David and Bathsheba 2 RV And it came to pass at eventide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. BSB BSB: One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.
3 RV And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? BSB BSB: So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 RV And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; (for she was purified from her uncleanness;) and she returned unto her house. BSB BSB: Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.
5 RV And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, I am with child. BSB BSB: And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 RV And David sent to Joab, saying , Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. BSB BSB: At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.
7 RV And when Uriah was come unto him, David asked of him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered. BSB BSB: When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going.
8 RV And David said to Uriah, Go down thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. BSB BSB: Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.
9 RV But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. BSB BSB: But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.
10 RV And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Art thou not come from a journey? wherefore didst thou not go down unto thine house? BSB BSB: And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”
11 RV And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. BSB BSB: Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”
12 RV And David said to Uriah, Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. BSB BSB: “Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 RV And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. BSB BSB: Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.
David Arranges Uriah’s Death 14 RV And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. BSB BSB: The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15 RV And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. BSB BSB: In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
16 RV And it came to pass, when Joab kept watch upon the city, that he assigned Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men were. BSB BSB: So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the strongest enemy soldiers were.
17 RV And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people, even of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. BSB BSB: And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 RV Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; BSB BSB: Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
19 RV and he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the things concerning the war unto the king, BSB BSB: and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king a full account of the battle,
20 RV it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? BSB BSB: if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?
21 RV who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, that he died at Thebez? why went ye so nigh the wall? then shalt thou say, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. BSB BSB: Who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
22 RV So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. BSB BSB: So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.
23 RV And the messenger said unto David, The men prevailed against us and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. BSB BSB: The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
24 RV And the shooters shot at thy servants from off the wall; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. BSB BSB: Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”
25 RV Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him. BSB BSB: Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”
David Marries Bathsheba 26 RV And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband. BSB BSB: When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
27 RV And when the mourning was past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. BSB BSB: And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.