2 Samuel 11:14-25

14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriah on the front line where the fighting is heaviest. Then abandon him so that he’ll be struck down and die.”

16Since Joab had kept the city under observation, he put Uriah at the place where he knew the experienced warriors were.

17The men of the city came out and fought Joab. Some of the people, namely, some of David’s mercenaries, fell and died—including Uriah the Hittite.

18Then Joab sent ⌞a messenger⌟ to report to David all the details of the battle.

19And he commanded the messenger, “When you finish telling the king about the battle,

20the king may become angry. He might ask you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot from the wall?

21Who killed Jerubbesheth’s  son Abimelech? Didn’t a woman on the wall of Thebez throw a small millstone at him and kill him? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ If the king asks this, then say, ‘Your man Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’ ”

22The messenger left, and when he arrived, he reported to David everything Joab told him to say.

23The messenger said, “Their men overpowered us and came to attack us in the field. Then we forced them back to the entrance of the city gate.

24The archers on the wall shot down at your mercenaries, and some of Your Majesty’s mercenaries died. Your man Uriah the Hittite also is dead.”

25David said to the messenger, “This is what you are to say to Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing trouble you, because a sword can kill one person as easily as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage him.”