1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite."4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant."6 So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David.7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house.10 David was told, "Uriah did not go home." So he asked Uriah, "Haven't you just come from a military campaign? Why didn't you go home?"11 Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, "and my commander Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"12 Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.13 At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home.14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.15 In it he wrote, "Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die."16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were.17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle.19 He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle,20 the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall?21 Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth "? Didn't a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'"22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say.23 The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate.24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead."25 David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab."26 When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.27 After 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 David had done displeased the LORD.

1 وكان عند تمام السنة في وقت خروج الملوك ان داود ارسل يوآب وعبيده معه وجميع اسرائيل فاخربوا بني عمون وحاصروا ربّة. واما داود فاقام في اورشليم.2 وكان في وقت المساء ان داود قام عن سريره وتمشى على سطح بيت الملك فرأى من على السطح امرأة تستحمّ. وكانت المرأة جميلة المنظر جدا.3 فارسل داود وسأل عن المرأة فقال واحد أليست هذه بثشبع بنت اليعام امرأة اوريا الحثّي.4 فارسل داود رسلا واخذها فدخلت اليه فاضطجع معها وهي مطهّرة من طمثها. ثم رجعت الى بيتها.5 وحبلت المرأة فارسلت واخبرت داود وقالت اني حبلى.6 فارسل داود الى يوآب يقول ارسل اليّ اوريا الحثي. فارسل يوآب اوريا الى داود.7 فأتى اوريا اليه فسأل داود عن سلامة يوآب وسلامة الشعب ونجاح الحرب.8 وقال داود لاوريا انزل الى بيتك واغسل رجليك. فخرج اوريا من بيت الملك وخرجت وراءه حصة من عند الملك.9 ونام اوريا على باب بيت الملك مع جميع عبيد سيده ولم ينزل الى بيته.10 فاخبروا داود قائلين لم ينزل اوريا الى بيته. فقال داود لاوريا اما جئت من السفر. فلماذا لم تنزل الى بيتك.11 فقال اوريا لداود ان التابوت واسرائيل ويهوذا ساكنون في الخيام وسيدي يوآب وعبيد سيدي نازلون على وجه الصحراء وانا آتي الى بيتي لآكل واشرب واضطجع مع امرأتي. وحياتك وحياة نفسك لا افعل هذا الامر.12 فقال داود لاوريا اقم هنا اليوم ايضا وغدا اطلقك. فاقام اوريا في اورشليم ذلك اليوم وغده.13 ودعاه داود فاكل امامه وشرب واسكره. وخرج عند المساء ليضطجع في مضجعه مع عبيد سيده والى بيته لم ينزل14 وفي الصباح كتب داود مكتوبا الى يوآب وارسله بيد اوريا.15 وكتب في المكتوب يقول. اجعلوا اوريا في وجه الحرب الشديدة وارجعوا من ورائه فيضرب ويموت.16 وكان في محاصرة يوآب المدينة انه جعل اوريا في الموضع الذي علم ان رجال البأس فيه.17 فخرج رجال المدينة وحاربوا يوآب فسقط بعض الشعب من عبيد داود ومات اوريا الحثّي ايضا.18 فارسل يوآب واخبر داود بجميع امور الحرب.19 واوصى الرسول قائلا عندما تفرغ من الكلام مع الملك عن جميع امور الحرب20 فان اشتعل غضب الملك وقال لك لماذا دنوتم من المدينة للقتال. اما علمتم انهم يرمون من على السور.21 من قتل ابيمالك بن يربوشث. ألم ترمه امرأة بقطعة رحى من على السور فمات في تاباص. لماذا دنوتم من السور. فقل قد مات عبدك اوريا الحثي ايضا22 فذهب الرسول ودخل واخبر داود بكل ما ارسله فيه يوآب.23 وقال الرسول لداود قد تجبر علينا القوم وخرجوا الينا الى الحقل فكنا عليهم الى مدخل الباب.24 فرمى الرماة عبيدك من على السور فمات البعض من عبيد الملك ومات عبدك اوريا الحثي ايضا.25 فقال داود للرسول هكذا تقول ليوآب. لا يسوء في عينيك هذا الامر لان السيف ياكل هذا وذاك. شدد قتالك على المدينة واخربها. وشدّده26 فلما سمعت امرأة اوريا انه قد مات اوريا رجلها ندبت بعلها.27 ولما مضت المناحة ارسل داود وضمها الى بيته وصارت له امرأة وولدت له ابنا. واما الامر الذي فعله داود فقبح في عيني الرب