2 Samuel 11:14-25

14So in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah’s hand.

15In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and withdraw from him so that he may be struck down and die.”

16So it came to pass, when Joab was besieging the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.

17Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the troops of David’s officers fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.

18When Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war,

19he charged the messenger saying, “When you finish reporting all the events of the war to the king,

20if it happens that the king’s wrath flares up and he says to you, ‘Why did you come so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?

21Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you come so close to the wall?’ Then you will say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead, too.’”

22So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to report.

23The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the open field, but we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.

24Then the archers shot at your troops from the wall, and some of the king’s officers fell dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite died, too.”

25Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Don’t let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Press your attack against the city and overthrow it!’ So tell him, chazak!”