2 Samuel 11
11
David Meets Bathsheba
1In the spring, when kings go out to war, David sent Joab, his officers, and all the Israelites out to destroy the Ammonites. Joab’s army surrounded their capital city, Rabbah.
David stayed in Jerusalem. 2One evening he got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his house. From there he saw a woman bathing. She was very beautiful, 3so David sent for his officers and asked them who she was. An officer answered, “That is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam. She is the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4David sent messengers to go and bring Bathsheba to him. She had just purified herself after her monthly time of bleeding. She went to David, he had sexual relations with her, and then she went back to her house. 5Later, Bathsheba became pregnant. She sent word to him saying, “I am pregnant.”
David Tries to Hide His Sin
6David sent a message to Joab. “Send Uriah the Hittite to me.”
So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7When Uriah came, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were, and how the war was going. 8Then David said to Uriah, “Go home and relax.#11:8 relax Literally, “wash your feet.””
So Uriah left the king’s palace. The king also sent a gift to Uriah. 9But Uriah did not go home. He slept outside the door of the king’s palace, as the rest of the king’s servants did. 10The servants told David, “Uriah did not go home.”
Then David said to Uriah, “You came from a long trip. Why did you not go home?”
11Uriah said to David, “The Holy Box and the soldiers of Israel and Judah are staying in tents. My lord Joab and my lord’s officers are camping out in the field. So it is not right for me to go home to eat and drink and sleep with my wife. As surely as you live, I will not do this.”
12David said to Uriah, “Stay here today. Tomorrow I will send you back to the battle.”
Uriah stayed in Jerusalem until the next morning. 13Then David called Uriah to come and see him. Uriah ate and drank with David. David got him drunk, but Uriah still did not go home. That evening, Uriah again slept at the palace with the rest of the king’s servants.
David Plans Uriah’s Death
14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and made Uriah carry the letter. 15In the letter David wrote: “Put Uriah on the front lines where the fighting is the hardest. Then leave him there alone, and let him be killed in battle.”
16Joab watched the city and saw where the bravest Ammonites were. He chose Uriah to go to that place. 17The men of the city came out to fight against Joab. Some of David’s men were killed. Uriah the Hittite was one of them.
18Then Joab sent a report to David about what happened in the battle. 19Joab told the messenger to tell King David what had happened in the battle. 20“The king might get upset and ask, ‘Why did Joab’s army go that close to the city to fight? Surely he knows that there are men on the city walls who can shoot arrows down at his men? 21Surely he remembers that at Thebez a woman killed Abimelech son of Jerub Besheth when she threw the top part of a grinding stone down from the wall. So why did he go that close to the wall?’ If King David says something like that, tell him, ‘Your officer, Uriah the Hittite, also died.’”
22The messenger went in and told David everything Joab told him to say. 23The messenger told David, “The men of Ammon attacked us in the field. We fought them and chased them all the way to the city gate. 24Then the men on the city wall shot arrows at your officers. Some of your officers were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.”
25David said to the messenger, “Give this message to Joab: ‘Don’t be too upset about this. A sword can kill one person as well as the next. Make a stronger attack against Rabbah and you will win.’ Encourage Joab with these words.”
David Marries Bathsheba
26Bathsheba heard that her husband Uriah had died, so she mourned for him. 27After her time of sadness, David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David’s wife and gave birth to a son for David. But the Lord did not like what David had done.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
2 Samuel 11
11
David’s Adultery with Bathsheba
1In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.#2Sm 12:26–29; 1Ch 20:1
2One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing — a very beautiful woman. 3So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba,#2Sm 12:24; Ps 51 daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah#Mt 1:6 the Hethite?” #11:3 DSS add Joab’s armor-bearer
4David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness.#Lv 15:18–30; 18:19 Afterward, she returned home. 5The woman conceived and sent word to inform David, “I am pregnant.”
6David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hethite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going. 8Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him. 9But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
10When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?”
11Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers#11:11 Lit servants are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!” #1Sm 21:5
12“Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.
Uriah’s Death Arranged
14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15In the letter he wrote:
Put Uriah#Mt 1:6 at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies.
16When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. 17Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David’s soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hethite also died.
18Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle. 19He commanded the messenger, “When you’ve finished telling the king all the details of the battle — 20if the king’s anger gets stirred up and he asks you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall? 21At Thebez, who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth?#11:21 LXX reads Jerubbaal#11:21 = Gideon Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the top of the wall so that he died?#Jdg 9:50–54 Why did you get so close to the wall? ’ — then say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hethite is dead also.’” 22Then the messenger left.
When he arrived, he reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23The messenger reported to David, “The men gained the advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we counterattacked right up to the entrance of the city gate. 24However, the archers shot down on your servants from the top of the wall, and some of the king’s servants died. Your servant Uriah the Hethite is also dead.”
25David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.”
26When Uriah’s#Mt 1:6 wife heard that her husband, Uriah, had died, she mourned for him.#11:26 Lit her husband 27When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.#2Sm 12:9; 15:19
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