1And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.11.1 after…: Heb. at the return of the year, or, in the spring
2¶ And it came to pass in an eveningtide, 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 washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?11.3 Bath-sheba: or, Bath-shuah11.3 Eliam: or Ammiel 4And 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.11.4 for she…: or, and when she had purified herself, etc, she returned 5And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6¶ And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.11.7 how Joab…: Heb. of the peace of, etc 8And David said to Uriah, Go down to 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.11.8 followed…: Heb. went out after him 9But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? 11And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; 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. 12And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. 13And 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.
14¶ And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15And 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.11.15 hottest: Heb. strong11.15 from him: Heb. from after him 16And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. 17And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18¶ Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; 19And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, 20And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? 21Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.11.21 Jerubbesheth: also called, Jerubbaal
22¶ So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. 23And the messenger said unto David, Surely 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. 24And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. 25Then 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.11.25 displease…: Heb. be evil in thine eyes11.25 one…: Heb. so and such
26¶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.11.27 displeased: Heb. was evil in the eyes of
Davids forhold til Batsheba
1Næste forår omkring den tid, hvor kongerne sædvanligvis drager i krig, sendte David Joab og Israels hær af sted til kamp. De besejrede den ammonitiske hær og belejrede Rabba.11,1 Ammons hovedstad, svarende til det nuværende Amman i Jordan. Men David selv blev hjemme i Jerusalem.
2En dag ved aftenstid, efter at David havde rejst sig fra sit eftermiddagshvil, spadserede han rundt på paladsets flade tag. Derfra fik han øje på en kvinde, der var i færd med at tage bad. Hun var usædvanlig smuk. 3Han forhørte sig om, hvem hun var, og fik at vide, at hun hed Batsheba og var en datter af Eliam. Hun var gift med hittitten Urias. 4David sendte bud efter hende, og det endte med, at han gik i seng med hende. (Hun var netop færdig med det ugelange renselsesritual efter sin menstruation.) Bagefter gik hun hjem. 5Da Batsheba senere opdagede, at hun var gravid, gav hun David besked om det.
David skaffer Urias af vejen
6David sendte nu bud til Joab og bad ham om at sende hittitten Urias hjem til Jerusalem. 7Da Urias havde meldt sin ankomst i paladset, kaldte David ham ind og spurgte, hvordan det gik med Joab og hæren, og hvordan det gik med krigen. 8Derefter bad han ham om at gå hjem og få sig et velfortjent hvil. Så gik Urias sin vej, og kongen sørgede for at sende en gave hjem til ham. 9Men Urias gik ikke hjem. I stedet overnattede han i paladsets portrum sammen med andre af kongens folk.
10Da David næste dag fik at vide, at Urias ikke var taget hjem, kaldte han ham til sig og spurgte: „Hvorfor gik du ikke hjem til din kone i går aftes? Du har jo været væk hjemmefra meget længe!”
11Urias svarede: „Alle andre må nøjes med at sove i telt eller på den bare jord, både Joab og hærens officerer, Herrens Ark, og alle Israels og Judas krigere. Skulle jeg så tage hjem til mit komfortable hus for at spise og drikke og sove hos min kone? Jeg sværger på, at sådan ville jeg aldrig opføre mig.”
12„Godt,” sagde David. „Men bliv nu her i byen en dag mere. I morgen kan du tage tilbage til hæren.” Det accepterede Urias, 13og senere på dagen inviterede David ham til middag, hvor han sørgede for, at han blev beruset. Men også den nat overnattede Urias i portrummet i stedet for at gå hjem.
14Næste morgen skrev David et brev, som han bad Urias aflevere til Joab. 15I brevet blev Joab beordret til at placere Urias helt fremme i fronten, på den mest udsatte post. På et passende tidspunkt skulle Joab så trække hovedstyrken tilbage, så Urias blev ladt i stikken og dræbt. 16Joab placerede derfor Urias i frontlinien op mod bymuren, hvor han vidste, at fjendens bedste krigere befandt sig, 17og Urias faldt på sin post sammen med adskillige andre israelitiske soldater.
18-20I sin næste rapport til David gjorde Joab rede for slagets gang, og til sendebudet, som skulle overbringe den, sagde han: „Det kan godt være, at kongen bliver vred og spørger: ‚Hvorfor i alverden kom I så tæt på bymuren? Vidste I ikke, at I der ville blive skudt fra muren? 21Har I glemt Abimelek, der i sin tid blev dræbt ved Tebetz, fordi en kvinde smed en møllesten ned fra muren?’ Hvis kongen siger noget i den retning, skal du sige: ‚Urias blev også dræbt!’ ”
22Så kom sendebudet til Jerusalem, hvor han aflagde rapport for David. 23„Fjenden gjorde et udfald imod os,” forklarede han, „og det lykkedes os at tvinge dem tilbage til byporten. 24Men mændene på muren sendte en regn af pile ned over os, så flere af vores folk blev dræbt. Også Urias mistede livet!”
25„Sig til Joab, at han ikke skal tage det så tungt,” svarede David. „Soldater falder nu engang i krig. Sig til ham, at han ikke må opgive angrebet, før byen er indtaget.”
26Da Batsheba fik at vide, at hendes mand var død, sørgede hun over ham i adskillige dage. 27Da sørgetiden var omme, sendte David bud efter hende og giftede sig med hende. Og inden længe fødte hun en søn.
Men Herren blev vred over Davids onde handlemåde.
