Dual Panel1In the spring <08666> of the year <08141>, at the time <06256> when kings <04428> normally conduct <03318> wars, David <01732> sent out <07971> Joab <03097> with <05973> his officers <05650> and the entire <03605> Israelite <03478> army. They defeated <07843> the Ammonites <05983> <01121> and besieged <06696> Rabbah <07237>. But David <01732> stayed <03427> behind in Jerusalem <03389>.
2One evening <06153> David <01732> got up <06965> from <05921> his bed <04904> and walked around <01980> on <05921> the roof <01406> of his palace <04428> <01004>. From <05921> the roof <01406> he saw <07200> a woman <0802> bathing <07364>. Now this woman <0802> was very <03966> attractive <04758> <02896>.
3So David <01732> sent <07971> someone to inquire <01875> about the woman <0802>. The messenger said <0559>, “Isn’t <03808> this <02063> Bathsheba <01339>, the daughter <01323> of Eliam <0463>, the wife <0802> of Uriah <0223> the Hittite <02850>?”
4David <01732> sent <07971> some messengers <04397> to get <03947> her. She came <0935> to <0413> him and he had sexual relations <07901> with <05973> her. (Now at that time she <01931> was in the process of purifying <06942> herself from her menstrual uncleanness <02932>.) Then she returned <07725> to <0413> her home <01004>.
5The woman <0802> conceived <02029> and then sent <07971> word <05046> to David <01732> saying <0559>, “I’m <0595> pregnant <02030>.”
6So David <01732> sent <07971> a message to <0413> Joab <03097> that said, “Send <07971> me Uriah <0223> the Hittite <02850>.” So Joab <03097> sent <07971> Uriah <0223> to <0413> David <01732>.
7When Uriah <0223> came <0935> to <0413> him, David <01732> asked <07592> about how Joab <03097> and the army <05971> were doing <07965> and how the campaign <04421> was going <07965>.
8Then David <01732> said <0559> to Uriah <0223>, “Go down <03381> to your home <01004> and relax <07272> <07364>.” When Uriah <0223> left <03318> the palace <01004>, the king <04428> sent <03318> a gift <04864> to him <04428>.
9But Uriah <0223> stayed <07901> at the door <06607> of the palace <04428> <01004> with <0854> all <03605> the servants <05650> of his lord <0113>. He did not <03808> go down <03381> to <0413> his house <01004>.
10So they informed <05046> David <01732>, “Uriah <0223> has not <03808> gone down <03381> to <0413> his house <01004>.” So David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> Uriah <0223>, “Haven’t <03808> you <0859> just arrived <0935> from a journey <01870>? Why <04069> haven’t <03808> you gone down <03381> to <0413> your house <01004>?”
11Uriah <0223> replied <0559> to <0413> David <01732>, “The ark <0727> and Israel <03478> and Judah <03063> reside <03427> in temporary shelters <05521>, and my lord <0113> Joab <03097> and my lord’s <0113> soldiers <05650> are camping <02583> in <05921> the open <06440> field <07704>. Should I <0589> go <0935> to <0413> my house <01004> to eat <0398> and drink <08354> and have marital relations <07901> with <05973> my wife <0802>? As surely <02416> as you are alive <05315> <02416>, I will not <0518> do <06213> this <02088> thing <01697>!”
12So David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> Uriah <0223>, “Stay <03427> here <02088> another day <03117>. Tomorrow <04279> I will send <07971> you back.” So Uriah <0223> stayed <03427> in Jerusalem <03389> both that day <03117> and the following <04283> one <01931>.
13Then David <01732> summoned <07121> him. He ate <0398> and drank <08354> with him, and got <07937> him drunk <07937>. But in the evening <06153> he went out <03318> to sleep <07901> on his bed <04904> with <05973> the servants <05650> of his lord <0113>; he did not <03808> go down <03381> to <0413> his own house <01004>.
14In the morning <01242> David <01732> wrote <03789> a letter <05612> to <0413> Joab <03097> and sent <07971> it with Uriah <0223>.
15In the letter <05612> he wrote <03789>: “Station <03051> Uriah <0223> in <0413> the thick <02389> of <04136> the battle <04421> and then withdraw <07725> from him <0310> so he will be cut down <05221> and killed <04191>.”
16So <01961> as Joab <03097> kept watch <08104> on <0413> the city <05892>, he stationed <05414> Uriah <0223> at <0413> the place <04725> where <0834> he knew <03045> the best enemy soldiers <02428> were.
17When the men <0582> of the city <05892> came out <03318> and fought <03898> with <0854> Joab <03097>, some of <04480> David’s <01732> soldiers <05650> <05971> fell <05307> in battle. Uriah <0223> the Hittite <02850> also <01571> died <04191>.
18Then Joab <03097> sent <07971> a full battle <04421> report <05046> to David <01732>.
19He instructed <06680> the messenger <04397> as follows: “When you finish <03615> giving <01696> the battle <04421> report <01697> to <0413> the king <04428>,
20if <0518> the king <04428> becomes <05927> angry <02534> and asks <0559> you, ‘Why <04069> did you go <05066> so close <05066> to <0413> the city <05892> to fight <03898>? Didn’t <03808> you realize <03045> they would shoot <03384> from <05921> the wall <02346>?
21Who <04310> struck down <05221> Abimelech <040> the son <01121> of Jerub-Besheth <03380>? Didn’t <03808> a woman <0802> throw <07993> an upper <06400> millstone <07393> down on <05921> him from the wall <02346> so that he died <04191> in Thebez <08405>? Why <04100> did you go so close <05066> to <0413> the wall <02346>?’ just say <0559> to him, ‘Your servant <05650> Uriah <0223> the Hittite <02850> is also <01571> dead <04191>.’”
22So the messenger <04397> departed <01980>. When he arrived <0935>, he informed <05046> David <01732> of all <03605> the news that <0834> Joab <03097> had sent <07971> with him.
23The messenger <04397> said <0559> to <0413> David <01732>, “The men <0376> overpowered <01396> us and attacked <0413> <03318> us in the field <07704>. But we forced <05921> <01961> them to retreat all the way <05704> to the door <06607> of the city gate <08179>.
24Then the archers <03372> shot <03372> at <0413> your servants <05650> from <05921> the wall <02346> and some of the king’s <04428> soldiers <05650> died <04191>. Your servant <05650> Uriah <0223> the Hittite <02850> is also <01571> dead <04191>.”
25David <01732> said <0559> to <0413> the messenger <04397>, “Tell <0559> Joab <03097>, ‘Don’t <0408> let this <02088> thing <01697> upset <05869> <07489> you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword <02719> will cut down <0398>. Press <02388> the battle <04421> against <0413> the city <05892> and conquer <02040> it.’ Encourage <02388> him with these words.”
26When Uriah’s <0223> wife <0802> heard <08085> that <03588> her husband <0376> Uriah <0223> was dead <04191>, she mourned <05594> for <05921> him <01167>.
27When the time of mourning <060> passed <05674>, David <01732> had <07971> her brought <0622> to <0413> his palace <01004>. She became <01961> his wife <0802> and she bore <03205> him a son <01121>. But what <01697> David <01732> had <0834> done <06213> upset <05869> <07489> the Lord <03068>.