2Sa 11 | ABEn | STEP | And it came to pass in the turning of the year into the time of the departure of the kings for battle , that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel; and they utterly destroyed the sons of Ammon, and they besieged against Rabbah. And David stayed in Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 11

CHAPTER 11 David and Bath-sheba

1 And it came to pass in the turning of the year into the time of the departure of the kings for battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel; and they utterly destroyed the sons of Ammon, and they besieged against Rabbah. And David stayed in Jerusalem. 2 And it came to pass towards evening, and David rose up from his bed, and walked upon the roof of the house of the king. And he beheld from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was good in appearance -- exceedingly. 3 And David sent and sought the woman. And they said said, Is not this Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers, and he took her; and he entered to her, and went to bed with her, and she was being set apart from her uncleanness. And she returned to her house. 5 And [³conceived ¹the ²woman]. And she sent and reported to David, and said, I am one conceiving. 6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send to me Uriah the Hittite! And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And Uriah came and entered to him. And David asked for the peace of Joab, and for the peace of the people, and for the peace of the war. 8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, even to wash your feet! And Uriah went forth from the house of the king; and went forth after him a tribute from the king. 9 And Uriah went to bed by the door of the house of the king with all the servants of his master; and he did not go down to his house. 10 And they reported to David, saying that, [²did not ³go down ¹Uriah] to his house. And David said to Uriah, [³not ⁵from ⁶a journey ²you ¹Are ⁴come]? Why did you not go down to your house? 11 And Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, dwell in tents; and my master Joab, and the man-servants of my master [²upon ³the face ⁴of the ⁵field ¹camp]; and shall I enter into my house to eat and to drink and to go to bed with my wife? By your life, and by the life of your soul, in no way shall I do this thing. 12 And David said to Uriah, Stay here also today! and tomorrow I will send you. And Uriah stayed in Jerusalem on that day, and the next day. 13 And [²called ³him ¹David]. And he ate before him, and drank. And he intoxicated him. And he went forth at evening to go to bed upon his bed with the servants of his master, but [³unto ⁴his house ¹he did not ²go down].

Uriah Dies in Battle by Treachery

14 And it became morning, and David wrote a scroll to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the scroll, saying, Bring Uriah right opposite the battle of the fortified part, and turn away from behind him! so that he shall be struck and shall die. 16 And it came to pass in Joab's guarding at the city, that he put Uriah into the place where he knew that men of power were there. 17 And [⁵came forth ¹the ²men ³of the ⁴city], and waged war against Joab. And there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and [⁵died ⁶also ¹even ²Uriah ³the ⁴Hittite]. 18 And Joab sent and reported to David all the matters of the battle. 19 And Joab gave charge to the messenger, saying, In your completing all the matters of the battle speaking to the king, 20 that it shall be if [⁵ascends ¹the ²rage ³of the ⁴king], and he should say to you, Why is it that you approached to the city to wage war? Did you not know that they would shoot from on top the wall? 21 Who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman toss a piece of millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thebez? Why did you lead forward to the wall? And you shall say, And also your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead. 22 And [⁴came ¹the ²messenger ³of Joab] to the king in Jerusalem, and reported to David all as much as Joab spoke. 23 And [³said ¹the ²messenger] to David that, [³strengthened ⁴against ⁵us ¹The ²men], and came forth against us into the field, and we came unto them unto the door of the gate. 24 And [³shot ¹the ones ²shooting] unto your servants from of the wall, and there died some of the servants of the king, and even your subject Uriah the Hittite has died. 25 And David said to the messenger, Thus you shall say to Joab, Do not let [²be severe ³in ⁴your eyes ¹this matter], for perhaps indeed it is thus one way, and perhaps thus another way [³devours ¹that the ²broadsword]; strengthen your battle against the city, and raze it, and strengthen against it. 26 And [⁴heard ¹the ²wife ³of Uriah] that [³has died ¹Uriah ²her husband], and she lamented over her husband. 27 And [³went by ¹the ²time of mourning], and David sent and brought her into his house. And she became to him for a wife, and she bore to him a son. And [⁶wicked ⁵appeared ¹the ²matter ³which ⁴David did] in the eyes of the lord.