1 A nd it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they laid waste the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David abode 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 at evening time that David arose from off his couch, and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful;

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 inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urijah 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; and she had purified herself from her uncleanness; and 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 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, Send me Urijah the Hittite. And Joab sent Urijah to David.

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

7 A nd when Urijah had come to him, David asked how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, 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 Urijah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Urijah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him presents 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 A nd Urijah slept at the entrance 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 they had told David saying, Urijah did not go down to his house; and David said to Urijah, Art thou not come from a journey? why didst thou not go down to thy 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 Urijah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields: shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? thou livest, and 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 Urijah, Abide here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. And Urijah 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 David invited him, and he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but 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 A nd it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Urijah.

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

15 A nd he wrote in the letter saying, Set Urijah in the front of the thickest fight, and withdraw 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 as Joab watched the city, that he assigned Urijah to a place where he knew that the 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 Urijah 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 matters of 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 ended telling the matters of the war to 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 to thee, Why did ye go so near to the city to fight? did ye not know 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 the upper stone of a handmill from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why did ye go near the wall?—then say thou, Thy servant Urijah 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 A nd the messenger went; and he came and told 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 to David, The men prevailed against us, and came out against us into the field, and we were upon them as far as 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 A nd the shooters shot from upon the wall against thy servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Urijah 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, Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another: make thy battle strong against the city, and overthrow it;—and encourage 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 the wife of Urijah heard that Urijah her husband was dead, and 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 bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of Jehovah.

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.