Shmuel II - Chapter 11

1. And it was, at the return of the year, at the time of the going out of kings [to battle], and David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and beseiged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem.

2. And it came to pass, at the time of evening, that David arose from his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house, and he saw a woman bathing, from the roof; and the woman was very beautiful.

3. And David sent, and inquired about the woman. And he said: 'Is this not Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

4. And David sent messengers, and he took her and she came to him and he lay with her: and she was purified from her uncleanliness; and she returned to her house.

5. And the woman conceived; and she sent, and she told David, and she said: "I am pregnant."

6. And David sent to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7. And Uriah came to him, and David inquired concerning the welfare of Joab, and the peace of the people, and the welfare of the war.

8. And David said to Uriah: "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah departed from the king's house, and there followed him the king's food.

9. And Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

10. And they told David saying: "Uriah did not go down to his house. " And David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"

11. And Uriah said to David: "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field; and shall I come to my house to eat and to drink and to live with my wife? By your life and by the life of my soul, if I will do this thing."

12. And David said to Uriah: "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you off." And Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the morrow.

13. And David called him, and he ate before him, and he drank, and he made him drunk; and he went out in the evening to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but to his house he did not go down.

14. And it came to pass, in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and he sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15. And he wrote in the letter saying: "Place Uriah at the forefront of the fiercest battle, and go away from him, so that he will be hit and will die."

16. And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that there were valiant men.

17. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab and some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.

18. And Joab sent and told David all the facts concerning the war.

19. And he charged the messenger saying: 'When you have finished telling the king all the facts concerning the war.

20. And it shall be if the king's anger is aroused, and he says to you: "Why did you approach [so near] the city to wage battle? Did you not know that they would shoot from upon the wall?

21. Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone upon him from upon the wall, and he died [there] at Thebez? Why did you approach the wall?" And you shall say: "Also your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead".

22. And the messenger went, and he came and told David all that Joab had sent him for.

23. And the messenger said to David, "When the men prevailed over us and came out against us to the field, then we came upon them as far as the entrance of the gate.

24. And the shooters shot at your servants from upon the wall, and some of the king's servants died, and also your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead."

25. And David said to the messenger, "So shall you say to Joab; Let not this thing displease you, for the sword devours many time this number; strengthen your battle against the city, and destroy it, and encourage him."

26. And the wife of Uriah the Hittite heard that Uriah her husband was dead, and she mourned over her husband.

27. And the mourning [period] passed, and David sent and gathered her to his house. And she became his wife, and she bore him a son. And the thing that David did was displeasing to the Lord.