2 Samuel 11:10-17

11:10 So they informed David, “Uriah has not gone down to his house.” So David said to Uriah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why haven’t you gone down to your house?” 11:11 Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations ¹  with my wife? As surely as you are alive, ²  I will not do this thing!” 11:12 So David said to Uriah, “Stay here another day. Tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem both that day and the following one. ³  11:13 Then David summoned him. He ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house.

11:14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 11:15 In the letter he wrote: “Station Uriah in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.”

11:16 So as Joab kept watch on the city, he stationed Uriah at the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers ⁴  were. 11:17 When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers ⁵  fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.

2 Samuel 11:25

11:25 David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing upset you. ⁶  There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down. ⁷  Press the battle against the city and conquer ⁸  it.’ Encourage him with these words.” ⁹ 

[11:11]  ¹ tn Heb “and lay.”

[11:11]  ² tn Heb “as you live and as your soul lives.”

[11:12]  ³ tn On the chronology involved here see P. K. McCarter, II Samuel (AB), 287.

[11:16]  ⁴ tn Heb “the valiant men.” This refers in context to the strongest or most valiant defenders of the city Joab and the Israelite army were besieging, so the present translation uses “the best enemy soldiers” for clarity.

[11:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “some of the people from the servants of David.”

[11:25]  ⁶ tn Heb “let not this matter be evil in your eyes.”

[11:25]  ⁷ tn Heb “according to this and according to this the sword devours.”

[11:25]  ⁸ tn Heb “overthrow.”

[11:25]  ⁹ tn The Hebrew text does not have “with these words.” They are supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.