2 Samuel 11:8-19
English Standard Version
Chapter 11
8Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king 's house, and there followed him a present from the king. 9But Uriah slept at the door of the king 's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" 11Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to 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." 12Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."
16And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.
17And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
18Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting.
19And he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,
