Shemu’ĕl Bĕt (2 Samuel) 11
11
1And it came to be at the turn of the year, at the time sovereigns go out to battle, that Dawiḏ sent Yo’aḇ and his servants with him, and all Yisra’ĕl, and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But Dawiḏ remained at Yerushalayim.
2And it came to be, at evening time, that Dawiḏ rose up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the sovereign’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very good to look at.
3And Dawiḏ sent and asked about the woman, and one said, “Is this not Bathsheḇa, the daughter of Eliyam, the wife of Uriyah the Ḥittite?”
4And Dawiḏ sent messengers, to fetch her. And she came to him, and he lay with her – for she was cleansing herself from her uncleanness – and she returned to her house.
5And the woman conceived, and sent and informed Dawiḏ, and said, “I am pregnant.”
6Then Dawiḏ sent to Yo’aḇ, “Send Uriyah the Ḥittite to me.” And Yo’aḇ sent Uriyah to Dawiḏ.
7And Uriyah came to him, and Dawiḏ asked how Yo’aḇ was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the fighting was going.
8And Dawiḏ said to Uriyah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriyah went out from the sovereign’s house, and a gift from the sovereign followed him.
9But Uriyah lay down at the door of the sovereign’s house with all the servants of his master, and did not go down to his house.
10And they informed Dawiḏ, saying, “Uriyah did not go down to his house,” So Dawiḏ said to Uriyah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
11And Uriyah said to Dawiḏ, “The ark and Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah are dwelling in booths, and my master Yo’aḇ and the servants of my master are encamped in the open fields. And I, should I go to my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your being lives, let me not do this.”
12And Dawiḏ said to Uriyah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I let you go.” So Uriyah remained in Yerushalayim, that day and the next.
13And Dawiḏ called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his master, but he did not go down to his house.
14And it came to be in the morning that Dawiḏ wrote a letter to Yo’aḇ and sent it by the hand of Uriyah.
15And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriyah in the front of the toughest#Lit. strong. battle, and you shall turn away from him, and he shall be stricken and shall die.”
16And it came to be, as Yo’aḇ watched the city, that he appointed Uriyah to the place where he knew there were brave men.
17And the men of the city came out and fought with Yo’aḇ. And some of the people of the servants of Dawiḏ fell. And Uriyah the Ḥittite also died.
18And Yo’aḇ sent and reported to Dawiḏ all the events of the battle,
19and commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished reporting all the events of the battle to the sovereign,
20then it shall be, if the sovereign’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
21Who struck Aḇimeleḵ the son of Yerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thĕḇĕts? Why did you go near the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriyah the Ḥittite is also dead.’ ”
22And the messenger went, and came and reported to Dawiḏ all with which Yo’aḇ had sent him.
23And the messenger said to Dawiḏ, “The men have been mighty against us and came out to us in the field, but we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.
24“And the archers shot from the wall at your servants. And some of the sovereign’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriyah the Ḥittite is also dead.”
25And Dawiḏ said to the messenger, “Say to Yo’aḇ, ‘Do not let this matter be evil in your eyes, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ And strengthen him.”
26And the wife of Uriyah heard that Uriyah her husband was dead, and she lamented for her husband.
27And when her mourning was over, Dawiḏ sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the deed that Dawiḏ had done was evil in the eyes of יהוה.
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Shemu’ĕl Bĕt (2 Samuel) 11: TS2009
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2 Samuel 11
11
David and Bathsheba
1 #
1 Chr 20.1
The following spring, at the time of the year when kings usually go to war, David sent out Joab with his officers and the Israelite army; they defeated the Ammonites and besieged the city of Rabbah. But David himself stayed in Jerusalem.
2One day, late in the afternoon, David got up from his nap and went to the palace roof. As he walked about up there, he saw a woman having a bath. She was very beautiful. 3So he sent a messenger to find out who she was, and learnt that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. 4David sent messengers to fetch her; they brought her to him and he made love to her. (She had just finished her monthly ritual of purification.) Then she went back home. 5Afterwards she discovered that she was pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him.
6David then sent a message to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. 7When Uriah arrived, David asked him if Joab and the troops were well, and how the fighting was going. 8Then he said to Uriah, “Go home and rest a while.” Uriah left, and David sent a present to his home. 9But Uriah did not go home; instead he slept at the palace gate with the king's guards. 10When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he asked him, “You have just returned after a long absence; why didn't you go home?”
11Uriah answered, “The men of Israel and Judah are away at the war, and the Covenant Box is with them; my commander Joab and his officers are camping out in the open. How could I go home, eat and drink, and sleep with my wife? By all that's sacred, I swear that I could never do such a thing!”
12So David said, “Then stay here the rest of the day, and tomorrow I'll send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13David invited him to supper and made him drunk. But again that night Uriah did not go home; instead he slept on his blanket#11.13 blanket; or bunk. in the palace guardroom.
14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. 15He wrote: “Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is heaviest, then retreat and let him be killed.” 16So while Joab was besieging the city, he sent Uriah to a place where he knew the enemy was strong. 17The enemy troops came out of the city and fought Joab's forces; some of David's officers were killed, and so was Uriah.
18Then Joab sent a report to David telling him about the battle, 19and he instructed the messenger, “After you have told the king all about the battle, 20he may get angry and ask you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight them? Didn't you realize that they would shoot arrows from the walls? 21#Judg 9.53Don't you remember how Abimelech son of Gideon was killed? It was at Thebez, where a woman threw a millstone down from the wall and killed him. Why, then, did you go so near the wall?’ If the king asks you this, tell him, ‘Your officer Uriah was also killed.’ ”
22So the messenger went to David and told him what Joab had commanded him to say. 23He said, “Our enemies were stronger than we were and came out of the city to fight us in the open, but we drove them back to the city gate. 24Then they shot arrows at us from the wall, and some of Your Majesty's officers were killed; your officer Uriah was also killed.”
25David said to the messenger, “Encourage Joab and tell him not to be upset, since you never can tell who will die in battle. Tell him to launch a stronger attack on the city and capture it.”
26When Bathsheba heard that her husband had been killed, she mourned for him. 27When the time of mourning was over, David sent for her to come to the palace; she became his wife and bore him a son. But the LORD was not pleased with what David had done.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.