2 Samuel 11

NEW JERUSALEM	KING JAMES BIBLE
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, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth 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 still at 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 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, 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 washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 David made enquiries about this woman and was told, 'Why, that is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam andwife of Uriah the Hittite.'	3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
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 unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, 'I am pregnant.'	5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
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 Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 When Uriah reached him, David asked how Joab was and how the army was and how the war wasgoing.	7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
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 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 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 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 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 when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine 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 Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine 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 David then said to Uriah, 'Stay on here today; tomorrow I shal send you off.' So Uriah stayed thatday in Jerusalem.	12 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 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 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 Next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.	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 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 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 Joab, then besieging the city, stationed Uriah at a point where he knew that there would be toughfighters.	16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant 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 of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18 Joab sent David a ful account of the battle.	18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
19 To the messenger he gave this order: 'When you have finished tel ing the king al about the battle,	19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto 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 And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from 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 smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
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 went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
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 unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
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 shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
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 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 When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.	26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
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 when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.