II Samuel 11 · שמואל ב

And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Yo᾽av, and his servants with him, and all Yisra᾽el, and they ravaged the children of ῾Ammon, and besieged Rabba. But David tarried still at Yerushalayim.

And it came to pass one evening, that David arose from 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 fair to look upon.

And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bat-sheva, the daughter of Eli῾am, the wife of Uriyya the Ḥittite?

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; for she had purified herself from her uncleanness, and then she returned to her house.

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

And David sent to Yo᾽av, saying, Send me Uriyya the Ḥittite. And Yo᾽av sent Uriyya to David.

And when Uriyya was come to him, David asked how Yo᾽av did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

And David said to Uriyya, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriyya departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a portion of food from the king.

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

And when they had told David, saying, Uriyya went not down to his house, David said to Uriyya, Didst thou not come from a journey? why then didst thou not go down to thy house?

And Uriyya said to David, The ark, and Yisra᾽el, and Yehuda, dwell in booths; and my lord Yo᾽av, 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? as thou livest, and as thy soul lives, I will not do this thing.

And David said to Uriyya, Remain here today also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriyya remained in Yerushalayim that day, and the morrow.

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.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Yo᾽av, and sent it by the hand of Uriyya.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriyya in the forefront of the hottest battle, and withdraw from him, so that he may be hit, and die.

And it came to pass, when Yo᾽av besieged the city, that he assigned Uriyya to a place where he knew that fighting men were.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Yo᾽av: and some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriyya the Ḥittite died also.

Then Yo᾽av sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

and charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war to the king,

and if so be that the king’s anger be roused, and he say to thee, Why did you approach so near to the city when you did fight? knew you not that they would shoot from the wall?

Who smote Avimelekh the son of Yerubbeshet? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Teveż? why did you go so near the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriyya the Ḥittite is dead also.

So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Yo᾽av had sent him for.

And the messenger said to David, Indeed, the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were engaged with them right up to the entrance of the gate.

And the shooters shot from the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and thy servant Uriyya the Ḥittite is dead also.

Then David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Yo᾽av, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

And when the wife of Uriyya heard that Uriyya her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

And 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 eyes of the Lord.