2 Samuel 11

1 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out 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 at Jerusalem.

It happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass at eventide, 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 bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Now it happened one evening that David got up from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's palace; and he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful.

3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said: 'Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hethite?"

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.

So David sent messengers to get her, and she came in to him, and he lay with her. (For she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) And she returned to her house.

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

The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I'm pregnant."

6 And David sent to Joab, saying: 'Send me Uriah the Hittite.' And Joab sent Uriah to David.

Then David sent to Joab and said, "Send me Uriah the Hethite." So Joab sent Uriah to him.

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

And Uriah came to him, and David asked about the prosperity of Joab, and of the prosperity of the people, and of the prosperity of the war. And he said, "Its well."

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 food from the king.

And David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." So Uriah went out from the presence of the king, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

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.

But Uriah slept at the king's door with his master's servants, and did not go down to his house.

10 And when they had told David, saying: 'Uriah went not down unto his house', David said unto Uriah: 'Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?'

And it was reported to David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house." So David said to Uriah, "Haven't you come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"

11 And Uriah said 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; shall I then go into 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.'

And Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camped in the open field. Then how can I go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As the LORD lives, and as you live, 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.

David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day.

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.

And the next day David summoned him, and he ate and drank in his presence, and he became drunk. But in the evening he went out and lay on a bed with his master's servants, and did not go 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.

It happened 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.'

He wrote in the letter, saying, "Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die."

16 And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were.

It happened, when Joab kept watch on the city, that he assigned Uriah to the 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, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hethite died also.

18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19 and he charged the messenger, saying: 'When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,

and he commanded the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,

20 it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee: Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

if it happens that he becomes angry,

21 who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say: Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'

then you are to say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hethite is dead also.'"

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

So the messenger of Joab went to the king in Jerusalem and reported to David everything that Joab had told him.

23 And the messenger said unto David: 'The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.

The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us, and came out to us into the field, and when we drove them back to the entrance of the gate,

24 And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'

then the arrows came down heavily on your servants from the wall, and some eighteen men of the king's servants died." And the messenger finished the words to the king about the report of the battle. Then David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, "Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know you would be struck from the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal? Didn't a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near to the wall?" [Then the messenger said to the king, ] "Also your servant Uriah the Hethite is dead."

25 Then David said unto the messenger: 'Thus shalt thou say unto Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth in one manner or another; make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it; and encourage thou him.'

Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall tell Joab, 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.' And encourage him."

26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.

When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.

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

When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.