1And it came to be at the turn of the year, at the time sovereigns go out to battle, that Dawiḏ sent Yo’aḇ and his servants with him, and all Yisra’ĕl, and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But Dawiḏ remained at Yerushalayim.

2And it came to be, at evening time, that Dawiḏ rose up from his bed and walked about on the roof of the sovereign’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very good to look at.

3And Dawiḏ sent and asked about the woman, and one said, “Is this not Bathsheḇa, the daughter of Eliyam, the wife of Uriyah the Ḥittite?”

4And Dawiḏ sent messengers, to fetch her. And she came to him, and he lay with her – for she was cleansing herself from her uncleanness – and she returned to her house.

5And the woman conceived, and sent and informed Dawiḏ, and said, “I am pregnant.”

6Then Dawiḏ sent to Yo’aḇ, “Send Uriyah the Ḥittite to me.” And Yo’aḇ sent Uriyah to Dawiḏ.

7And Uriyah came to him, and Dawiḏ asked how Yo’aḇ was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the fighting was going.

8And Dawiḏ said to Uriyah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriyah went out from the sovereign’s house, and a gift from the sovereign followed him.

9But Uriyah lay down at the door of the sovereign’s house with all the servants of his master, and did not go down to his house.

10And they informed Dawiḏ, saying, “Uriyah did not go down to his house,” So Dawiḏ said to Uriyah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

11And Uriyah said to Dawiḏ, “The ark and Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah are dwelling in booths, and my master Yo’aḇ and the servants of my master are encamped in the open fields. And I, should I go to my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your being lives, let me not do this.”

12And Dawiḏ said to Uriyah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I let you go.” So Uriyah remained in Yerushalayim, that day and the next.

13And Dawiḏ called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his master, but he did not go down to his house.

14And it came to be in the morning that Dawiḏ wrote a letter to Yo’aḇ and sent it by the hand of Uriyah.

15And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriyah in the front of the heaviest battle, and you shall turn away from him, and he shall be smitten and shall die.”

16And it came to be, as Yo’aḇ watched the city, that he appointed Uriyah to the place where he knew there were brave men.

17And the men of the city came out and fought with Yo’aḇ. And some of the people of the servants of Dawiḏ fell. And Uriyah the Ḥittite also died.

18And Yo’aḇ sent and reported to Dawiḏ all the events of the battle,

19and commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished reporting all the events of the battle to the sovereign,

20then it shall be, if the sovereign’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

21‘Who smote Aḇimeleḵ the son of Yerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thĕḇĕts? Why did you go near the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriyah the Ḥittite is also dead.’ ”

22And the messenger went, and came and reported to Dawiḏ all with which Yo’aḇ had sent him.

23And the messenger said to Dawiḏ, “The men have been mighty against us and came out to us in the field, but we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.

24“And the archers shot from the wall at your servants. And some of the sovereign’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriyah the Ḥittite is also dead.”

25And Dawiḏ said to the messenger, “Say to Yo’aḇ, ‘Do not let this matter be evil in your eyes, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

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

27And when her mourning was over, Dawiḏ sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the deed that Dawiḏ had done was evil in the eyes of יהוה.