2 Samuel 11 - English Standard Version (ESV)

David and Bathsheba

11 (A)(B)In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged (C)Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on (D)the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this (E)Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of (F)Uriah the Hittite?” 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. ((G)Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and (H)wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” 11 Uriah said to David, (I)“The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and (J)the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and (K)as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” 12 Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, (L)so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with (M)the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

14 In the morning David (N)wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, (O)that he may be struck down, and die.” 16 And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died. 18 Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting. 19 And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, 20 then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 (P)Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’”

22 So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. 24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” 25 David said to the messenger, “Thus shall you say to Joab, ‘Do not let this matter displease you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.’ And encourage him.”

26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. 27 And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and (Q)she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

Cross references

  1. 2 Samuel 11:1 : 1 Chr. 20:1
  2. 2 Samuel 11:1 : 1 Kgs. 20:22, 26; 2 Chr. 36:10
  3. 2 Samuel 11:1 : ch. 12:26; Deut. 3:11
  4. 2 Samuel 11:2 : See 1 Sam. 9:25
  5. 2 Samuel 11:3 : [1 Chr. 3:5]
  6. 2 Samuel 11:3 : ch. 23:39
  7. 2 Samuel 11:4 : Lev. 15:19, 28; 18:19
  8. 2 Samuel 11:8 : See Gen. 18:4
  9. 2 Samuel 11:11 : ch. 7:2, 6
  10. 2 Samuel 11:11 : ch. 20:6; 1 Kgs. 1:33
  11. 2 Samuel 11:11 : See 1 Sam. 1:26
  12. 2 Samuel 11:13 : [Gen. 19:33, 35]
  13. 2 Samuel 11:13 : [See ver. 11 above]; ch. 20:6; 1 Kgs. 1:33
  14. 2 Samuel 11:14 : 1 Kgs. 21:8, 9
  15. 2 Samuel 11:15 : ch. 12:9
  16. 2 Samuel 11:21 : Judg. 9:53
  17. 2 Samuel 11:27 : ch. 12:9

You Might Also Like:

2 Samuel 11 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

11 And it cometh to pass, at the revolution of the year -- at the time of the going out of the messengers -- that David sendeth Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, and they destroy the Bene-Ammon, and lay siege against Rabbah. And David is dwelling in Jerusalem, 2 and it cometh to pass,...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

11 And it was done, when the year turned again, in that time in which kings be wont to go forth to battles, David sent forth Joab, and with him his servants, and all Israel; and they destroyed the sons of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah; and David dwelled in Jerusalem. (And it was done, when the year tur...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - World English Bible (WEB)

11 At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. 2 At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. F...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - The Voice (VOICE)

11 In the springtime of the year, the season when most kings took their soldiers out to fight, David stayed in Jerusalem and sent Joab out as general in charge of David’s men and the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and put the city of Rabbah under siege. 2 Early one evening, David...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

David Commits Adultery and Murder11 Now it came to pass at the turn of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his officials with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David ...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba11 [a]In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, David sent Jo′ab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 It happened, late one afternoon, when Dav...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba11 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, David sent Jo′ab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David ...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba11 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose fro...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba11 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.(A)2 It happened, late one afternoon when David rose fro...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New Living Translation (NLT)

David and Bathsheba11 In the spring of the year,[a] when kings normally go out to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to fight the Ammonites. They destroyed the Ammonite army and laid siege to the city of Rabbah. However, David stayed behind in Jerusalem. 2 Late one afternoon, after his midd...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New Life Version (NLV)

David and Bathsheba11 The spring of the year was the time when kings went out to battle. At that time David sent Joab and his servants and all Israel. They destroyed the sons of Ammon and gathered the army around Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. 2 When evening came David got up from his bed an...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New King James Version (NKJV)

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah11 It happened in the spring of the year, at the (A)time when kings go out to battle, that (B)David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged (C)Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Then it happened one e...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

David and Bathsheba11 In 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. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New International Version (NIV)

David and Bathsheba11 In the spring,(A) at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab(B) out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.(C) They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.(D) But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

David and Bathsheba11 It was spring. It was the time when kings go off to war. So David sent Joab out with the king’s special troops and the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites. They marched to the city of Rabbah. They surrounded it and got ready to attack it. But David remained in Je...
Read More

2 Samuel 11 - New English Translation (NET)

David Commits Adultery with Bathsheba11 In the spring of the year, at the time when kings[a] normally conduct wars,[b] David sent out Joab with his officers[c] and the entire Israelite army.[d] They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.[e] 2 One evening D...
Read More