2 Samuel 11 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David and Bathsheba

1 Now it happened ^H1961 [fn]in the spring ^H8666, at the time ^H6256 when [fn]kings ^H4428 go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to battle, that David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 Joab ^H3097 and his servants ^H5650 with him and all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478, and they destroyed ^H7843 the sons ^H1121 of Ammon ^H5983 and besieged ^H6696 H5921 Rabbah ^H7237. But David ^H1732 stayed ^H3427 at Jerusalem ^H3389.

2 Now when evening ^H6153 came ^H1961 David ^H1732 arose ^H6965 from his bed ^H4904 and walked ^H1980 around ^H1980 on the roof ^H1406 of the king’s ^H4428 house ^H1004, and from the roof ^H1406 he saw ^H7200 a woman ^H802 bathing ^H7364; and the woman ^H802 was very ^H3966 beautiful ^H2896 in appearance ^H4758.

3 So David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 and [fn]inquired ^H1875 about the woman ^H802. And one said ^H559, “Is this ^H2088 not Bathsheba ^H1339, the daughter ^H1323 of Eliam ^H463, the wife ^H802 of Uriah ^H223 the Hittite ^H2850?” 4 Then David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 messengers ^H4397 and took ^H3947 her, and she came ^H935 to him, and he lay ^H7901 with her; and when she had purified ^H6942 herself from her uncleanness ^H2932, she returned ^H7725 to her house ^H1004. 5 And the woman ^H802 became ^H2029 pregnant ^H2029; and she sent ^H7971 and told ^H5046 David ^H1732, and said ^H559, “I am ^H2029 pregnant ^H2030.”

6 Then David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 to Joab ^H3097, saying, “Send ^H7971 me Uriah ^H223 the Hittite ^H2850.” So Joab ^H3097 sent ^H7971 Uriah ^H223 to David ^H1732. 7 When Uriah ^H223 came ^H935 to him, David ^H1732 asked ^H7592 concerning the [fn]state ^H7965 of Joab ^H3097 and the [fn]state ^H7965 of the people ^H5971 and the [fn]state ^H7965 of the war ^H4421. 8 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Uriah ^H223, “Go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to your house ^H1004, and wash ^H7364 your feet ^H7272.” And Uriah ^H223 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 of the king’s ^H4428 house ^H1004, and a present ^H4864 from the king ^H4428 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 after ^H310 him. 9 But Uriah ^H223 lay ^H7901 down ^H7901 at the door ^H6607 of the king’s ^H4428 house ^H1004 with all ^H3605 the servants ^H5650 of his lord ^H113, and did not go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to his house ^H1004. 10 Then they told ^H5046 David ^H1732, saying ^H559, “Uriah ^H223 did not go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to his house ^H1004.” And David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Uriah ^H223, “Have you not come ^H935 from a journey ^H1870? Why ^H4069 did you not go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to your house ^H1004?” 11 And Uriah ^H223 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “The ark ^H727 and Israel ^H3478 and Judah ^H3063 are staying ^H3427 in [fn]booths ^H5521, and my lord ^H113 Joab ^H3097 and the servants ^H5650 of my lord ^H113 are camping ^H2583 in the open ^H6440 field ^H7704. Shall I then go ^H935 to my house ^H1004 to eat ^H398 and to drink ^H8354 and to lie ^H7901 with my wife ^H802? By your life ^H2416 and the life ^H2416 of your soul ^H5315, I will not do ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697.” 12 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to Uriah ^H223, “Stay ^H3427 here ^H2088 today ^H3117 also ^H1571, and tomorrow ^H4279 I will send ^H7971 you out ^H7971.” So Uriah ^H223 remained ^H3427 in Jerusalem ^H3389 that day ^H3117 and the [fn]next ^H4283. 13 Now David ^H1732 called ^H7121 him, and he ate ^H398 and drank ^H8354 before ^H6440 him, and he made ^H7937 him drunk ^H7937; and in the evening ^H6153 he went ^H3318 out ^H3318 to lie ^H7901 on his bed ^H4904 with his lord’s ^H113 servants ^H5650, but he did not go ^H3381 down ^H3381 to his house ^H1004.

