2 Samuel 11

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 At the turn of the year, at the time when kings go campaigning, David sent Joab and with him hisguards and al Israel. They massacred the Ammonites and laid siege to Rabbah-of-the-Ammonites. David,however, remained in Jerusalem.	1 And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth to war, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they spoiled the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabba: but David remained in Jerusalem.
2 It happened towards evening when David had got up from resting and was strol ing on the palace roof,that from the roof he saw a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful.	2 In the mean time it happened that David arose from his bed after noon, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and he saw from the roof of his house a woman washing herself, over against him: and the woman was very beautiful.
3 David made enquiries about this woman and was told, 'Why, that is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam andwife of Uriah the Hittite.'	3 And the king sent, and inquired who the woman was. And it was told him, that she was Bethsabee the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urias the Hethite.
4 David then sent messengers to fetch her. She came to him, and he lay with her, just after she hadpurified herself from her period. She then went home again.	4 And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came in to him, and he slept with her: and presently she was purified from her uncleanness:
5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, 'I am pregnant.'	5 And she returned to her house having conceived. And she sent and told David, and said: I have conceived.
6 David then sent word to Joab, 'Send me Uriah the Hittite,' whereupon Joab sent Uriah to David.	6 And David sent to Joab, saying: Send me Urias the Hethite. And Joab sent Urias to David.
7 When Uriah reached him, David asked how Joab was and how the army was and how the war wasgoing.	7 And Urias came to David. And David asked how Joab did, and the people, and how the war was carried on.
8 David then said to Uriah, 'Go down to your house and wash your feet.' Uriah left the palace and wasfol owed by a present from the king's table.	8 And David said to Urias: Go into thy house, and wash thy feet. And Urias went out from the king's house, and there went out after him a mess of meat from the king.
9 Uriah, however, slept at the palace gate with al his master's bodyguard and did not go down to hishouse.	9 But Urias slept before the gate of the king's house, with the other servants of his lord, and went not down to his own house.
10 This was reported to David; 'Uriah', they said 'has not gone down to his house.' So David askedUriah, 'Haven't you just arrived from the journey? Why didn't you go down to your house?'	10 And it was told David by some that said: Urias went not to his house. And David said to Urias: Didst thou not come from thy journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?
11 To which Uriah replied, 'The ark, Israel and Judah are lodged in huts; my master Joab and my lord'sguards are camping in the open. Am I to go to my house, then, and eat and drink and sleep with my wife? AsYahweh lives, and as you yourself live, I shal do no such thing!'	11 And Urias said to David: The ark of God and Israel and Juda dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide upon the face of the earth: and shall I go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to sleep with my wife? By thy welfare and by the welfare of thy soul I will not do this thing.
12 David then said to Uriah, 'Stay on here today; tomorrow I shal send you off.' So Uriah stayed thatday in Jerusalem.	12 Then David said to Urias: Tarry here to day, and to morrow I will send thee away. Urias tarried in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 The next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk. In the evening,Uriah went out and bedded down with his master's bodyguard, but did not go down to his house.	13 And David called him to eat and to drink before him, and he made him drunk: and he went out in the evening, and slept on his couch with the servants of his lord, and went not down into his house.
14 Next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.	14 And when the morning was come, David wrote a letter to Joab: and sent it by the hand of Urias,
15 In the letter he wrote, 'Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest and then fal back, so thathe gets wounded and kil ed.'	15 Writing in the letter: Set ye Urias in the front of the battle, where the fight is strongest: and leave ye him, that he may be wounded and die.
16 Joab, then besieging the city, stationed Uriah at a point where he knew that there would be toughfighters.	16 Wherefore as Joab was besieging the city, he put Urias in the place where he knew the bravest men were.
17 The people of the city sallied out and engaged Joab; there were casualties in the army, amongDavid's guards, and Uriah the Hittite was kil ed as wel .	17 And the men coming out of the city, fought against Joab, and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Urias the Hethite was killed also.
18 Joab sent David a ful account of the battle.	18 Then Joab sent, and told David all things concerning the battle.
19 To the messenger he gave this order: 'When you have finished tel ing the king al about the battle,	19 And he charged the messenger, saying: When thou hast told all the words of the battle to the king,
20 if the king's anger is aroused and he says, "Why did you go near the town to give battle? Didn't youknow that they would shoot from the ramparts?	20 If thou see him to be angry, and he shall say: Why did you approach so near to the wall to fight? knew you not that many darts are thrown from above off the wall?
21 Who kil ed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Wasn't it a woman who dropped a millstone on him from theramparts, causing his death at Thebez? Why did you go near the ramparts?" you are to say, "Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too." '	21 Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, and slew him in Thebes? Why did you go near the wall? Thou shalt say: Thy servant Urias the Hethite is also slain.
22 So the messenger set off and, on his arrival, told David everything that Joab had instructed him tosay. David flew into a rage with Joab and said to the messenger, 'Why did you go near the ramparts? Who kil edAbimelech son of Jerubbaal? Wasn't it a woman who dropped a millstone on him from the ramparts, causing hisdeath at Thebez? Why did you go near the ramparts?'	22 So the messenger departed, and came and told David all that Joab had commanded him.
23 The messenger replied to David, 'Their men had won an initial advantage and then came out toengage us in the open. We then drove them back into the gateway,	23 And the messenger said to David: The men prevailed against us, and they came out to us into the field: and we vigorously charged and pursued them even to the gate of the city.
24 but the archers shot at your retainers from the ramparts; some of the king's retainers lost their lives,and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.'	24 And the archers shot their arrows at thy servants from off the wall above: and some of the king's servants are slain, and thy servant Urias the Hethite is also dead.
25 David then said to the messenger, 'Say this to Joab, "Do not take the matter to heart; the sworddevours now one and now another. Attack the town in greater force and destroy it." That wil encourage him.'	25 And David said to the messenger: Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing discourage thee: for various is the event of war: and sometimes one, sometimes another is consumed by the sword: encourage thy warriors against The city, and exhort them that thou mayest overthrow it.
26 When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.	26 And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she mourned for him.
27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent to have her brought to his house; she became hiswife and bore him a son. But what David had done displeased Yahweh.	27 And the mourning being over, David sent and brought her into his house, and she became his wife, and she bore him a son: and this thing which David had done, was displeasing to the Lord.