2 Samuel 11:14-26

14The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

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.

16When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were.

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.

18Joab sent someone to report to David all the details of the battle.

19He commanded the messenger, “When you’ve finished telling the king all the details of the battle —

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?

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.’”

22Then the messenger left. When he arrived, he reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell.

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.

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 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, had died, she mourned for him.