2Sa 11:2-12 | ESV | STEP | It 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 .

2 Samuel 11:2-12

2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on ^athe roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this ^bBathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of ^cUriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. ( ^dNow she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and ^ewash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. 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 When 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?” 11 Uriah said to David, ^f“The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and ^gthe 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 ^has your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” 12 Then 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.