1 I n the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in 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 O ne evening David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, when from there he saw a woman bathing; and she was very lovely to behold.

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 D avid sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and 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 to him, and he lay with her—for she was purified from her uncleanness. Then she returned to 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 became pregnant and sent and told David, 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 D avid sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. So Joab sent Uriah.

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

7 W hen Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the people fared, and how the war progressed.

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

8 D avid said to Uriah, Go down to your house and wash your feet. Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of food 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 did not go 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 W hen 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?

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 U riah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah live in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As you live and as my soul lives, 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, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

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 D avid invited him, and he ate with him and drank, so that he made him drunk; but that night he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord and did not go 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 I n the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

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

15 A nd he wrote in the letter, Put Uriah in the front line of the heaviest fighting and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down 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 S o when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy’s most 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 came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David fell. 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 he charged the messenger, When you have finished reporting matters of the war to the king,

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

20 T hen if the king’s anger rises and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know 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 killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth (Gideon)? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then say, Your 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 told David all for which Joab had sent him.

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

23 T he messenger said to David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in to the field, but we were upon them even to the entrance 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 T hen the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants are dead, and your 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 to the messenger, Say to Joab, Let not this thing disturb you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack upon the city and overthrow it. And encourage Joab.

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 W hen Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for Uriah.

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 brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of 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.