1And it happened, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out 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 stayed at Jerusalem. 2And it happened at evening, that David arose from his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is this not Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house. 5And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child. 6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7And when Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab was doing, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. 8And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a portion of food from the king. 9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10And when they had told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house, 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, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing. 12And David said to Uriah, Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day, and the next. 13And when David had called him, 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 lord, but did not go down to his house. 14And it happened 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 in the forefront of the hottest battle, and withdraw from him, that he may be struck down, and die. 16And it happened, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were. 17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. 18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19and he charged the messenger, saying, When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king, 20it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arises, and he says to you, Why did you go so near to the city to fight? did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? why did you go so near the wall? then you shall say, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 22So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him for. 23And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were upon them even to the entrance of the gate. 24And the shooters shot at your servants from the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 25Then David said to the messenger, Thus you shall say to Joab, Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage him. 26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. 27And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yehovah.