1And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time the kings go out, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2And it came to pass at the time of evening, that David arose from upon his bed, and walked about upon the roof of the king's house; and from the roof he saw a woman (ishah) bathing; and the woman (ishah) was very good of appearance.
3And David sent and inquired about the woman (ishah). And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife (ishah) of Uriah the Hittite?"
4And David sent messengers, and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her — and she was purifying herself from her uncleanness — and she returned to her house.
5And the woman (ishah) conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant."
6And David sent to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7And Uriah came to him, and David asked of the welfare of Joab, and of the welfare of the people, and of the welfare of the war.
8And David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there went out after him a portion of food from the king.
9And Uriah lay at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
10And they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house." And David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"
11And Uriah said to David, "The ark, and Israel, and Judah, are dwelling in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped on the face of the field; and shall I go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife (ishah)? By your life (chai), and by the life (chai) of your soul (nephesh), I will not do this thing."
12And David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you away." And Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next.
13And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but to his house he did not go down.
14And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set Uriah at the front of the strongest battle, and turn back from behind him, that he may be struck and die."
16And it came to pass, when Joab was watching over the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew that men (ish) of valor were.
17And the men (ish) of the city went out, and fought with Joab; and some of the people fell, of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18And Joab sent and told David all the matters of the war.
19And he commanded (tzivvah) the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the matters of the war to the king,
20then it shall be, if the king's wrath rises, and he says to you, 'Why did you draw near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from upon the wall?
21Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman (ishah) cast an upper millstone upon him from upon the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you draw near to the wall?' — then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"
22And the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him.
23And the messenger said to David, "The men (ish) prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field; and we were upon them up to the entrance of the gate.
24And the shooters shot at your servants from upon the wall, and some of the king's servants died; and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."
25And David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Let not this thing be evil in your eyes, for the sword devours this one and that one; strengthen your battle against the city, and overthrow it.' And encourage him."
26And the wife (ishah) of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband (ish) was dead, and she lamented over her husband.
27And the mourning passed, and David sent and gathered her to his house, and she became his wife (ishah), and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the eyes of YHWH.