Ii Samuelis 11
1 Factum est autem, vertente anno, eo tempore quo solent reges ad bella procedere, misit David Joab, et servos suos cum eo, et universum Israël, et vastaverunt filios Ammon, et obsederunt Rabba: David autem remansit in Jerusalem.
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.
2 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.
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.
3 Misit ergo rex, et requisivit quæ esset mulier. Nuntiatumque est ei quod ipsa esset Bethsabee filia Eliam, uxor Uriæ Hethæi.
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.”
4 Missis itaque David nuntiis, tulit eam: quæ cum ingressa esset ad illum, dormivit cum ea: statimque sanctificata est ab immunditia sua,
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.
5 et reversa est domum suam concepto fœtu. Mittensque nuntiavit David, et ait: Concepi.
And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 Misit autem David ad Joab, dicens: Mitte ad me Uriam Hethæum. Misitque Joab Uriam ad David.
At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
7 Et venit Urias ad David. Quæsivitque David quam recte ageret Joab et populus, et quomodo administraretur bellum.
When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing with the war.
8 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.
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.
9 Dormivit autem Urias ante portam domus regiæ cum aliis servis domini sui, et non descendit ad domum suam.
But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
10 Nuntiatumque 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?
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?”
11 Et ait Urias ad David: Arca Dei et Israël et Juda habitant in papilionibus, et dominus meus Joab 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.
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!”
12 Ait ergo David ad Uriam: Mane hic etiam hodie, et cras dimittam te. Mansit Urias in Jerusalem in die illa et altera:
“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.
13 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.
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.
14 Factum est ergo mane, et scripsit David epistolam ad Joab: misitque per manum Uriæ,
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15 scribens in epistola: Ponite Uriam ex adverso belli, ubi fortissimum est prælium: et derelinquite eum, ut percussus intereat.
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.”
16 Igitur cum Joab obsideret urbem, posuit Uriam in loco ubi sciebat viros esse fortissimos.
So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.
17 Egressique viri de civitate, bellabant adversum Joab, et ceciderunt de populo servorum David, et mortuus est etiam Urias Hethæus.
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.
18 Misit itaque Joab, et nuntiavit David omnia verba prælii:
Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
19 præcepitque nuntio, dicens: Cum compleveris universos sermones belli ad regem,
and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,
20 si eum videris indignari, et dixerit: Quare accessistis ad murum, ut præliaremini? an ignorabatis quod multa desuper ex muro tela mittantur?
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?
21 Quis percussit Abimelech filium Jerobaal? nonne mulier misit super eum fragmen molæ de muro, et interfecit eum in Thebes? quare juxta murum accessistis? dices: Etiam servus tuus Urias Hethæus occubuit.
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.’”
22 Abiit ergo nuntius, et venit, et narravit David omnia quæ ei præceperat Joab.
So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.
23 Et dixit nuntius ad David: Prævaluerunt adversum nos viri, et egressi sunt ad nos in agrum: nos autem facto impetu persecuti eos sumus usque ad portam civitatis.
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.
24 Et direxerunt jacula sagittarii ad servos tuos ex muro desuper, mortuique sunt de servis regis: quin etiam servus tuus Urias Hethæus mortuus est.
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.”
25 Et dixit David ad nuntium: Hæc dices Joab: 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.
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.”
26 Audivit autem uxor Uriæ quod mortuus esset Urias vir suus, et planxit eum.
When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
27 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.
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.
