| Berean Study Bible | NET Bible |
| 1In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in 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. |
| 2One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. | 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 he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and 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?" |
| 4Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home. | 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. |
| 5And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” | 5The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, "I'm pregnant." |
| 6At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him 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 how Joab and the troops were doing with the war. | 7When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going. |
| 8Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed 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 palace with all his master’s servants; he 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. |
| 10And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?” | 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 answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a 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!" |
| 12“Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed 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. |
| 13Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home. | 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. |
| 14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. | 14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. |
| 15In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.” | 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 as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers. | 16So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. |
| 17And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of 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. |
| 18Joab sent to David a full account of the battle | 18Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. |
| 19and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle, | 19He instructed the messenger as follows: "When you finish giving the battle report to the king, |
| 20if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop 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? |
| 21Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’ ” | 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 set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say. | 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 overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to 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. |
| 24Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.” | 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 told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.” | 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." |
| 26When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. | 26When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. |
| 27And when 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 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. |
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