1And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth 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 still at Jerusalem.2And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king' house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.3And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?4And 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.5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.6And David sent to Joab, saying , Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.7And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.8And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king' house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.9But Uriah slept at the door of the king' house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.10And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?11And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine 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.12And 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.13And 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.14And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.15And 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.16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were .17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;19And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,20And if so be that the king' wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?21Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.22So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.23And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.24And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king' servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.25Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.27And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
2 Samuel 11
English Standard Version
David and Bathsheba
1In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. (De 3:11; 2Sa 12:26; 1Ki 20:22; 1Ki 20:26; 1Ch 20:1; 2Ch 36:10)2It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. (1Sa 9:25)3And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” (2Sa 23:39; 1Ch 3:5)4So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. (Le 15:19; Le 15:28; Le 18:19)5And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”6So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.8Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. (Ge 18:4)9But 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.10When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”11Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. 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 thing.” (1Sa 1:26; 2Sa 7:2; 2Sa 7:6; 2Sa 20:6; 1Ki 1:33)12Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.13And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. (Ge 19:33; Ge 19:35; 2Sa 11:11)14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. (1Ki 21:8)15In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.” (2Sa 12:9)16And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.18Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting.19And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,20then, if the king’s anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?21Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’” (Jud 9:53)22So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell.23The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.24Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”25David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”26When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.27And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. (2Sa 12:9)