Common English Bible

2 Samuel 11:11-21 Common English Bible (CEB)

11. "The chest and Israel and Judah are all living in tents," Uriah told David. "And my master Joab and my master’s troops are camping in the open field. How could I go home and eat, drink, and have sex with my wife? I swear on your very life, I will not do that!"

12. Then David told Uriah, "Stay here one more day. Tomorrow I’ll send you back." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day. The next day

13. David called for him, and he ate and drank, and David got him drunk. In the evening Uriah went out to sleep in the same place, alongside his master’s servants, but he did not go down to his own home.

14. The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15. He wrote in the letter, "Place Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle, and then pull back from him so that he will be struck down and die."

16. So as Joab was attacking the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew there were strong warriors.

17. When the city’s soldiers came out and attacked Joab, some of the people from David’s army fell. Uriah the Hittite was also killed.

18. Joab sent a complete report of the battle to David.

19. "When you have finished reporting all the news of the battle to the king," Joab instructed the messenger,

20. "if the king gets angry and asks you, ‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? didn’t you know they would shoot from the wall?

21. Who killed Jerubbaal’s son Abimelech? didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on top of him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ then say: ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.’"