Bathsheba, David’s Great Sin

1 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.