2 Samuel 11

1 And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time of the going forth of kings, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and laid siege to Rabbah, —but, David, was remaining in Jerusalem.

And it came to pass when the time o the year for kings going out [to battle] had come round, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass that, at eventide, David arose from his couch, and walked to and fro on the roof of the king’s house, when, from the roof, he saw a woman bathing herself, —the woman being exceeding beautiful to look upon.

And it came to pass towards evening, that David arose off his couch, and walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and enquired after the woman, —and one said—Is not, this, Bath-sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?

And David sent and enquired about the woman: and [one] said, [Is] not this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?

4 And David sent messengers, and fetched her, and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, she having purified herself from her uncleanness, —and she returned unto her own house.

And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her house.

5 And the woman, having conceived, sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

6 Then sent David unto Joab, Send unto me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah unto David.

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab sent Urias to David.

7 And, when Uriah had come in unto him, David asked—how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, and how the war prospered.

And Urias arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was, and how the people were, and how the war went on.

8 Then said David unto Uriah, Go down unto thy house, and bathe thy feet. And, when Uriah went out of the house of the king, there followed him, a present from the king.

And David said to Urias, Go to your house, and wash your feet: and Urias departed from the house of the king, and a portion [of meat] from the king followed him.

9 But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house, with all the servants of his lord, —and went not down unto his own house.

And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 And it was told David, saying, Uriah went not down, unto his own house. So David said unto Uriah—Was it not, from a journey, thou didst come? why, then, hast thou not been down unto thine own house?

And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to his house. And David said to Urias, Are you not come from a journey? why have you not gone down to your house?

11 And Uriah said unto David—The ark, and Israel and Judah, are dwelling in huts and, my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field, are encamped, Was, I, then, to enter my own house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life, yea by the life of thy soul, I could not do this thing.

And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? how [should I do this? as] your soul lives, I will not do this thing.

12 Then said David unto Uriah—Abide here to-day also, and, to-morrow, will I let thee go. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.

And David said to Urias, Remain here today also, and to-morrow I will let you go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following.

13 And David called him, and he did eat before him, and drank, and he made him drunk, —and he went forth in the evening to lie down on his bed, with the servants of his lord, but, unto his own house, went he not down.

And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening to lie upon his bed with the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

14 And so it was, in the morning, that David wrote a letter unto Joab, —and sent it by the hand of Uriah;

And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Urias.

15 and he wrote in the letter, saying, —Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he be smitten and die.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the severe [part] of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be wounded and die.

16 So it came to pass, when Joab was laying siege to the city, that he put Uriah in the place where he knew that the men of valour, were.

And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he set Urias in a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And forth sallied the men of the city, and fought with Joab, and there fell some of the people, of the servants of David, —then died also, Uriah the Hittite.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of the people of the servants of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also.

18 So Joab sent and told David all the news of the battle;

And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king.

19 and he charged the messenger saying, —When thou hast ended all the news of the battle, in speaking unto the king,

And he charged the messenger, saying, When you have finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,

20 then shall it be, if the king’s anger arise, and he say unto thee, Why came ye near unto the city, to fight? Knew ye not, that they would shoot from off the wall?

then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to you, Why did you draw near to the city to fight? knew you not that they would shoot from off the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not, a woman, cast on him an upper millstone from off the wall, that he died, in Thebez? Wherefore came ye near unto the wall? Then shalt thou say—Moreover, thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, died.

Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did you draw near to the wall? then you shall say, Your servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.

22 And the messenger went his way, —and came in, and told David, all that Joab had sent him [to tell].

And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did you draw near to the wall to fight? knew you not that you would be wounded from off the wall? Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did you draw near to the wall?

23 And the messenger said unto David, The men were too strong for us, and sallied forth against us, in the field, —so we were drawn against them as far as the opening of the gate.

And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the door of the gate.

24 Then did the archers shoot upon thy servants, from off the wall, and there died some of the servants of the king, —moreover also, thy servant, Uriah the Hittite, died.

And the archers shot at your servants from off the wall, and some of the king's servants died, and your servant Urias the Chettite is dead also.

25 Then said David unto the messenger—Thus, shalt thou say unto Joab, —Let not this thing be grievous in thine eyes, for, now this one, and then that one, doth the sword devour, —make hot thy battle against the city, and overthrow it; Thus embolden thou him.

And David said to the messenger, Thus shall you say to Joab, Let not the matter be grievous in your eyes, for the sword devours one way at one time and another way at another: strengthen your array against the city, and destroy it, and strengthen him.

26 And, when Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made loud lamentation over her lord.

And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband.

27 And, when the time of mourning had passed, David sent and received her into his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing which David had done was wicked in the eyes of Yahweh.

And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord.