¶ And it came to pass in the beginning of a new year, in the times when kings are wont to go forth to battle, that David sent Ioab and his servants with him and all Israel. And they destroyed the children of Ammon, and beseiged Rabah. But David tarried still at Ierusalem.
And it chanced in an evening that David arose from his couch and walked upon the roof of the king's palace, and from the roof saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. And he sent to enquire what woman it should be.
And it was answered again, that she was Bethsabe the daughter of Eliam and wife to Urias the Hethite.
And David sent messengers and fetched her, and she came unto him, and he lay with her. And she was straightway purified of her uncleanness, and returned unto her house.
And when the woman had perceived that she had conceived, she sent and told David, and said: I am with child.
¶ Then David sent to Ioab, to send unto him Urias the hethite. And Ioab sent Urias to David.
And when Urias was come unto him he demanded how Ioab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
And David said moreover to Urias: go down to thine house and wash thy feet. And Urias departed out of the king's palace, and there followed him a service from the king's table:
But Urias slept at the door of the king's palace with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
Then they told David saying: Urias descended not into his house. Then said David unto Urias: seeing that thou art come from journeying, why dost thou not go down unto thine house?
And Urias said unto David: the ark and Israel and Iuda dwell in pavilions: and my lord Ioab and the servants of my lord lie in tents upon the flat earth: and should I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By thy life and as sure as thy soul liveth I will not do that thing.
Then said David unto Urias: tarry here this day also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart. And so Urias abode in Ierusalem that day and on the morrow.
And David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk. And at even he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of the lord, and went not down to his house.
¶ Wherefore on the morrow David wrote a letter to Ioab and sent it by Urias.
And he wrote in the letter saying: put Urias in the forefront of the battle where it is most strong, and come back from him that he may be smitten to death.
And as Ioab beseiged the city he assigned Urias unto a place where he wist that strong men were.
And the men of the city came out and fought with Ioab. And there were certain overthrown of the people and of the servants of David, and Urias the hethite died also.
Then Ioab sent and told David all the process of the war
and charged the messengers saying: when thou hast made an end of telling the story of war unto the king
if he begin to fume and say unto thee: wherefore approached ye so nye unto the city to fight? wist ye not that men would hurl and shoot from the walls?
who smote Abimelech son of Ierobeseth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from off the walls, that he died in Thebes? why then went ye nye the walls? then say thou? thy servant Urias the Hethite is dead also.
And the messengers went and came and shewed David all that Ioab had sent him with,
and said unto David: the men prevail against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we stuck unto them, even unto the entering of the gate.
And the shooters shot from the walls, and some of the servants of the king be dead. And thy servant Urias the hethite is dead also.
Then said David unto the messenger, thus wise say unto Ioab, let not that thing trouble thee. For the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city and destroy it, and see that thou courage Ioab.
And when the wife of Urias heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him, and as soon as the mourning was ended, David sent and fetched her to his house,
and she was his wife and bare him a son. But the deed that David had committed, displeased the LORD.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.