2 Samuel 11

1And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go outto 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 at Jerusalem.

1In the spring, at the time of year when kings usually go out to war, David sent Joab along with his officers and the whole Israeli army. They destroyed the Ammonites and surrounded the city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.

2And it came to pass at eventide, 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 bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

2One evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and she was very beautiful.

3And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

3David sent someone to find out who she was. The man returned and said, 'Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

4And 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.

4Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had just finished the ritual purification from her monthly period.) Then she went back home.

5And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

5The woman became pregnant and sent word to David, saying, 'I am pregnant.'

6And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

6So David sent a message to Joab: 'Send Uriah the Hittite to me.' And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

7When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were doing, and how the war was going.

8And 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 food from the king.

8Then David said to Uriah, 'Go down to your house and wash your feet.' Uriah left the palace, and the king sent a gift of food after him.

9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

9But Uriah did not go home. Instead, he slept at the entrance of the palace with all his master’s servants.

10And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?

10When David was told, 'Uriah didn't go home,' he asked Uriah, 'Haven't you just come from a long journey? Why didn't you go home?'

11And Uriah said unto 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 thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

11Uriah said to David, 'The ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are staying in tents. My master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing.'

12And 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.

12Then David told him, 'Stay here today as well, and tomorrow I will send you back.' So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13And 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.

13David invited him to eat and drink, and David got him drunk. But that evening Uriah again went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

14And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15And 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.

15In the letter he wrote: 'Put Uriah out in the front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.'

16And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were.

16So while Joab had the city under siege, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the enemy’s strongest defenders 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.

17When the men of the city came out to fight against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; Uriah the Hittite was also killed.

18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

18Joab sent David a full report on the battle.

19and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king,

19He gave the messenger these instructions: 'When you have finished giving the king this account of the war,

20it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

20the king may get angry. He might ask, "Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?

21who smote 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 went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

21Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?" If he asks this, then say to him, "Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too."'

22So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

22The messenger set out, and when he arrived, he told David everything Joab had sent him to say.

23And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.

23The messenger said to David, 'The enemy men overpowered us and came out against us in the open field, but we chased them back to the entrance of the city gate.

24And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

24Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall. Some of the king’s servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.'

25Then 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.

25David told the messenger, 'Say this to Joab: "Don't let this upset you; the sword kills one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it." Say this to encourage Joab.'

26And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.

26When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.

27And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Jehovah.

27After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and gave birth to a son. But the Lord was very displeased with what David had done.