14 And it happened in the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and he sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 He had written in the letter, “Put Uriah in the front, in the face of the fiercest fighting, then draw back from behind him so that he may be struck down and die.”

16 ⌊When Joab was besieging⌋j the city, he put Uriah toward the place which he knew ⌊there were valiant warriors⌋.k 17 The men of the city came out and fought with Joab. Some from the army from the servants of David fell; Uriah the Hittite also died. 18 Joab sent and told David all of the news of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger, saying, “As you are finishing to speak all the news of the battle to the king, 20 if the anger of the king rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you go near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from atop the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerub-bosheth,l if not a woman who threw an upper millstone on him from atop the wall and he died at Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’ Then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.’ ” 22 Then the messenger left, and he came and told David all that Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, “Because ⌊the men overpowered us⌋,m the men came out to us in the field, but ⌊we forced them back⌋n to the entrance of the gate. 24 The archers shot at your servant from atop the wall, and some of the servants of the king died; your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.” 25 Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘⌊Do not feel badly about this matter⌋;o ⌊now one and then another⌋p the sword will devour. Intensify your attack on the city and overthrow it.’ ” And he encouraged him.