11
1 And it came to pass, at the teshuvah (turning) of the shanah (year), at the time when melachim go forth [to war], that Dovid sent Yoav, and his avadim with him, and kol Yisroel; and they destroyed the Bnei Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But Dovid tarried still at Yerushalayim.
2 And it came to pass at haerev, that Dovid arose from off his mishkav (bed), and walked upon the gag of the Bais HaMelech; and from the gag (roof) he saw an isha bathing; and the isha was very good to look upon.
3 And Dovid sent and inquired after the isha. And one said, Is not this Bat-Sheva Bat Eli'am, eshet Uriyah the Chitti? 4 And Dovid sent malachim, and he got her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she had been purifying herself from her* tumah (uncleanness); and she returned unto her bais.
5 And the isha conceived, and sent and told Dovid, and said, Harah anochi (I am with child, I am pregnant).
6 And Dovid sent to Yoav, saying, Send me Uriyah the Chitti. And Yoav sent Uriyah to Dovid. 7 And when Uriyah was come unto him, Dovid asked of him regarding the shalom Yoav, and the shalom HaAm, and the shalom hamilchamah. 8 And Dovid said to Uriyah, Go down to thy bais, and wash thy feet. And Uriyah departed out of the Bais HaMelech and there followed after him a masat HaMelech (a present, gift, of the king, i.e. a royal feast). 9 But Uriyah slept at the petach Beis HaMelech (entrance of the Kingʼs Palace) with all the avadim of his adon, and went not down to his bais.
10 And when they had told Dovid, saying, Uriyah went not down unto his bais, Dovid said unto Uriyah, Camest thou not from thy derech (journey)? Why then didst thou not go down unto thine bais? 11 And Uriyah said unto Dovid, The Aron, and Yisroel, and Yehudah, abide in sukkot; and adoni Yoav, and the avadim of adoni are encamped in the open field; shall I then go into mine bais, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my isha? As thou livest, and as thy nefesh liveth, I will not do this thing.†
12 And Dovid said to Uriyah, Tarry here today also, and makhar (tomorrow) I will send thee back. So Uriyah abode in Yerushalayim that day, and the next. 13 And when Dovid had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him shikker; and at erev he went out to lie on his mishkav with the avadim of his adon, but went not down to his bais.
14 And it came to pass in the boker, that Dovid wrote a sefer to Yoav, and sent it by the yad of Uriyah. 15 And he wrote in the sefer, saying, Set ye Uriyah on the frontlines of the milchamah hachazakah (strongest battle), and withdraw from in back of him, that he may be struck down, and die.
16 And it came to pass, when Yoav was shomer with a siege on the Ir,‡ he assigned Uriyah unto the makom where he knew that anshei chayil (valiant men)§ were. 17 And the Anshei HaIr came out, and fought with Yoav; and there fell some of HaAm of the Avdei Dovid; and Uriyah the Chitti died also.
18 Then Yoav sent and told Dovid all the things concerning the milchamah; 19 And charged the malach, saying, When thou hast made an end of reporting all the matters of the milchamah unto HaMelech, 20 And if so be that the chamat HaMelech (wrath of the King) flare up, and he say unto thee, why approached ye so near unto the Ir when ye did fight? Knew ye not that they would shoot from the chomah (wall)?
21 Who struck Avimelech Ben Yerubeshet? Did not an isha throw down on him a millstone from the chomah, that he died in Tevetz? Why went ye near the chomah? Then say thou, Thy eved Uriyah the Chitti is dead also.
22 So the malach went, and came and told Dovid all that Yoav had sent him for. 23 And the malach said unto Dovid, Surely the anashim prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the sadeh, and we were upon them even unto the petach hasha'ar. 24 And the archers shot from off the chomah upon thy avadim; and some of the avadim of HaMelech are dead, and thy eved Uriyah the Chitti is dead also.
25 Then Dovid said unto the malach, Thus shalt thou say unto Yoav, Let not this thing be evil in thy sight, for the cherev devoureth one as well as another; make thy milchamah more chazak (strong) against the Ir, and overthrow it; and give him* a chazak encouragement.
26 And when the eshet Uriyah heard that Uriyah her ish was dead, she mourned for her ba'al (husband). 27 And when the evel (mourning) was past, Dovid sent and brought her to his bais, and she became his isha, and bore him ben. But the thing that Dovid had done was evil in the sight of Hashem.
* 11:4 menstruous † 11:11 i.e., I will not break the soldierʼs discipline of purity, Ex 19:14-15; Dt 23:9-14; 1Sm 21:5 ‡ 11:16 Rabbah § 11:16 of Rabbah * 11:25 Yoav