1 T he 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.

And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out 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 at Jerusalem.

2 W hen 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.

And it came to pass at eventide, 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 bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

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

And David send and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 D avid 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.

And 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.

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

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

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

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

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

And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

8 T hen 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.

And 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 food from the king.

9 B ut 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.

But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 W hen 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?”

And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?

11 U riah 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.”

And Uriah said unto 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 field; shall I then go into my 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.

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

And 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.

13 D avid 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.

And 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.

14 I n the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by Uriah.

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

15 H e 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.”

And 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.

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

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

17 T he men of the city went out and fought against Joab. Some of David’s servants were killed. And Uriah the Hittite died also.

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

18 T hen Joab sent a man with news to David to tell him all about the war.

Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19 J oab told the man, “When you have finished telling the king all about the war,

and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,

20 t he 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?

it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

21 W ho 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.’”

who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

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

So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23 T he 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.

And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.

24 T hen 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.”

And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

25 T hen 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.”

Then 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.

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

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.

27 W hen 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.

And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Jehovah.