| New American Standard Bible 1995 | NET Bible |
| 1Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. | 1In the spring of the year, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army. They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. |
| 2Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. | 2One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. Now this woman was very attractive. |
| 3So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" | 3So David sent someone to inquire about the woman. The messenger said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" |
| 4David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. | 4David sent some messengers to get her. She came to him and he had sexual relations with her. (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) Then she returned to her home. |
| 5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." | 5The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, "I'm pregnant." |
| 6Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. | 6So David sent a message to Joab that said, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. |
| 7When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. | 7When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going. |
| 8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a present from the king was sent out after him. | 8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your home and relax." When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him. |
| 9But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. | 9But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house. |
| 10Now when they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" | 10So they informed David, "Uriah has not gone down to his house." So David said to Uriah, "Haven't you just arrived from a journey? Why haven't you gone down to your house?" |
| 11Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing." | 11Uriah replied to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord's soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations with my wife? As surely as you are alive, I will not do this thing!" |
| 12Then David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. | 12So David said to Uriah, "Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one. |
| 13Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house. | 13Then David summoned him. He ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house. |
| 14Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. | 14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. |
| 15He had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die." | 15In the letter he wrote: "Station Uriah in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed." |
| 16So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. | 16So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. |
| 17The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died. | 17When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David's soldiers fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died. |
| 18Then Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war. | 18Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. |
| 19He charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, | 19He instructed the messenger as follows: "When you finish giving the battle report to the king, |
| 20and if it happens that the king's wrath rises and he says to you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? | 20if the king becomes angry and asks you, 'Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn't you realize they would shoot from the wall? |
| 21'Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?'-- then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'" | 21Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?' just say to him, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.'" |
| 22So the messenger departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. | 22So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. |
| 23The messenger said to David, "The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. | 23The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and attacked us in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way to the door of the city gate. |
| 24"Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead." | 24Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall and some of the king's soldiers died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead." |
| 25Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it'; and so encourage him." | 25David said to the messenger, "Tell Joab, 'Don't let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. Press the battle against the city and conquer it.' Encourage him with these words." |
| 26Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. | 26When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. |
| 27When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. | 27When the time of mourning passed, David had her brought to his palace. She became his wife and she bore him a son. But what David had done upset the LORD. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | NET Bible copyright © 1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. //netbible.com. Used by permission. All rights reserved. |
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