Aconteció que en la primavera¹, en el tiempo cuando los reyes salen a la batalla, David envió a Joab y con él a sus siervos y a todo Israel, y destruyeron a los hijos de Amón^a y sitiaron a Rabá^b. Pero David permaneció en Jerusalén^c.

2 Y al atardecer David se levantó de su lecho y se paseaba por el terrado de la casa del rey, y desde el terrado^a vio a una mujer que se estaba bañando; y la mujer era de aspecto muy hermoso. 3 David mandó a preguntar acerca de aquella mujer. Y alguien dijo: ¿No esesta Betsabé, hija de Eliam^a, mujer de Urías hitita^b? 4 David envió mensajeros y la tomó; y cuando ella vino a él, él durmió con ella^a. Después que ella se purificó de su inmundicia^b, regresó a su casa. 5 Y la mujer concibió; y envió aviso a David, diciendo: Estoy encinta^a.

6 Entonces David envió a decir a Joab: Envíame a Urías hitita. Y Joab envió a Urías a David. 7 Cuando Urías vino a él, David le preguntó por¹ Joab^a, por² el pueblo y por el estado de la guerra. 8 Después dijo David a Urías: Desciende a tu casa, y lava tus pies^a. Salió Urías de la casa del rey, y tras él fue enviado¹ un obsequio del rey. 9 Pero Urías durmió a la entrada de la casa del rey con todos los siervos de su señor, y no bajó a su casa^a. 10 Cuando se lo contaron a David, diciendo: Urías no bajó a su casa, David dijo a Urías: ¿No has venido de hacer un viaje? ¿Por qué no bajaste a tu casa? 11 Y Urías respondió a David: El arca, Israel y Judá están bajo tiendas^1a, y mi señor Joab y los siervos de mi señor acampan a campo abierto^b. ¿He de ir yo a mi casa para comer, beber y acostarme con mi mujer? Por tu vida y la vida de tu alma, que no haré tal cosa. 12 Entonces David dijo a Urías: Quédate aquí hoy también, y mañana te dejaré ir^a. Y se quedó Urías en Jerusalén aquel día y el siguiente¹. 13 Y David lo convidó a comer y a beber con él¹, y lo embriagó^a. Al anochecer Urías salió a acostarse en su cama con los siervos de su señor, pero no descendió a su casa^b.

14 Y aconteció a la mañana siguiente que David escribió una carta^a a Joab, y la envió por mano de Urías. 15 En la carta había escrito¹: Poned² a Urías al frente de la batalla más reñida³ y retiraos de él, para que sea herido y muera^a. 16 Así¹ que cuando Joab asediaba la ciudad, puso a Urías en el lugar donde sabía que había hombres valientes. 17 Y los hombres de la ciudad salieron y pelearon contra Joab, y algunos de los siervos de David cayeron, y murió también Urías hitita^a. 18 Joab envió a informar a David de todos los sucesos de la guerra, 19 y dio orden al mensajero, diciendo: Cuando hayas acabado de contar al rey todos los sucesos de la guerra, 20 si sucede que el furor del rey se enciende¹ y te dice: «¿Por qué os acercasteis tanto a la ciudad para pelear? ¿No sabíais que dispararían desde el muro? 21 ¿Quién mató a Abimelec, hijo de Jerobaal? ¿No arrojó una mujer sobre él una muela de molino desde lo alto del muro de manera que murió en Tebes^a? ¿Por qué os acercasteis tanto al muro?». Entonces le dirás: «También tu siervo Urías hitita ha muerto».

22 Partió, pues, el mensajero, y llegó e informó a David todo lo que Joab le había enviado a decir. 23 Y el mensajero dijo a David: Los hombres prevalecieron contra nosotros y salieron al campo contra nosotros, pero los rechazamos¹ hasta la entrada de la puerta. 24 Pero los arqueros tiraron contra tus siervos desde la muralla; y algunos de los siervos del rey han muerto, y también tu siervo Urías hitita ha muerto. 25 Entonces David dijo al mensajero: Así dirás a Joab: «No tengas pesar por esto¹, porque la espada devora tanto a uno como al otro; haz más fuerte tu combate contra la ciudad y destrúyela»; y tú aliéntalo.

