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¹ 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 slaves with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem.² And it came to pass at evening, that David arose from off his bed, and walked on the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look at.³ And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?⁴ 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; and she returned to her house.⁵ And the woman became pregnant; and she sent and told David, and said, I am pregnant.

⁶ And David sent to Joab, [saying], Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.⁷ And when Uriah came to him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.⁸ And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess [of food] from the king.⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the slaves of his lord, and didn't go down to his house.¹⁰ And when they had told David, saying, Uriah didn't go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Aren't you coming from a journey? why didn't you go down to your house?¹¹ And Uriah said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the slaves 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 you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.¹² And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the next day.¹³ And when David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk: and at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the slaves of his lord, but didn't go down to his house.

¹⁴ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.¹⁵ And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire from him, that he may be smitten, and die.¹⁶ And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch on the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.¹⁷ And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the slaves of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.¹⁸ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;¹⁹ and he charged the messenger, saying, When you have made an end of telling all the things concerning the war to the king,²⁰ it shall be that, if the king's wrath arises, and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall?²¹ who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal? didn't a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why did you go so near the wall? then you shall say, Your slave Uriah the Hittite is dead also.²² So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.²³ And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.²⁴ And the shooters shot at your slaves from off the wall; and some of the king's slaves are dead, and your slave Uriah the Hittite is dead also.²⁵ Then David said to the messenger, Thus you shall say to Joab, Don't let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage him.²⁶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.²⁷ And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.