2 Samuel 11

1At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.Cross-references: Deut 3:11 · 2Sam 12:26 · 1Ki 20:22 · 1Ki 20:26 · 1Chr 20:1 · 2Chr 36:10 · +3 more

2At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.Cross-references: Gen 3:6 · Gen 6:2 · Gen 34:2 · Gen 39:6 · Deut 22:8 · 1Sam 9:25 · +16 more

3David sent and inquired after the woman. One said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite’s wife?”Cross-references: 2Sam 23:39 · 1Chr 3:5 · 1Chr 11:41 · Jer 5:8 · Hos 7:6 · James 1:14

4David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.Cross-references: Gen 39:7 · Lev 12:2 · Lev 15:19 · Lev 18:19 · Job 31:9 · Ps 50:18 · +3 more

5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”Cross-references: Deut 22:22 · Prov 6:34

6David sent to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” Joab sent Uriah to David.Cross-references: Gen 4:7 · Gen 38:18 · 1Sam 15:30 · Job 20:12 · Prov 28:13 · Isa 29:13 · +3 more

7When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.Cross-references: Gen 29:6 · Gen 37:14 · 1Sam 17:22

8David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.Cross-references: Gen 18:4 · Gen 19:2 · Gen 43:24 · Gen 43:34 · Ps 12:2 · Ps 44:21 · +5 more

9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and didn’t go down to his house.Cross-references: Job 5:12 · Prov 21:30

10When they had told David, saying, “Uriah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you come from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?”

11Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into my house to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!”Cross-references: 1Sam 1:26 · 1Sam 4:4 · 1Sam 14:18 · 1Sam 17:55 · 1Sam 20:3 · 1Sam 25:26 · +11 more

12David said to Uriah, “Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next day.Cross-references: Jer 2:22 · Jer 2:37

13When David had called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn’t go down to his house.Cross-references: Gen 19:32 · Ex 32:21 · Prov 20:1 · Hab 2:15

14In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.Cross-references: 1Ki 21:8 · Ps 19:13 · Ps 52:2 · Ps 62:9 · Jer 9:1 · Jer 17:9 · +1 more

15He wrote in the letter, saying, “Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck and die.”Cross-references: 1Sam 18:17 · 1Sam 18:21 · 1Sam 18:25 · 2Sam 11:17 · 2Sam 12:9 · Ps 51:4 · +2 more

16When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.Cross-references: 1Sam 22:17 · 2Sam 3:27 · 2Sam 11:21 · 2Sam 20:9 · 1Ki 2:5 · 1Ki 2:31 · +5 more

17The men of the city went out and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David’s servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also.Cross-references: 2Sam 12:9 · Ps 51:14

18Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;

19and he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,

20it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he asks you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?

21Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman cast 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 also dead.’”Cross-references: Judg 6:32 · Judg 7:1 · Judg 9:50 · 2Sam 3:27 · 2Sam 3:34 · Ps 39:8 · +2 more

22So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

23The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field; and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.

24The shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.”

25Then David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.’ Encourage him.”Cross-references: Josh 7:8 · 1Sam 6:9 · 2Sam 12:26 · Eccl 9:1 · Eccl 9:11

26When Uriah’s wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.Cross-references: Gen 27:41 · 2Sam 3:31 · 2Sam 14:2

27When the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased Yahweh.Cross-references: Gen 38:10 · Deut 22:29 · 2Sam 3:2 · 2Sam 5:13 · 2Sam 12:9 · 1Chr 21:7 · +3 more