2 Samuel 11

1 And when the yeere was expired in the time when Kinges goe forth to battell, Dauid sent Ioab, and his seruantes with him, and all Israel, who destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah: but Dauid remayned in Ierusalem.

And it came to pass when the time o the year for kings going out [to battle] had come round, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.

2 And when it was euening tide, Dauid arose out of his bed, and walked vpon the roofe of the Kings palace: and from the roofe he sawe a woman washing her selfe: and the woman was very beautifull to looke vpon.

And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And Dauid sent and inquired what woman it was: and one sayde, Is not this Bath-sheba the daughter of Eliam, wife to Vriah the Hittite?

And David sent and enquired about the woman: and [one] said, [Is] not this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?

4 Then Dauid sent messengers, and tooke her away: and she came vnto him and he lay with her: (now she was purified from her vncleannes) and she returned vnto her house.

And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house.

5 And the woman conceiued: therefore shee sent and tolde Dauid, and sayd, I am with childe.

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

6 Then Dauid sent to Ioab, saying, Send me Vriah the Hittite. And Ioab sent Vriah to Dauid.

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab sent Urias to David.

7 And when Vriah came vnto him, Dauid demanded him how Ioab did, and howe the people fared, and how the warre prospered.

And Urias arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war went on.

8 Afterward Dauid said to Vriah, Go downe to thine house, and wash thy feete. So Vriah departed out of the Kings palace, and the king sent a present after him.

And David said to Urias, Go to your house, and wash your feet: and Urias departed from the house of the king, and a portion [of meat] from the king followed him.

9 But Vriah slept at the doore of the Kings palace with all the seruants of his lord, and went not downe to his house.

And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 Then they tolde Dauid, saying, Vriah went not downe to his house: and Dauid saide vnto Vriah, Commest thou not from thy iourney? why didst thou not go downe to thine house?

And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to his house. And David said to Urias, Are you not come from a journey? why have you not gone down to your house?

11 Then Vriah answered Dauid, The Arke and Israel, and Iudah dwell in tents: and my lord Ioab and the seruants of my lord abide in the open fields: shall I then go into mine house to eate and drinke, and lie with my wife? by thy life, and by the life of thy soule, I will not do this thing.

And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? how [should I do this? as] your soul lives, I will not do this thing.

12 Then Dauid sayd vnto Vriah, Tary yet this day, and to morow I will send thee away. So Vriah abode in Ierusalem that day, and the morowe.

And David said to Urias, Remain here today also, and to-morrow I will let you go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following.

13 Then Dauid called him, and hee did eate and drinke before him, and he made him drunke: and at euen he went out to lie on his couch with the seruants of his Lord, but went not downe to his house.

And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening to lie upon his bed with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

14 And on the morowe Dauid wrote a letter to Ioab, and sent it by the hand of Vriah.

And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias.

15 And he wrote thus in the letter, Put ye Vriah in the forefront of the strength of the battell, and recule ye backe from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the severe [part] of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be wounded and die.

16 So when Ioab besieged the citie, he assigned Vriah vnto a place, where he knewe that strong men were.

And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he set Urias in a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the citie came out, and fought with Ioab: and there fell of the people of the seruants of Dauid, and Vriah the Hittite also dyed.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also.

18 Then Ioab sent and tolde Dauid all the things concerning the warre,

And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king.

19 And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an ende of telling all the matters of the warre vnto the King,

And he charged the messenger, saying, When you have finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,

20 And if the kings anger arise, so that he say vnto thee, Wherefore approched ye vnto the citie to fight? knewe ye not that they would hurle from the wall?

then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to you, Why did you draw near to the city to fight? knew you not that they would shoot from off the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech sonne of Ierubesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a milstone vpon him from the wall, and he died in Thebez? why went you nie the wall? Then say thou, Thy seruant Vriah the Hittite is also dead.

Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did you draw near to the wall? then you shall say, Your servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.

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

And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did you draw near to the wall to fight? knew you not that you would be wounded from off the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did you draw near to the wall?

23 And the messenger said vnto Dauid, Certainely the men preuailed against vs, and came out vnto vs into the field, but we pursued them vnto the entring of the gate.

And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the door of the gate.

24 But the shooters shot from ye wall against thy seruants, and some of the Kings seruants be dead: and thy seruant Vriah the Hittite is also dead.

And the archers shot at your servants from off the wall, and some of the king's servants died, and your servant Urias the Chettite is dead also.

25 Then Dauid said vnto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say vnto Ioab, Let not this thing trouble thee: for the sworde deuoureth one as well as another: make thy battell more strong against the citie and destroy it, and encourage thou him.

And David said to the messenger, Thus shall you say to Joab, Let not the matter be grievous in your eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen your array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him.

26 And when the wife of Vriah heard that her husband Vriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.

And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband.

27 So when the mourning was past, Dauid sent and tooke her into his house, and shee became his wife, and bare him a sonne: but ye thing that Dauid had done, displeased the Lord.

And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.