26 Al oír la mujer de Urías que su marido Urías había muerto, hizo duelo por su marido^a. 27 Cuando pasó el luto, David mandó traerla¹ a su casa, y ella fue su mujer; y le dio a luz un hijo. Pero lo que David había hecho fue malo a los ojos del SEÑOR^a.

^aThen it happened ^1bin the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they brought destruction on the sons of Ammon and ^cbesieged Rabbah. But David stayed in Jerusalem.

2 Now at evening time David got up from his bed and walked around on ^athe roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 3 So David sent servants and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not ^aBathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of ^bUriah the Hittite?” 4 Then David sent messengers and ¹had her brought, and when she came to him, ^ahe slept with her; ^band when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 5 But the woman conceived; so she sent word and informed David, and said, “^aI am pregnant.”

6 Then David sent word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, ^aDavid asked about Joab’s well-being and ¹that of the people, and the condition of the war. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and ^awash your feet.” So Uriah left the king’s house, and a gift from the king ¹was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept ^aat the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 Now when they informed David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” 11 And Uriah said to David, “^aThe ark and Israel and Judah are staying in ¹temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and ^bthe servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Should I then go to my house to eat and drink and to sleep with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” 12 Then David said to Uriah, “^aStay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the day after. 13 Now David summoned ¹Uriah, and he ate and drank in his presence, and he ^amade ²Uriah drunk; and in the evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed ^bwith his lord’s servants, and he still did not go down to his house.

14 So in the morning David ^awrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 ^aHe had written in the letter ¹the following: “²Station Uriah on the front line of the ³fiercest battle and pull back from him, ^bso that he may be struck and killed.” 16 So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he ¹stationed Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 And the men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and ^aUriah the Hittite also died. 18 Then Joab sent a messenger and reported to David all the events of the war. 19 He ordered the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, 20 then it shall be that if the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you move against the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who ^astruck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did a woman not throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you move against the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.’”

22 So the messenger departed and came and reported to David everything that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we ¹pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. 24 Also, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants died, and your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.” 25 Then David said to the messenger, “This is what you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing ¹displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; ²fight with determination against the city and overthrow it’; and thereby encourage him.”

26 Now when Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, ^ashe mourned for her husband. 27 When the time of mourning was over, David sent servants and ¹had her brought to his house and ^ashe became his wife; then she bore him a son. But ^bthe thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.

^aThen it happened ^1bin the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and ^cbesieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

2 Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on ^athe roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not ^aBathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of ^bUriah the Hittite?” 4 David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, ^ahe lay with her; ^band when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “^aI am pregnant.”

6 Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, ^aDavid asked concerning the welfare of Joab and ¹the people and the state of the war. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and ^awash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and a present from the king ¹was sent out after him. 9 But Uriah slept ^aat the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 Now when they told David, saying, “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, “^aThe ark and Israel and Judah are staying in ¹temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and ^bthe 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? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.” 12 Then David said to Uriah, “^aStay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the ¹next. 13 Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he ^amade him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed ^bwith his lord’s servants, but he did not go down to his house.

14 Now in the morning David ^awrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 ^aHe had written in the letter, saying, “¹Place Uriah in the front line of the ²fiercest battle and withdraw from him, ^bso that he may be struck down and die.” 16 So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David’s servants fell; and ^aUriah the Hittite also died. 18 Then Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war. 19 He charged the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling all the events of the war to the king, 20 and if it happens that the king’s wrath rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who ^astruck down Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman throw 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 departed and came and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men prevailed against us and came out against us in the field, but we ¹pressed them as far as the entrance of the gate. 24 Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.” 25 Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing ¹displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it’; and so encourage him.”

26 Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, ^ashe mourned for her husband. 27 When the time of mourning was over, David sent and ¹brought her to his house and ^ashe became his wife; then she bore him a son. But ^bthe thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.