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11 Con l'inizio del nuovo anno, nel tempo in cui i re vanno a combattere, Davide mandò Joab con i suoi servi e con tutto Israele a devastare il paese dei figli di Ammon e ad assediare Rabbah; ma Davide rimase a Gerusalemme.

Una sera Davide si alzò dal suo letto e si mise a passeggiare sulla terrazza della reggia. Dalla terrazza vide una donna che faceva il bagno; e la donna era bellissima.

Cosí Davide mandò a chiedere informazioni sulla donna; e gli fu detto: «E' Bath-Sceba, figlia di Eliam, moglie di Uriah, lo Hitteo».

Davide mandò messaggeri a prenderla, cosí essa venne da lui ed egli si coricò con lei; poi ella si purificò della sua impurità e ritornò a casa sua.

La donna rimase incinta e lo mandò a dire a Davide, dicendo: «Sono incinta».

Allora Davide mandò a dire a Joab: «Mandami Uriah, lo Hitteo». E Joab mandò Uriah da Davide.

Quando Uriah giunse da lui, Davide gli chiese sullo stato di salute di Joab e del popolo, e come andasse la guerra.

Poi Davide disse a Uriah: «Scendi a casa tua e lavati i piedi». Uriah uscí dalla casa del re seguito da un dono da parte del re.

Ma Uriah dormí alla porta della casa del re con tutti i servi del suo signore e non scese a casa sua.

10 Quando informarono Davide della cosa e gli dissero: «Uriah non è sceso a casa sua», Davide disse a Uriah: «Non vieni forse da un viaggio? Perché dunque non sei sceso a casa tua?».

11 Uriah rispose a Davide: «L'arca, Israele e Giuda abitano in tende, il mio signore Joab e i servi del mio signore sono accampati in aperta campagna. Come potrei io entrare in casa mia per mangiare e bere e per coricarmi con mia moglie? Com'è vero che tu vivi e che vive l'anima tua, io non farò questa cosa!»

12 Allora Davide disse a Uriah: «Rimani qui anche oggi e domani ti lascerò partire». Cosí Uriah rimase a Gerusalemme quel giorno e il giorno seguente.

13 Davide lo invitò quindi a mangiare e a bere insieme a lui e lo fece ubriacare. Ma la sera Uriah uscí per andare sul suo giaciglio con i servi del suo signore e non scese a casa sua.

14 La mattina dopo, Davide scrisse una lettera a Joab e gliela mandò per mano di Uriah.

15 Nella lettera aveva scritto cosí: «Ponete Uriah in prima linea, dove la battaglia è piú aspra, poi ritiratevi da lui, perché resti colpito e muoia».

16 Mentre assediava la città, Joab pose Uriah nel luogo dove sapeva che vi erano uomini valorosi.

17 Gli abitanti della città fecero una sortita e attaccarono Joab, alcuni dei servi di Davide caddero, e morí anche Uriah lo Hitteo.

18 Allora Joab mandò a riferire a Davide tutti gli avvenimenti della guerra.

19 e diede al messaggero quest'ordine: «Quando avrai finito di raccontare al re tutti gli avvenimenti della guerra,

20 se il re andasse in collera e ti dicesse "Perché vi siete avvicinati alla città per combattere? Non sapevate che avrebbero tirato dall'alto delle mura?

21 Chi uccise Abimelek, figlio di Jerub-besceth? Non fu una donna che gli gettò addosso un pezzo di macina a dalle mura, e cosí egli morí a Thebets? Perché vi siete avvicinati alle mura?", allora tu dirai: "E morto anche il tuo servo Uriah lo Hitteo"».

22 Il messaggero dunque partí e, quando giunse, riferí a Davide tutto ciò che Joab lo aveva mandato a dire

23 Il messaggero disse a Davide: «I nemici ebbero la meglio su di noi e fecero una sortita contro di noi in campo aperto, ma noi li respingemmo fino all'ingresso della porta;

24 allora gli arcieri tirarono sui tuoi servi dall'alto delle mura e alcuni dei servi del re sono morti, ed è morto anche il tuo servo Uriah lo Hitteo».

25 Allora Davide disse al messaggero: «Dirai cosí a Joab: "Non ti addolori questa cosa, perché la spada divora or l'uno or l'altro; combatti con maggior forza contro la città e distruggila". E tu fagli coraggio».

26 Quando la moglie di Uriah udí che Uriah suo marito era morto, fece cordoglio per suo marito.

27 Terminato il lutto, Davide la mandò a prendere e l'accolse in casa sua. Ella divenne sua moglie e gli partorí un figlio. Ma ciò che Davide aveva fatto dispiacque all'Eterno.

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.

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, 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.” 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. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah(M) the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 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. 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 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelek(T) son of Jerub-Besheth[b]? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall,(U) so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”

22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. 24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”

25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”

26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning(V) was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased(W) the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 11:11 Or staying at Sukkoth
  2. 2 Samuel 11:21 Also known as Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon)

David, Bathsheba, and Uriah

11 It happened in the spring of the year, at the (A)time when kings go out to battle, that (B)David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged (C)Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed (D)and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he (E)saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not [a]Bathsheba, the daughter of [b]Eliam, the wife (F)of Uriah the (G)Hittite?” Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and (H)he lay with her, for she was (I)cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”

Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and (J)wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. But Uriah slept at the (K)door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 10 So when they told 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, (L)“The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and (M)my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

12 Then David said to Uriah, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him (N)drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed (O)with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

14 In the morning it happened that David (P)wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the [c]hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may (Q)be struck down and die.” 16 So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men. 17 Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war, 19 and charged the messenger, saying, “When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king, 20 if it happens that the king’s wrath rises, and he says to you: ‘Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? 21 Who struck (R)Abimelech the son of [d]Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?’—then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”

22 So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him. 23 And the messenger said to David, “Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate. 24 The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.”

25 Then David said to the messenger, “Thus you shall say to Joab: ‘Do not let this thing [e]displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city, and overthrow it.’ So encourage him.”

26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27 And when her mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she (S)became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done (T)displeased[f] the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 11:3 Bathshua, 1 Chr. 3:5
  2. 2 Samuel 11:3 Ammiel, 1 Chr. 3:5
  3. 2 Samuel 11:15 fiercest
  4. 2 Samuel 11:21 Jerubbaal (Gideon), Judg. 6:32ff.
  5. 2 Samuel 11:25 Lit. be evil in your sight
  6. 2 Samuel 11:27 Lit. was evil in the eyes of