¶ And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time² when kings go forth to battle, that David sent³ Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah⁴. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from⁵ off his bed, and walked upon the roof of⁶ the king's house: and from the roof he saw⁷ a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful⁸ to look upon.

And David sent⁹ and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba¹⁰, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah¹¹ the Hittite?

And David sent messengers¹², and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay¹³ with her; for she was¹⁴ purified¹⁵ from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child¹⁶.

¶ And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me¹⁷ Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did¹⁸, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

And David said to Uriah, Go down¹⁹ to thy house, and wash²⁰ thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him²¹ a mess²² of meat from the king.

²³But Uriah 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, 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?

And Uriah said unto David, The ark²⁴, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord²⁵ Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then²⁶ go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest²⁷, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

²⁸And 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.

And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him²⁹ drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants³⁰ of his lord, but went not down to his house.

¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter³¹ to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye³² Uriah in the forefront of the hottest³³ battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned³⁴ Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell³⁵ some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

Then Joab 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 unto the king,

¶ 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?

Who smote Abimelech³⁶ the son of Jerubbesheth³⁷? 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.

So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.

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.

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.

Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee,³⁹ for the sword devoureth one⁴⁰ as well as another: make⁴¹ thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned⁴² for her husband.

And when⁴³ the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her⁴⁴ to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing⁴⁵ that David had done displeased⁴⁶ the LORD.