| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 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, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained 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 the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, |
| 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?" | 3and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and 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. | 4Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. |
| 5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." | 5The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." |
| 6Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. | 6So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him 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 him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war 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 house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after 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 slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and 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?" | 10David was told, "Uriah did not go home." So he asked Uriah, "Haven't you just come from a military campaign? Why didn't you go home?" |
| 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 said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a 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. | 12Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. |
| 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. | 13At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home. |
| 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 it he wrote, "Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." |
| 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 while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders 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 against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. |
| 18Then Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war. | 18Joab sent David a full account of the battle. |
| 19He charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, | 19He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, |
| 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? | 20the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows 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 killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'" |
| 22So the messenger departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. | 22The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. |
| 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 came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance 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 arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is 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 told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab." |
| 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 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. | 27After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased 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 | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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