| NET Bible | Christian Standard Bible |
| 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. | 1In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. |
| 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. | 2One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing--a very beautiful woman. |
| 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?" | 3So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hethite?" |
| 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. | 4David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home. |
| 5The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, "I'm pregnant." | 5The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: "I am pregnant." |
| 6So David sent a message to Joab that said, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. | 6David sent orders to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hethite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. |
| 7When Uriah came to him, David asked about how Joab and the army were doing and how the campaign was going. | 7When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going. |
| 8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your home and relax." When Uriah left the palace, the king sent a gift to him. | 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. |
| 9But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house. | 9But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master's servants; he did not go down to his house. |
| 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?" | 10When it was reported to David, "Uriah didn't go home," David questioned Uriah, "Haven't you just come from a journey? Why didn't you go home?" |
| 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!" | 11Uriah answered David, "The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!" |
| 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. | 12"Stay here today also," David said to Uriah, "and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. |
| 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. | 13Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master's servants, but he did not go home. |
| 14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. | 14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. |
| 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." | 15In the letter he wrote: Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies. |
| 16So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. | 16When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. |
| 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. | 17Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David's soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hethite also died. |
| 18Then Joab sent a full battle report to David. | 18Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle. |
| 19He instructed the messenger as follows: "When you finish giving the battle report to the king, | 19He commanded the messenger, "When you've finished telling the king all the details of the battle-- |
| 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? | 20if the king's anger gets stirred up and he asks you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you realize they would shoot from the top of the wall? |
| 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.'" | 21At Thebez, who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn't a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the top of the wall so that he died? Why did you get so close to the wall?'--then say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hethite is dead also.'" |
| 22So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him. | 22Then the messenger left. When he arrived, he reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. |
| 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. | 23The messenger reported to David, "The men gained the advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we counterattacked right up to the entrance of the city gate. |
| 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." | 24However, the archers shot down on your servants from the top of the wall, and some of the king's servants died. Your servant Uriah the Hethite is also dead." |
| 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." | 25David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.' Encourage him." |
| 26When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him. | 26When Uriah's wife heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned for him. |
| 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. | 27When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the LORD considered what David had done to be evil. |
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