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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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, Send unto me Uriyah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriyah 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 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 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 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 Vriah slept at the doore of the Kings palace with all the seruants of his lord, and went not downe to his house.

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 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 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 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.

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

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

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, Set Uriyah in front, opposite to the hottest fight, and then withdraw from behind him, that he may be smitten 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, when Joab was enclosing the city, that he placed Uriyah toward the spot of which he knew that valiant men were there.

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 there fell some of the people, of the servants of David, and there died also Uriyah the Hittite.

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

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

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 thou hast finished telling 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?

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

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

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 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 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 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 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.

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

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

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 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.