2 Samuel 11:1-15

11Then it happened 23in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and 4besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

2Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on 5the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 3So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not 6Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of 7Uriah the Hittite?” 4David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, 8he lay with her; 9and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 5The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “10I am pregnant.”

6Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7When Uriah came to him, 11David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and 12the people and the state of the war. 8Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and 13wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and a present from the king 14was sent out after him. 9But Uriah slept 15at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10Now when they told David, saying, “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, “16The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in 17temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and 18the 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? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” 12Then David said to Uriah, “19Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the 20next. 13Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he 21made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed 22with his lord’s servants, but he did not go down to his house.

14Now in the morning David 23wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 1524He had written in the letter, saying, “25Place Uriah in the front line of the 26fiercest battle and withdraw from him, 27so that he may be struck down and die.”