David and Bathsheba

11 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 the roof^(E) of the palace. From the roof he saw^(F) a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba,^(G) the daughter of Eliam^(H) and the wife of Uriah^(I) the Hittite.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her.^(J) She came to him, and he slept^(K) with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.)^(L) Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

⁶ So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah^(M) the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.”^(N) So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.

¹⁰ David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”

¹¹ Uriah said to David, “The ark^(O) and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,^[a] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love^(P) to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”

¹² Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.

¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter^(Q) to Joab and sent it with Uriah. ¹⁵ In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down^(R) and die.^(S)”

¹⁶ So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. ¹⁷ When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

¹⁸ When he takes the throne^(A) of his kingdom, he is to write^(B) for himself on a scroll a copy^(C) of this law, taken from that of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹ It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life^(D) so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees^{(E) 20} and not consider himself better than his fellow Israelites and turn from the law^(F) to the right or to the left.^(G) Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.^(H)

¹² So he^(A) sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome^(B) features.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

¹³ So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed^(C) him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord^(D) came powerfully upon David.^(E) Samuel then went to Ramah.

²⁶ But the Advocate,^(A) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(B) will teach you all things^(C) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^(D)

³⁴ Who then is the one who condemns?^(A) No one. Christ Jesus who died^(B)—more than that, who was raised to life^(C)—is at the right hand of God^(D) and is also interceding for us.^(E)

¹³ No temptation^[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful;^(A) he will not let you be tempted^[b] beyond what you can bear.^(B) But when you are tempted,^[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Jesus the Great High Priest

¹⁴ Therefore, since we have a great high priest^(A) who has ascended into heaven,^[a](B) Jesus the Son of God,^(C) let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.^{(D) 15} For we do not have a high priest^(E) who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are^(F)—yet he did not sin.^{(G) 16} Let us then approach^(H) God’s throne of grace with confidence,^(I) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.