2 Samuel 11:14-27 - Uriah's Death Arranged

¹⁴ And it cometh to pass in the morning, that David writeth a letter unto Joab, and sendeth by the hand of Uriah; ¹⁵ and he writeth in the letter, saying, 'Place ye Uriah over-against the front of the severest battle, and ye have turned back from after him, and he hath been smitten, and hath died.'

¹⁶ And it cometh to pass in Joab's watching of the city, that he appointeth Uriah unto the place where he knew that valiant men are; ¹⁷ and the men of the city go out and fight with Joab, and there fall some of the people, of the servants of David; and there dieth also Uriah the Hittite.

¹⁸ And Joab sendeth and declareth to David all the matters of the war, ¹⁹ and commandeth the messenger, saying, 'At thy finishing all the matters of the war to speak unto the king, ²⁰ then, it hath been, if the king's fury ascend, and he hath said to thee, Wherefore did ye draw nigh unto the city to fight? did ye not know that they shoot from off the wall? ²¹ Who smote Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast on him a piece of a rider from the wall, and he dieth in Thebez? why drew ye nigh unto the wall? that thou hast said, Also thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.' ²² And the messenger goeth, and cometh in, and declareth to David all that with which Joab sent him, ²³ and the messenger saith unto David, 'Surely the men have been mighty against us, and come out unto us into the field, and we are upon them unto the opening of the gate, ²⁴ and those shooting shoot at thy servants from off the wall, and some of the servants of the king are dead, and also, thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.

²⁵ And David saith unto the messenger, 'Thus dost thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing be evil in thine eyes; for thus and thus doth the sword devour; strengthen thy warfare against the city, and throw it down -- and strengthen thou him.'

²⁶ And the wife of Uriah heareth that Uriah her husband is dead, and lamenteth for her lord; ²⁷ and the mourning passeth by, and David sendeth and gathereth her unto his house, and she is to him for a wife, and beareth to him a son; and the thing which David hath done is evil in the eyes of Jehovah.