1
And it came to pass at the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, that Daviyd sent Yoav, and his servants with him, and all Yisra’el. And they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But Daviyd remained in Yerushalayim.
2
And it came to pass toward evening that Daviyd rose from upon his bed and walked upon the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw an ishah bathing, and the ishah was exceedingly good in appearance.
3
And Daviyd sent and sought concerning the ishah. And one said, “Is this not Bat-Sheva daughter of Eliam, ishah of Uriyah the Chitti?”
4
And Daviyd sent messengers and took her. And she came to him, and he lay with her. And she had purified herself from her uncleanness. And she returned to her house.
5
And the ishah conceived. And she sent and declared to Daviyd and said, “I am pregnant.”
6
And Daviyd sent to Yoav, saying, “Send Uriyah the Chitti to me.” And Yoav sent Uriyah to Daviyd.
7
And Uriyah came to him, and Daviyd asked concerning the shalom of Yoav, and concerning the shalom of the people, and concerning the shalom of the war.
8
And Daviyd said to Uriyah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriyah went out from the house of the king, and a gift from the king went out after him.
9
But Uriyah lay down at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his master, and did not go down to his house.
10
And they declared to Daviyd, saying, “Uriyah did not go down to his house.” And Daviyd said to Uriyah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
11
And Uriyah said to Daviyd, “The ark, and Yisra’el, and Yehudah dwell in booths; and my master Yoav, and the servants of my master, are encamped upon the face of the field. And shall I go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my ishah? As you live, and as your being lives, I will not do this thing.”
12
And Daviyd said to Uriyah, “Remain here also today, and tomorrow I will send you away.” And Uriyah remained in Yerushalayim on that day and the next.
13
And Daviyd called him, and he ate before his face and drank, and he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie upon his bed with the servants of his master, but he did not go down to his house.
14
And it came to pass in the morning that Daviyd wrote a sefer to Yoav and sent it by the hand of Uriyah.
15
And he wrote in the sefer, saying: “Set Uriyah at the front, before the face of the strongest battle; and turn away from behind him, that he may be struck and die.”
16
And it came to pass, when Yoav watched the city, that he placed Uriyah at the place where he knew there were mighty men.
17
And the men of the city went out and fought with Yoav. And some of the people, from the servants of Daviyd, fell. And Uriyah the Chitti also died.
18
And Yoav sent and declared to Daviyd all the matters of the war.
19
And he commanded the messenger, saying, “When you finish speaking all the matters of the war to the king,
20
if the wrath of the king rises, and he says to you, ‘Why did you draw so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from upon the wall?
21
Who struck Avimelekh son of Yerubbeshet? Did not an ishah cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Tevetz? Why did you draw near to the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriyah the Chitti is also dead.’”
22
And the messenger went and came and declared to Daviyd all that Yoav had sent him for.
23
And the messenger said to Daviyd, “The men prevailed against us and came out to us into the field, but we were upon them as far as the entrance of the gate.
24
And the archers shot at your servants from upon the wall, and some of the king’s servants died. And your servant Uriyah the Chitti is also dead.”
25
And Daviyd said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Yoav: ‘Do not let this matter be evil in your eyes, for the sword consumes one as well as another. Strengthen your battle against the city and overthrow it.’ And strengthen him.”
26
And the ishah of Uriyah heard that Uriyah her ish was dead, and she mourned over her husband.
27
And when the mourning had passed, Daviyd sent and gathered her into his house. And she became his ishah and bore him a son. But the thing that Daviyd had done was evil in the eyes of Yahuah.