14 Now it happened in the morning ^H1242 that David ^H1732 wrote ^H3789 a letter ^H5612 to Joab ^H3097 and sent ^H7971 it by the hand ^H3027 of Uriah ^H223. 15 And he had written ^H3789 in the letter ^H5612, saying ^H559, “[fn]Place ^H3051 Uriah ^H223 in the front ^H6440 line ^H6440 of the [fn]fiercest ^H2389 battle ^H4421 and withdraw ^H7725 from him, so that he may be struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 and die ^H4191.” 16 So it was as Joab ^H3097 kept ^H8104 watch ^H8104 on the city ^H5892, that he put ^H5414 Uriah ^H223 at the place ^H4725 where ^H834 he knew ^H3045 there were valiant ^H2428 men ^H376. 17 And the men ^H376 of the city ^H5892 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and fought ^H3898 against ^H854 Joab ^H3097, and some ^H4480 of the people ^H5971 among ^H4480 David’s ^H1732 servants ^H5650 fell ^H5307; and Uriah ^H223 the Hittite ^H2850 also ^H1571 died ^H4191. 18 Then Joab ^H3097 sent ^H7971 and told ^H5046 David ^H1732 all ^H3605 the events ^H1697 of the war ^H4421. 19 And he commanded ^H6680 the messenger ^H4397, saying ^H559, “When you have finished ^H3615 telling ^H1696 all ^H3605 the events ^H1697 of the war ^H4421 to the king ^H4428, 20 and if ^H518 it happens ^H1961 that the king’s ^H4428 wrath ^H2534 rises ^H5927 and he says ^H559 to you, ‘Why ^H4069 did you approach ^H5066 the city ^H5892 to fight ^H3898? Did you not know ^H3045 that they would shoot ^H3384 from the wall ^H2346? 21 Who ^H4310 struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 Abimelech ^H40 the son ^H1121 of Jerubbesheth ^H3380? Did not a woman ^H802 cast ^H7993 an upper ^H7393 millstone ^H7393 on him from the wall ^H2346 so he died ^H4191 at Thebez ^H8405? Why ^H4100 did you approach ^H5066 the wall ^H2346?’—then you shall say ^H559, ‘Your servant ^H5650 Uriah ^H223 the Hittite ^H2850 is dead ^H4191 also ^H1571.’”

22 So the messenger ^H4397 went ^H1980 and came ^H935 and told ^H5046 David ^H1732 all ^H3605 that Joab ^H3097 had sent ^H7971 him to tell. 23 And the messenger ^H4397 said ^H559 to David ^H1732, “The men ^H376 prevailed ^H1396 against ^H5921 us and came ^H3318 out ^H3318 against ^H413 us in the field ^H7704, but we [fn]pressed ^H1961 H5921 them as far ^H5704 as the entrance ^H6607 of the gate ^H8179. 24 And the archers ^H3372 shot ^H3372 at your servants ^H5650 from the wall ^H2346; so some ^H4480 of the king’s ^H4428 servants ^H5650 died ^H4191, and your servant ^H5650 Uriah ^H223 the Hittite ^H2850 also ^H1571 died ^H4191.” 25 Then David ^H1732 said ^H559 to the messenger ^H4397, “Thus ^H3541 you shall say ^H559 to Joab ^H3097, ‘Do not let this ^H2088 thing ^H1697 be evil ^H7489 in your sight ^H5869, for the sword ^H2719 devours ^H398 one ^H2088 as well as another ^H2088; make ^H2388 your battle ^H4421 against ^H413 the city ^H5892 stronger ^H2388 and [fn]tear ^H2040 it down ^H2040’; and so strengthen ^H2388 him.”

26 Then the wife ^H802 of Uriah ^H223 heard ^H8085 that Uriah ^H223 her husband ^H376 had died ^H4191, so she lamented ^H5594 over her husband ^H1167. 27 Then the time of mourning ^H60 passed ^H5674 by ^H5674, and David ^H1732 sent ^H7971 and gathered ^H622 her to his house ^H1004 and she became ^H1961 his wife ^H802; then she bore ^H3205 him a son ^H1121. But the thing ^H1697 that David ^H1732 had done ^H6213 was ^H7489 evil ^H7489 in the sight ^H5869 of Yahweh ^H3068.