2 Samuel 11 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David and Bathsheba

Now it happened^H1961 [fn]in the spring^H8666, at the time^H6256 when [fn]kings^H4428 go^H3318 out^H3318 to battle, that David^H1732 sent^H7971 Joab^H3097 and his servants^H5650 with him and all^H3605 Israel^H3478, and they destroyed^H7843 the sons^H1121 of Ammon^H5983 and besieged^H6696^H5921 Rabbah^H7237. But David^H1732 stayed^H3427 at Jerusalem^H3389.

2Sa 11:2

Now when evening^H6153 came^H1961 David^H1732 arose^H6965 from his bed^H4904 and walked^H1980 around^H1980 on the roof^H1406 of the king’s^H4428 house^H1004, and from the roof^H1406 he saw^H7200 a woman^H802 bathing^H7364; and the woman^H802 was very^H3966 beautiful^H2896 in appearance^H4758.

2Sa 11:3

2Sa 11:3So David sent and [fn]inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

2Sa 11:4

2Sa 11:4Then David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house.

2Sa 11:5

2Sa 11:5And the woman became pregnant; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am pregnant.”

2Sa 11:6

Then David^H1732 sent^H7971 to Joab^H3097, saying, “Send^H7971 me Uriah^H223 the Hittite^H2850.” So Joab^H3097 sent^H7971 Uriah^H223 to David^H1732.

2Sa 11:7

2Sa 11:7When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the [fn]state of Joab and the [fn]state of the people and the [fn]state of the war.

2Sa 11:8

2Sa 11:8Then 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 went out after him.

2Sa 11:9

2Sa 11:9But Uriah lay down at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

2Sa 11:10

2Sa 11:10Then they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house.” And David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”

2Sa 11:11

2Sa 11:11And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in [fn]booths, 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.”

2Sa 11:12

2Sa 11:12Then David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will send you out.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the [fn]next.

2Sa 11:13

2Sa 11:13Now 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.

2Sa 11:14

Now it happened in the morning^H1242 that David^H1732 wrote^H3789 a letter^H5612 to Joab^H3097 and sent^H7971 it by the hand^H3027 of Uriah^H223.

2Sa 11:15

2Sa 11:15And he had written in the letter, saying, “[fn]Place Uriah in the front line of the [fn]fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”

2Sa 11:16

2Sa 11:16So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men.

2Sa 11:17

2Sa 11:17And the 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.

2Sa 11:18

2Sa 11:18Then Joab sent and told David all the events of the war.

2Sa 11:19

2Sa 11:19And he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king,

2Sa 11:20

2Sa 11:20and if it happens that the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you approach the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

2Sa 11:21

2Sa 11:21‘Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall so he died at Thebez? Why did you approach the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

2Sa 11:22

So the messenger^H4397 went^H1980 and came^H935 and told^H5046 David^H1732 all^H3605 that Joab^H3097 had sent^H7971 him to tell.

2Sa 11:23

2Sa 11:23And the messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we [fn]pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate.

2Sa 11:24

2Sa 11:24“And the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.”

2Sa 11:25

2Sa 11:25Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing be evil in your sight, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and [fn]tear it down’; and so strengthen him.”

2Sa 11:26

Then the wife^H802 of Uriah^H223 heard^H8085 that Uriah^H223 her husband^H376 had died^H4191, so she lamented^H5594 over her husband^H1167.

2Sa 11:27

2Sa 11:27Then the time of mourning passed by, and David sent and gathered 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 Yahweh.