1 A nd 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.

The spring of the year was the time when kings went out to battle. At that time David sent Joab and his servants and all Israel. They destroyed the sons of Ammon and gathered the army around Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

2 A nd it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

When evening came David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof he saw a woman washing herself. The woman was very beautiful.

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

So David sent someone to ask about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Eliam’s daughter Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

4 A nd 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.

David sent men and took her. When she came to him, he lay with her. After she had made herself clean again, she returned to her house.

5 A nd the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

She was going to have a baby, so she sent someone to tell David, “I am going to have a baby.”

6 A nd David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

Then David sent men to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 A nd when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people were doing, and how the war was going.

8 A nd David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.

Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” And Uriah left the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent to him.

9 B ut Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.

10 A nd 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?

When they told David that Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, “Have you not returned from traveling a long way? Why did you not go down to your house?”

11 A nd 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.

Uriah said to David, “The special box of the Lord, and Israel and Judah, are staying in tents. My lord Joab and the servants of my lord are staying in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.”

12 A nd 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.

Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also. Tomorrow I will let you go.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13 A nd 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.

David called him, and he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with his lord’s servants. He did not go down to his house.

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

In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Uriah.

15 A nd 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.

He had written in the letter, “Put Uriah in the front of the hardest battle and come away from him, so that he may be killed.”

16 A nd it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

So while Joab was watching the city, he sent Uriah to the place where he knew there were soldiers with strength of heart.

17 A nd 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.

The men of the city went out and fought against Joab. Some of David’s servants were killed. And Uriah the Hittite died also.

18 T hen Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

Then Joab sent a man with news to David to tell him all about the war.

19 a nd charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

Joab told the man, “When you have finished telling the king all about the war,

20 a nd if so be that the king’s 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?

the king might become angry. He might say to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

21 W ho 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.

Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw a grinding stone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ Then you should say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

22 S o the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

So the man left and came to David. He told him all that Joab had sent him to tell.

23 A nd 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.

The man said to David, “The men were winning the fight against us. They came out against us in the field. But we drove them back as far as the city gate.

24 A nd the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

Then they shot arrows at your servants from the wall. So some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”

25 T hen 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.

Then David said to the man, “Tell Joab, ‘Do not let this thing trouble you. For the sword kills one as well as another. Make your battle against the city stronger and destroy it.’ Comfort him with these words.”

26 A nd when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she was filled with sorrow for him.

27 A nd 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.

When the time of sorrow was finished, David sent men and brought her to his house. She became his wife, and gave birth to his son. But what David had done was sinful in the eyes of the Lord.