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 washing. 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 that 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.
Dawid Ne Batseba
1Osutɔberɛ a ɛdi soɔ no mu, ɛberɛ a ɛsɛ sɛ ahemfo kɔ ɔsa no, Dawid somaa Yoab ne Israel akodɔm nyinaa sɛ wɔnkɔsɛe Amonfoɔ. Wɔkɔtuaa kuropɔn Raba, na Dawid deɛ, ɔkaa Yerusalem.
2Ɛda bi anwummerɛ a Dawid ayi nʼani so kakra no, ɔsɔre firii ne mpa so nante faa nʼahemfie no atifi. Ɔgyina hɔ no, ɔhunuu ɔbaa bi sɛ ɔredware. Na ɔbaa no ho yɛ fɛ yie, 3na Dawid somaa obi sɛ ɔnkɔbisa ne ho nsɛm. Ɔbarima no bɛkaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Eliam babaa Batseba, a ɔyɛ Hetini Uria yere.” 4Na Dawid tuu abɔfoɔ sɛ wɔnkɔfrɛ no mmrɛ no. Ɔbaa Dawid nkyɛn. Dawid ne no daeɛ. (Ɔdwiraa ne ho firii ne nsabuo mu no, na ɛnkyɛreɛ.) Afei, ɔsane kɔɔ efie. 5Ɛberɛ a Batseba hunuu sɛ wanyinsɛn no, ɔsoma maa wɔkɔka kyerɛɛ Dawid.
6Enti, Dawid soma kɔɔ Yoab nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Fa Hetini Uria brɛ me.” 7Ɛberɛ a Uria duruu Dawid nkyɛn no, ɔbisaa gyinaberɛ a Yoab ne akodɔm no wɔ mu ne sɛdeɛ ɔko no rekɔ so. 8Na ɔka kyerɛɛ Uria sɛ, “Kɔ efie na kɔhome.” Na mpo, Uria firii ahemfie hɔ no, Dawid soma maa wɔde akyɛdeɛ bi kɔmaa no. 9Nanso, Uria ankɔ fie. Ɔne ɔhene asomfoɔ no bi tenaa ahemfie ɛpono no ano.
10Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee deɛ Uria ayɛ no, ɔfrɛɛ no bisaa no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na ɛha wo? Wofirii fie akyɛre na adɛn na woankɔ hɔ ɛnnora anadwo?”
11Uria buaa sɛ, “Apam Adaka no ne Israel akodɔm ne Yuda tete ntomadan mu, ɛnna Yoab nso ne ne mpanimfoɔ abɔ atenaeɛ wɔ wiram baabi petee mu. Na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na matumi akɔ efie akɔnom nsã, adidi na me ne me yere akɔda? Meka ntam sɛ merenyɛ yei na madi ho fɔ.”
12Na Dawid ka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, tena ha anadwo yi, na ɔkyena wobɛkɔ akodɔm no mu.” Enti, Uria tenaa Yerusalem ɛda no ne nʼadekyeeɛ. 13Na Dawid frɛɛ no anadwoduane apontoɔ, na ɔmaa no nsã ma ɔboroeɛ. Na ɛno mpo, Uria ankɔ efie ankɔhunu ne yere. Ɔdaa ahemfie no ɛkwan ano bio.
Dawid Hyehyɛ Uria Wuo Ho
14Adeɛ kyee anɔpa no, Dawid twerɛɛ krataa maa Uria sɛ ɔmfa nkɔma Yoab. 15Krataa no mu nsɛm kyerɛɛ Yoab sɛ, “Ma Uria nkɔ akono baabi a ɔko no ano yɛ den pa ara. Wo deɛ, sane wʼakyi, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a, wɔbɛkum no.”
16Enti, Yoab maa Uria kɔgyinaa baabi a ɛbɛn kuro no fasuo, a ɛhɔ na ɔnim sɛ atamfoɔ no mmarima a wɔyɛ den no reko. 17Ɛhɔ na wɔkumm Hetini Uria ne Israel asraafoɔ no bebree.
18Na Yoab de ɔsa mu amaneɛ kɔbɔɔ Dawid. 19Ɔka kyerɛɛ nʼabɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Monka ɔsa mu nsɛm no nyinaa nkyerɛ ɔhene. 20Nanso, ebia ne bo bɛfu, ama wabisa sɛ, ‘Adɛn enti na akodɔm no kɔbɛn kuro no pɛɛ saa? Na wɔnnim sɛ wɔbɛto agyan afiri afasuo no mu? 21Ɔbaabasia anto ayuyammoɔ ammɔ Gideon babarima Abimelek wɔ Tebes ankum no?’ Afei, monka nkyerɛ no sɛ, wɔakum Hetini Uria nso.”
22Enti, abɔfoɔ no kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔbɔɔ ɔsa no mu amaneɛ kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛdeɛ Yoab somaa no sɛ ɔnkɔka. 23Abɔfoɔ no ka kyerɛɛ Dawid sɛ, “Mmarima no bu faa yɛn so, na wɔtiaa yɛn petee mu deɛ, nanso yɛpiaa wɔn kɔɔ kuro no ɛpono ano. 24Ɛhɔ na agyantofoɔ too wʼasomfoɔ firii ɔfasuo ho, maa ɔhene mmarima no bi wuwuiɛ. Na wo ɔsomfoɔ Hetini Uria nso awu.”
25Dawid ka kyerɛɛ abɔfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, Monka nkyerɛ Yoab sɛ ɔmmma nʼaba mu mmu, na ɔko mu deɛ obiara tumi wu. Monyere mo ho nko ɔkoden na monni kuropɔn no so nkonim.”
26Ɛberɛ a Batseba tee sɛ ne kunu awuo no, ɔsuu no. 27Na osu no akyi no, Dawid soma ma wɔkɔfaa no baa ne fie. Ɔbɛyɛɛ ne yere, na ɔwoo ɔbabarima. Na deɛ Dawid yɛeɛ no ansɔ Awurade ani.
