While Joab besieged Rabbah, David committeth adultery with Bath-sheba.

1 ¶ And it came to pass,² after the yearº was expired,º at the timeº when kingsºª¹ go forthºª [to battle], that Davidº sentºª² Joab,º and his servantsº with² him, and all² Israel;º and they destroyedºª² the childrenº of Ammon,º and besiegedºª² Rabbah.º But Davidº tarried² still¹ª at Jerusalem.º

2 ¶ And it came to pass² in an eveningtide,ºº that Davidº aroseºª from off²² his bed,º and walkedºª upon² the roofº of the king'sº house:º and from²² the roofº he sawºª a womanº washingºª herself; and the womanº [was] veryº beautifulº to look² upon.¹ 3 And Davidº sentºª and enquiredºª after the woman.º And [one] said,ºª [Is] not² this² Bathsheba,º the daughterº of Eliam,º the wifeº of Uriahº the Hittite?º 4 And Davidº sentºª messengers,º and tookºª her; and she came² in¹ª unto² him, and he layºª with her;² for she² was purifiedºª from her uncleanness:º² and she returnedºª unto² her house.º 5 And the womanº conceived,ºª and sentºª and toldºª David,º and said,ºª I² [am] with child.º

Uriah, sent for by David to cover the adultery, would not go home neither sober nor drunken.

6 ¶ And Davidº sentºª to² Joab,º [saying], Sendºª² me² Uriahº the Hittite.º And Joabº sentºª² Uriahº to² David.º 7 And when Uriahº was comeºª unto² him, Davidº demandedºª [of him] how Joabº did,º and how the peopleº did,º and how the warº prospered.º 8 And Davidº saidºª to Uriah,º Go downºª to thy house,º and washºª thy feet.º And Uriahº departed² out¹ª of the king's¹ house,º²² and there followedº² him a messº [of meat] from the king.º 9 But Uriahº sleptºª at the doorº of the king'sº houseº with² all² the servantsº of his lord,º and went² not² down¹ª to² his house.º 10 And when they had toldºª David,º saying,ºª Uriahº went not downºª² unto² his house,º Davidº saidºª unto² Uriah,º Camestºª thou² not² from [thy] journey?º² why² [then] didst thou not² go downºª unto² thine house?º 11 And Uriahº saidºª unto² David,º The ark,º and Israel,º and Judah,º abideºª in tents;º and my lordº Joab,º and the servantsº of my lord,º are encampedºª in² the openº fields;º shall Iº then goºª into² mine house,º to eatºª and to drink,ºª and to lieºª with² my wife?º [as] thou livest,º and [as] thy soulº liveth,º I will not doºª² this² thing.º 12 And Davidº saidºª to² Uriah,º Tarryºª here² to dayº also,² and to morrowº I will let thee depart.ºª So Uriahº abodeºª in Jerusalemº that² day,º and the morrow.º² 13 And when Davidº had calledºª him, he did eatºª and drinkºª beforeº him; and he made him drunk:ºª and at evenº he went outºª to lieºª on his bedº with² the servantsº of his lord,º but went² not² down¹ª to² his house.º

He carrieth to Joab the letter of his death.

14 ¶ And it came to pass² in the morning,º that Davidº wroteºª a letterº to² Joab,º and sentºª [it] by the handº of Uriah.º 15 And he wroteºª in the letter,º saying,ºª Setºª ye² Uriahº in² the forefrontºº of the hottestº battle,º and retireºª ye from²² him,¹ that he may be smitten,ºª and die.ºª 16 And it came to pass,² when Joabº observedºª² the city,º that he assignedºª² Uriahº unto² a placeº where²² he knewºª that² valiantº men¹² [were]. 17 And the men¹² of the cityº went out,ºª and foughtºª with² Joab:º and there fellºª [some] of² the peopleº of the servantsº² of David;º and Uriahº the Hittiteº diedºª also.²

Joab sendeth the news thereof to David.

18 ¶ Then Joabº sentºª and toldºª Davidº² all² the thingsº concerning the war;º 19 And chargedºª² the messenger,º saying,ºª When thou hast made an endºª of tellingºª the mattersº of the warº unto² the king,º 20 And if² so be² that the king'sº wrathº arise,ºª and he sayºª unto thee, Wherefore² approached² ye so nigh¹ª unto² the cityº when ye did fight?ºª knewºª ye not² that² they would shootºª from²² the wall?º 21 Who² smoteºª² Abimelechº the sonº of Jerubbesheth?º did not² a womanº castºª a pieceº of a millstoneº upon² him from²² the wall,º that he diedºª in Thebez?º why² went ye nighºª² the wall?º then sayºª thou, Thy servantº Uriahº the Hittiteº is deadºª also.²

22 ¶ So the messengerº went,¹ª² and cameºª and shewedºª Davidº² all² that² Joabº had sentºª him for. 23 And the messengerº saidºª unto² David,º Surely² the men¹² prevailedºª against² us, and came outºª unto² us into the field,º and we were² upon² them even unto² the enteringº of the gate.º 24 And the shootersºª shotºª from off²² the wallº upon² thy servants;º and [some] of the king's¹ servantsº²² be dead,ºª and thy servantº Uriahº the Hittiteº is deadºª also.² 25 Then Davidº saidºª unto² the messenger,º Thus² shalt thou sayºª unto² Joab,º Let not²² this² thingº displeaseººª thee, for² the swordº devourethºª one² as well as another:º make thy battleº more strongºª against² the city,º and overthrowºª it: and encourageºª thou him.

David taketh Bath-sheba to wife.

26 ¶ And when the wifeº of Uriahº heardºª that² Uriahº her husbandº was dead,ºª she mournedºª for² her husband.º 27 And when the mourningº was past,ºª Davidº sentºª and fetchedºª her to² his house,º and she became² his wife,º and bareºª him a son.º But the thingº that² Davidº had doneºª displeasedººª the LORD.º