David and Bathsheba
1In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
10David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,11:11 Or staying at Sukkoth and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
12Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
14In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
16So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
18Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth11:21 Also known as Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon)? Didn’t a woman drop 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 say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’ ”
22The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. 24Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”
25David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”
26When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27After 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 David had done displeased the Lord.
Dawudi ne Basuseba
111:1 a 1Bk 20:22, 26 b 2Sa 2:18 c 1By 20:1 d 2Sa 12:26-28Awo mu biro ebyo, ekiseera bakabaka mwe bagendera okutabaala, Dawudi n’asindika Yowaabu n’abasajja be n’eggye lyonna erya Isirayiri. Ne bazikiriza abaana ba Amoni ne bazingiza n’ekibuga kya Labba. Naye Dawudi n’asigala mu Yerusaalemi. 211:2 a Ma 22:8; Yos 2:8 b Mat 5:28Olunaku olumu, mu ssaawa ez’olweggulo, Dawudi n’agolokoka, n’atambulatambula ku kasolya ak’olubiri lwe. N’asinziira waggulu eyo n’alengera omukazi ng’anaaba, era omukyala yali mulungi omubalagavu. 311:3 a 1By 3:5 b 2Sa 23:34 c 2Sa 23:39Dawudi n’atuma omuntu okugenda okumunoonyerezaako. Ne bakomawo ne bamutegeeza nti, “Oyo ye Basuseba muwala wa Eriyaamu mukyala wa Uliya Omukiiti.” 411:4 a Lv 20:10; Zab 51; Yak 1:14-15 b Ma 22:22 c Lv 15:25-30; 18:19Awo Dawudi n’amutumya, n’ajja gy’ali, ne yeebaka naye. Yali mu kiseera eky’okwelongoosa obutali bulongoofu bwe. Oluvannyuma n’addayo ewuwe. 5Omukyala n’aba olubuto, n’atumira Dawudi nti, “Ndi lubuto.”
611:6 1By 11:41Awo Dawudi n’atumira Yowaabu nti, “Mpeereza Uliya Omukiiti.” Yowaabu n’aweereza Uliya eri Dawudi. 7Uliya bwe yagenda gy’ali, Dawudi n’abuuza Yowaabu n’abaserikale bwe baali, n’olutalo bwe lwali. 811:8 Lub 18:4; 43:24; Luk 7:44Awo Dawudi n’agamba Uliya nti, “Serengeta mu nnyumba yo, onaabe ku bigere.” Uliya n’afuluma olubiri, kabaka n’amuweereza ekirabo. 9Naye Uliya n’ataserengeta wuwe, n’asula ku mulyango gw’olubiri n’abaddu ba mukama we, Dawudi. 10Dawudi bwe yategeezebwa nti, “Uliya teyazeeyo waka we,” n’abuuza Uliya nti, “Waakava olugendo, kiki ekikulobedde okuddayo eka ewuwo?” 1111:11 2Sa 7:2Uliya n’addamu Dawudi nti, “Essanduuko ne Isirayiri ne Yuda baasigadde mu weema, ne mukama wange Yowaabu n’abaddu ba mukama wange basiisidde ku ttale. Kale nnyinza ntya okugenda mu nnyumba yange okulya n’okunywa, n’okwebaka ne mukyala wange? Mazima nga bw’oli omulamu, sijja kukola kigambo bwe kityo.”
12Awo Dawudi n’agamba Uliya nti, “Sigalawo olunaku olulala olabe obanga enkya siikusindike kuddayo.” Bwatyo Uliya n’asigalawo olunaku olwo n’olw’enkya. 13Dawudi n’ayita Uliya alye naye ekyekiro, n’amutamiiza akawungeezi ak’olunaku olwo, Uliya n’agenda n’agalamira ku mukeeka gwe n’abaddu ba mukama we, n’ataddayo wuwe. 1411:14 1Bk 21:8Enkeera Dawudi n’awandiikira Yowaabu ebbaluwa n’agiwa Uliya agitwale. 1511:15 a 2Sa 12:9 b 2Sa 12:12Yawandiika mu bbaluwa nti, “Uliya muteeke mu maaso ddala olutalo we luli olw’amaanyi, mumwabulire, afumitibwe afe.”
16Awo Yowaabu bwe yali ng’ataayizza ekibuga, n’addira Uliya n’amuteeka mu kifo kye yamanya nga waaliyo abalabe ab’amaanyi. 17Abasajja ab’ekibuga bwe baafuluma okulwana ne Yowaabu, abamu ku basajja ba Dawudi ne battibwa, ne Uliya Omukiiti yali omu ku abo abattibwa.
18Awo Yowaabu n’aweereza Dawudi amawulire gonna agafudde mu lutalo, 19n’alagira gwe yatuma nti, “Bw’onoomala okutegeeza kabaka amawulire gonna agafudde mu lutalo, 20n’alabika nga munyiivu, n’abuuza nti, ‘Lwaki mwasemberedde nnyo ekibuga nga mulwana? Temwamanya nga bajja kulasa nga basinziira ku Bbugwe? 2111:21 a Bal 8:31 b Bal 9:50-54Ani eyatta Abimereki mutabani wa Yerubbesesi? Teyali mukazi e Sebezi eyamukanyugako ejjinja eddene, kwe baseera emmere ey’empeke, ng’asinziira ku bbugwe, n’afiirawo? Lwaki mwasembedde okumpi ennyo ne bbugwe?’ Awo onoomutegeeza nti, ‘Omuddu wo Uliya Omukiiti naye afudde.’ ”
22Awo omubaka n’agenda n’ategeeza Dawudi byonna Yowaabu bye yamutuma okwogera. 23Omubaka n’agamba Dawudi nti, “Abasajja batusinzizza amaanyi ne batulumba ku ttale, naye ne tubagoba okutuusa ku wankaaki ow’ekibuga. 24Naye abalasi basinzidde ku bbugwe ne balasa abaddu, era abamu ku baddu ba kabaka baafudde, n’omuddu wo Uliya Omukiiti naye mwe yafiiridde.”
25Dawudi n’agamba omubaka nti, “Ggamba Yowaabu nti, ‘Ekigambo ekyo kireme okukubuza emirembe, kubanga ekitala olumu kitta omu n’olulala ne kitta omulala. Munyiikirire okulumba ekibuga mukiwambe.’ Era Yowaabu mugambe agume omwoyo.”
26Awo mukyala wa Uliya bwe yawulira nti bba afudde, n’amukungubagira. 2711:27 2Sa 12:9; Zab 51:4-5Okukungubaga bwe kwaggwa, Dawudi n’amutumya, n’amuleeta mu nnyumba ye, n’afuuka mukyala we, n’amuzaalira omwana owoobulenzi. Naye ekigambo ekyo Dawudi kye yakola ne kitasanyusa Mukama.
