 1 At the turn of the year, at the time kings go forth, David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel. They destroyed the children of Ammon and circled Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 One evening, David arose from his bed and walked on 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. 3 David asked about the woman and said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 David sent messengers and took her. And she came in to him, and he lay with her. And she had purified herself from her uncleanness. And she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived and told David, I am with child. 6 David sent to Joab saying, Send Uriah the Hittite to me and Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war went. 8 David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. And Uriah left the king's house. And a gift from the king went out after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 They told David saying, Uriah did not go to his house. And David said to Uriah, Did you not come from a journey? Why have you not gone down to your house? 11 Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents. And my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are camped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this. 12 David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go. And Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day. 13 When David had called him, he ate and drank before him. And he made him drunk. And at evening he went to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. 14 In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 He wrote in the letter saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and draw back from him so that he may be stricken and die. 16 When Joab observed the city, he sent Uriah to a place where he knew brave men were. 17 The men of the city fought with Joab. Some of the people of the servants of David fell and Uriah the Hittite also died. 18 Then Joab told David all the things concerning the war. 19 He commanded the messenger saying, When you have made an end of telling the matters of the war to the king, 20 and if the king's wrath rises and he says to you, Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? You shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 22 The messenger departed and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger said to David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us to the field, and we were upon them even to the entering of the gate. 24 The shooters shot from off the wall upon your servants. Some of the king's servants are dead and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 25 Then David said to the messenger, Say to Joab, Do not let this 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 The wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead and she mourned for her husband. 27 When her mourning was past, David brought her to his house and she became his wife and bore a son to him. But the thing that David had done was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
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