11:1 And it came to pass when the time o the
year for kings going out [to battle] had come round, that David sent Joab,
and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children
of Ammon, and besieged Rabbath: but David remained at Jerusalem.
11:2 And it came to pass toward evening, that David arose off his couch, and
walked on the roof of the king's house, and saw from the roof a woman
bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
11:3 And David sent and enquired about the woman: and [one] said, [Is] not
this Bersabee the daughter of Eliab, the wife of Urias the Chettite?
11:4 And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her, and he lay
with her: and she was purified from her uncleanness, and returned to her
house.
11:5 And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am
with child.
11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Urias the Chettite; and Joab
sent Urias to David.
11:7 And Urias arrived and went in to him, and David asked him how Joab was,
and how the people were, and how the war went on.
11:8 And David said to Urias, Go to thy house, and wash thy feet: and Urias
departed from the house of the king, and a portion [of meat] from the king
followed him.
11:9 And Urias slept at the door of the king with the servants of his lord,
and went not down to his house.
11:10 And they brought David word, saying, Urias has not gone down to his
house. And David said to Urias, Art thou not come from a journey? why hast
thou not gone down to thy house?
11:11 And Urias said to David, The ark, and Israel, and Juda dwell in tents;
and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open
fields; and shall I go into my house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife?
how [should I o this? as] thy soul lives, I will not do this thing.
11:12 And David said to Urias, Remain here to-day also, and to-morrow I will
let thee go. So Urias remained in Jerusalem that day and the day following.
11:13 And David called him, and he ate before him and drank, and he made him
drunk: and he went out in the evening to lie upon his bed with the servants
of his lord, and went not down to his house.
11:14 And the morning came, and David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by
the hand of Urias.
11:15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Station Urias in front of the
severe [part] of the fight, and retreat from behind him, so shall he be
wounded and die.
11:16 And it came to pass while Joab was watching against the city, that he
set Urias in a place where he knew that valiant men were.
11:17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and some of
the people of the servants of David fell, and Urias the Chettite died also.
11:18 And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as
to tell them to the king.
11:19 And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished
reporting all the events of the war to the king,
11:20 then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and
he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not
that they would shoot from off the wall?
11:21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman
cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in
Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? then thou shalt say, Thy servant
Urias the Chettite is also dead.
11:22 And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came
and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war.
And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did ye
draw nigh to the wall to fight? knew ye not that ye would be wounded from
off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast
upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died I Thamasi? why did
ye draw near to the wall?
11:23 And the messenger said to David, The men prevailed against us, and
they came out against us into the field, and we came upon them even to the
door of the gate.
11:24 And the archers shot at thy servants from off the wall, and some of
the king's servants died, and thy servant Urias the Chettite is dead also.
11:25 And David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab, Let not
the matter be grievous in thine eyes, for the sword devours one way at one
time and another way at another: strengthen thine array against the city,
and destroy it, and strengthen him.
11:26 And the wife of Urias heard that Urias her husband was dead, and she
mourned for her husband.
11:27 And the time of mourning expired, and David sent and took her into his
house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son: but the thing which
David did was evil in the eyes of the Lord. |
11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was
expired, at the time when kings go forth 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 tarried still at Jerusalem.
11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his
bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw
a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
11:3 And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this
Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
11:4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and
he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned
unto her house.
11:5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with
child.
11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab
sent Uriah to David.
11:7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did,
and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
11:8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And
Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of
meat from the king.
11:9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants
of his lord, and went not down to his house.
11:10 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?
11:11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in
tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the
open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to
lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this
thing.
11:12 And 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.
11:13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he
made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants
of his lord, but went not down to his house.
11:14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab,
and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
11:15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of
the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
11:16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned
Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
11:17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell
some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died
also.
11:18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
11:19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of
telling the matters of the war unto the king,
11:20 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?
11:21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? 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.
11:22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had
sent him for.
11:23 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.
11:24 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.
11:25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let
not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as
another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and
encourage thou him.
11:26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she
mourned for her husband.
11:27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his
house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David
had done displeased the LORD. |