One evening, David, getting out of bed, was walking on the roof of the king’s house and saw a woman bathing from the roof; and that woman was very beautiful. And David sent to find out who this woman was? And they said to him:
“This is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, wife of Uriah the Hittite.
David sent servants to take her; and she came to him, and he slept with her. When she was cleansed from her uncleanness, she returned to her home. This woman became pregnant and sent word to David, saying: “I am pregnant.”
And David sent to Joab:
- Send Uriah the Hittite to me.
And Joab sent Uriah to David. And Uriah came to him, and David asked him about the situation of Joab and the situation of the people, and about the course of the war. And David said to Uriah:
- Go home and wash your feet.
And Uriah left the king's house, and after him they carried the king's food. But Uriah slept at the gate of the king's house with all his master's servants, and did not go to his own house. And they told David, saying: “Uriah did not go into his house.” And David said to Uriah:
- Look, you came from the road; Why didn’t you go to your house?
And Uriah said to David:
“The Ark of God and Israel and Judah are in tents, and my lord Joab and my lord’s servants are in the field, but I would go into my house and eat and drink and sleep with my wife!” I swear on your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this.
And David said to Uriah:
“Stay here this day, and tomorrow I will let you go.”
And Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day until tomorrow. And David invited him, and Uriah ate and drank before him, and David gave him something to drink. But in the evening Uriah went to sleep on his bed with his master’s servants, but did not go into his own house.
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In the letter, he wrote this: “Place Uriah where the strongest battle will be, and retreat from him so that he will be defeated and die.” Therefore, when Joab was besieging the city, he placed Uriah in a place where he knew that there were brave people there. And the people went out of the city and fought with Joab, and several of the people, of the servants of David, fell; Uriah the Hittite was also killed.
And Joab sent to report to David about the entire course of the battle. And he commanded the messenger, saying:
- When you tell the king about the whole course of the battle and see that the king will be angry and say to you: “Why did you come so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would throw it at you from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Was it not a woman who threw a piece of a millstone at him from the wall and struck him, and he died in Tevets? Why did you come close to the wall?” - then you say: “And your servant Uriah the Hittite was also slain and died.”
And the messenger from Joab went to the king in Jerusalem, and came and told David about everything for which Joab had sent him, about the whole course of the battle. And David was angry with Joab and said to the messenger:
-Why did you come close to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would strike you from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Was it not a woman who threw a piece of a millstone at him from the wall, and he died in Tevets? Why did you come close to the wall?
Then the messenger said to David:
“Those people overpowered us and came out to us in the field, and we pursued them to the entrance to the gate; Then the arrows shot from the wall at your servants, and some of the king’s servants died; Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.
Then David said to the messenger:
- So say to Joab: “Do not let this matter bother you, for the sword sometimes devours this, sometimes that; intensify your war against the city and destroy it.” So encourage him.
And Uriah's wife heard that Uriah her husband had died, and she wept for her husband. When the time of mourning was over, David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. And this thing that David did was evil in the sight of the Lord.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru