why did ye approach unto the wall? then must thou say, Also thy servant Uriyah the Hittite is dead.

22 The messenger left, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had directed him to say.

And the messenger went, and came and told unto David all for which Joab had sent him.

23 The messenger explained to David, “The defenders were stronger than us, and they came out at us in the open, but we forced them back to the entrance of the town gate.

And the messenger said unto David, Because the men overpowered us and came out against us into the field; but we set upon them, as far as the entrance of the gate.

24 Their archers shot at us from the wall, and killed some of the king's men. Your officer Uriah the Hittite was also killed.”

And the archers then shot at thy servants from off the wall; and there died some of the servants of the king, and also thy servant Uriyah the Hittite is dead.

25 Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab this: ‘Don't be upset about this, for the sword destroys people at random. Press on with your attack against the town and conquer it.’ Encourage him by telling him this.”

Then said David to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let this thing not be displeasing in thy eyes; for at times this, at other times the other will the sword devour; continue firmly in thy war against the city, and overthrow it: and thus do thou encourage him.

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

And when the wife of Uriyah heard that Uriyah her husband had died, she mourned for her lord.

27 Once the period of mourning was over, David sent for her to be brought to his palace, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But what David had done was evil in the Lord's sight.

And when the [time of] mourning was past, David sent and took her to his house, and she became his wife; and she bore him a son. But the thing which David had done was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord.