2 Samuel 11:1-13 ▼

1 AFTER the year expired, at the time when the king leaves the palace, David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel; and they besieged Rabbath. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2 And it came to pass in the evening that David arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house; and he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Ahinam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

4 So David sent a messenger and took her; and she came in to him and he lay with her; and that very day she had cleansed herself after her menstruation; and she returned and went to her house.

5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David and said to him, I am with child.

6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 And when Uriah came to him, David asked of Uriah about Joab and about the people and about the war.

8 Then 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.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house beside all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

10 And when they told David that Uriah did not go down to his house, David said to Uriah, Behold, you have come from a journey, why then did you not go down to your house?

11 And Uriah said to David, The ark of the covenant of the LORD, and Israel, and Judah dwell in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? No. As you live and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.

12 And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you away. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day.

13 And the next day David called him and ate before him, and he did drink, and got drunk: and in the evening he went out and slept beside the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.