1 A nd it cometh to pass, at the revolution of the year -- at the time of the going out of the messengers -- that David sendeth Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroy the Bene-Ammon, and lay siege against Rabbah. And David is dwelling in Jerusalem,

In 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.

2 a nd it cometh to pass, at evening-time, that David riseth from off his couch, and walketh up and down on the roof of the king's house, and seeth from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman of very good appearance,

One 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.

3 a nd David sendeth and inquireth about the woman, and saith, `Is not this Bath-Sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

David sent and inquired about the woman. One said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

4 A nd David sendeth messengers, and taketh her, and she cometh unto him, and he lieth with her -- and she is purifying herself from her uncleanness -- and she turneth back unto her house;

And 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.

5 a nd the woman conceiveth, and sendeth, and declareth to David, and saith, `I conceiving.'

And the woman became pregnant and sent and told David, I am with child.

6 A nd David sendeth unto Joab, `Send unto me Uriah the Hittite,' and Joab sendeth Uriah unto David;

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

7 a nd Uriah cometh unto him, and David asketh of the prosperity of Joab, and of the prosperity of the people, and of the prosperity of the war.

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

8 A nd David saith to Uriah, `Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet;' and Uriah goeth out of the king's house, and there goeth out after him a gift from the king,

David 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.

9 a nd Uriah lieth down at the opening of the king's house, with all the servants of his lord, and hath not gone down unto his house.

But 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.

10 A nd they declare to David, saying, `Uriah hath not gone down unto his house;' and David saith unto Uriah, `Hast thou not come from a journey? wherefore hast thou not gone down unto thy house?'

When 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?

11 A nd Uriah saith unto David, `The ark, and Israel, and Judah, are abiding in booths, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field are encamping; and I -- I go in unto my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife! -- thy life, and the life of thy soul -- if I do this thing.'

Uriah 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.

12 A nd David saith unto Uriah, `Abide in this also to-day, and to-morrow I send thee away;' and Uriah abideth in Jerusalem, on that day, and on the morrow,

And 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.

13 a nd David calleth for him, and he eateth before him, and drinketh, and he causeth him to drink, and he goeth out in the evening to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, and unto his house he hath not gone down.

David 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.

14 A nd it cometh to pass in the morning, that David writeth a letter unto Joab, and sendeth by the hand of Uriah;

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

15 a nd he writeth in the letter, saying, `Place ye Uriah over-against the front of the severest battle, and ye have turned back from after him, and he hath been smitten, and hath died.'

And 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.

16 A nd it cometh to pass in Joab's watching of the city, that he appointeth Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men;

So when Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah opposite where he knew the enemy’s most valiant men were.

17 a nd the men of the city go out and fight with Joab, and there fall of the people, of the servants of David; and there dieth also Uriah the Hittite.

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

18 A nd Joab sendeth and declareth to David all the matters of the war,

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

19 a nd commandeth the messenger, saying, `At thy finishing all the matters of the war to speak unto the king,

And he charged the messenger, When you have finished reporting matters of the war to the king,

20 t hen, it hath been, if the king's fury ascend, and he hath said to thee, Wherefore did ye draw nigh unto the city to fight? did ye not know that they shoot from off the wall?

Then 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?

21 W ho smote Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast on him a piece of a rider from the wall, and he dieth in Thebez? why drew ye nigh unto the wall? that thou hast said, Also thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'

Who 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.

22 A nd the messenger goeth, and cometh in, and declareth to David all that with which Joab sent him,

So the messenger went and told David all for which Joab had sent him.

23 a nd the messenger saith unto David, `Surely the men have been mighty against us, and come out unto us into the field, and we are upon them unto the opening of the gate,

The 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.

24 a nd those shooting shoot at thy servants from off the wall, and of the servants of the king are dead, and also, thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.

Then 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.

25 A nd David saith unto the messenger, `Thus dost thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing be evil in thine eyes; for thus and thus doth the sword devour; strengthen thy warfare against the city, and throw it down -- and strengthen thou him.'

Then 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.

26 A nd the wife of Uriah heareth that Uriah her husband dead, and lamenteth for her lord;

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

27 a nd the mourning passeth by, and David sendeth and gathereth her unto his house, and she is to him for a wife, and beareth to him a son; and the thing which David hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah.

And 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.