2 Samuel 11

1Now in the spring, at the time when kings go out to war, David sent Joab and his servants and all Israel with him; and they made waste the land of the children of Ammon, and took up their position before Rabbah, shutting it in. But David was still at Jerusalem.

1And it cometh to pass, at the revolution of the year--at the time of the going out of the messengers--that David sendeth Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroy the Bene-Ammon, and lay siege against Rabbah. And David is dwelling in Jerusalem,

1And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time when kings go forth, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they laid waste the [land of the] children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David abode at Jerusalem.

2Now one evening, David got up from his bed, and while he was walking on the roof of the king's house, he saw from there a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.

2and it cometh to pass, at evening-time, that David riseth from off his couch, and walketh up and down on the roof of the king's house, and seeth from the roof a woman bathing, and the woman <FI>is<Fi> of very good appearance,

2And it came to pass at evening time that David arose from off his couch, 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;

3And David sent to get knowledge who the woman was. And one said, Is this not Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite?

3and David sendeth and inquireth about the woman, and saith, `Is not this Bath-Sheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite?'

3and David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Urijah the Hittite?

4And David sent and took her; and she came to him, and he took her to his bed: (for she had been made clean;) then she went back to her house.

4And David sendeth messengers, and taketh her, and she cometh unto him, and he lieth with her--and she is purifying herself from her uncleanness--and she turneth back unto her house;

4And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her; and she had purified herself from her uncleanness; and she returned to her house.

5And the woman became with child; and she sent word to David that she was with child.

5and the woman conceiveth, and sendeth, and declareth to David, and saith, `I <FI>am<Fi> conceiving.'

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

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

6And David sendeth unto Joab, `Send unto me Uriah the Hittite,' and Joab sendeth Uriah unto David;

6And David sent to Joab [saying], Send me Urijah the Hittite. And Joab sent Urijah to David.

7And when Uriah came to him, David put questions to him about how Joab and the people were, and how the war was going.

7and Uriah cometh unto him, and David asketh of the prosperity of Joab, and of the prosperity of the people, and of the prosperity of the war.

7And when Urijah had come to him, David asked how Joab prospered, and how the people prospered, and how the war prospered.

8And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house and let your feet be washed. And Uriah went away from the king's house, and an offering from the king was sent after him.

8And David saith to Uriah, `Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet;' and Uriah goeth out of the king's house, and there goeth out after him a gift from the king,

8And David said to Urijah, Go down to thy house and wash thy feet. And Urijah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him presents from the king.

9But Uriah took his rest at the door of the king's house, with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

9and Uriah lieth down at the opening of the king's house, with all the servants of his lord, and hath not gone down unto his house.

9And Urijah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10And when word was given to David that Uriah had not gone down to his house, David said to Uriah, Have you not come from a journey? why did you not go down to your house?

10And they declare to David, saying, `Uriah hath not gone down unto his house;' and David saith unto Uriah, `Hast thou not come from a journey? wherefore hast thou not gone down unto thy house?'

10And they had told David saying, Urijah did not go down to his house; and David said to Urijah, Art thou not come from a journey? why didst thou not go down to thy house?

11And Uriah said to David, Israel and Judah with the ark are living in tents, and my lord Joab and the other servants of my lord are sleeping in the open field; and am I to go to my house and take food and drink, and go to bed with my wife? By the living Lord, and by the life of your soul, I will not do such a thing.

11And Uriah saith unto David, `The ark, and Israel, and Judah, are abiding in booths, and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, on the face of the field are encamping; and I--I go in unto my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife! --thy life, and the life of thy soul--if I do this thing.'

11And Urijah 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 fields: 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.

12And David said to Uriah, Be here today, and after that I will let you go. So Uriah was in Jerusalem that day and the day after.

12And David saith unto Uriah, `Abide in this <FI>place<Fi> also to-day, and to-morrow I send thee away;' and Uriah abideth in Jerusalem, on that day, and on the morrow,

12And David said to Urijah, Abide here to-day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. And Urijah abode in Jerusalem that day and the morrow.

13And when David sent for him, he took meat and drink with him, and David made him the worse for drink: and when evening came, he went to rest on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

13and David calleth for him, and he eateth before him, and drinketh, and he causeth him to drink, and he goeth out in the evening to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, and unto his house he hath not gone down.

13And David invited him, and he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but did not go down to his house.

14Now in the morning, David gave Uriah a letter to take to Joab.

