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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.
02 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.
03 And David sent and enquired after the woman.
And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter
of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
04 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.
05 And the woman conceived, and sent and told
David, and said, I am with child.
06 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah
the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
07 And when Uriah was come unto him, David
demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people
did, and how the war prospered.
08 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.
09 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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David
wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand
of Uriah.
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.
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.
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.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things
concerning the war;
19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou
hast made an end of telling the matters of the
war unto the king,
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?
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.
22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed
David all that Joab had sent him for.
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.
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.
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.
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah
her husband was dead, she mourned for her
husband.
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.
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