14And it cometh to pass in the morning, that David writeth a letter unto Joab, and sendeth by the hand of Uriah;

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

15And in the letter he said, Take care to put Uriah in the very front of the line, where the fighting is most violent, and go back from him, so that he may be overcome and put to death.

15and he writeth in the letter, saying, `Place ye Uriah over-against the front of the severest battle, and ye have turned back from after him, and he hath been smitten, and hath died.'

15And he wrote in the letter saying, Set Urijah in the front of the thickest fight, and withdraw from him, that he may be smitten and die.

16So while Joab was watching the town, he put Uriah in the place where it was clear to him the best fighters were.

16And it cometh to pass in Joab's watching of the city, that he appointeth Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men <FI>are<Fi> ;

16And it came to pass as Joab watched the city, that he assigned Urijah to a place where he knew that the valiant men were.

17And the men of the town went out and had a fight with Joab: and a number of David's men came to their death in the fight, and with them Uriah the Hittite.

17and the men of the city go out and fight with Joab, and there fall <FI>some<Fi> of the people, of the servants of David; and there dieth also Uriah the Hittite.

17And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; and there fell some of the people, of the servants of David; and Urijah the Hittite died also.

18Then Joab sent David news of everything which had taken place in the war:

18And Joab sendeth and declareth to David all the matters of the war,

18Then Joab sent and told David all the matters of the war;

19And he gave orders to the man who took the news, saying, After you have given the king all the news about the war,

19and commandeth the messenger, saying, `At thy finishing all the matters of the war to speak unto the king,

19and charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast ended telling the matters of the war to the king,

20If the king is angry and says, Why did you go so near the town for the fight? was it not certain that their archers would be on the wall?

20then, it hath been, if the king's fury ascend, and he hath said to thee, Wherefore did ye draw nigh unto the city to fight? did ye not know that they shoot from off the wall?

20and if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say to thee, Why did ye go so near to the city to fight? did ye not know that they would shoot from the wall?

21Who put Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, to death? did not a woman send a great stone down on him from the wall, putting him to death at Thebez? why did you go so near the wall? Then say to him, Your servant Uriah the Hittite is among the dead.

21Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast on him a piece of a rider from the wall, and he dieth in Thebez? why drew ye nigh unto the wall? that thou hast said, Also thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'

21Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast the upper stone of a handmill from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why did ye go near the wall? — then say thou, Thy servant Urijah the Hittite is dead also.

22So the man went, and came to David, and gave him all the news which Joab had sent him to give; then David was angry with Joab and said, Why did you go so near the town for the fight? was it not certain that their archers would be on the wall? who put Abimelech, the son of Jerubbaal, to death? did not a woman send a great stone down on him from the wall, putting him to death at Thebez? why did you go so near the wall?

22And the messenger goeth, and cometh in, and declareth to David all that with which Joab sent him,

22And the messenger went; and he came and told David all that Joab had sent him for.

23And the man said to David, Truly the men got the better of us, and came out against us into the open country, but we sent them back to the very doors of the town.

23and the messenger saith unto David, `Surely the men have been mighty against us, and come out unto us into the field, and we are upon them unto the opening of the gate,

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

24And the archers sent their arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's servants are dead, and among them is your servant Uriah the Hittite.

24and those shooting shoot at thy servants from off the wall, and <FI>some<Fi> of the servants of the king are dead, and also, thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.

24And the shooters shot from upon the wall against thy servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Urijah the Hittite is dead also.

25Then David said to the man, Go and say to Joab, Do not let this be a grief to you; for one man may come to his death by the sword like another: put up an even stronger fight against the town, and take it: and do you put heart into him.

25And David saith unto the messenger, `Thus dost thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing be evil in thine eyes; for thus and thus doth the sword devour; strengthen thy warfare against the city, and throw it down--and strengthen thou him.'

25Then David said to the messenger, Thus shalt thou say to Joab: Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another: make thy battle strong against the city, and overthrow it; — and encourage him.

26And when the wife of Uriah had news that her husband was dead, she gave herself up to weeping for him.

26And the wife of Uriah heareth that Uriah her husband <FI>is<Fi> dead, and lamenteth for her lord;

26And the wife of Urijah heard that Urijah her husband was dead, and she mourned for her husband.

27And when the days of weeping were past, David sent for her, and took her into his house, and she became his wife and gave him a son. But the Lord was not pleased with the thing David had done.

27and the mourning passeth by, and David sendeth and gathereth her unto his house, and she is to him for a wife, and beareth to him a son; and the thing which David hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah.

27And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of Jehovah.