15. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and retire from him, that he may be smitten and die.
16. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that the most valiant men were.
17. And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the people of the slaves 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 thou hast finished telling the matters of the war unto the king,
20. and if the king begins to be angry and he should say unto thee, Why did you approach so near unto the city when ye fought? Did ye not know that which they can throw down from the wall?
21. Who smote Abimelech, the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall? Then thou shalt say, Thy slave Uriah, the Hittite, is dead also.
22. So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him for.
23. And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us and came out unto us into the field, and we made them retreat unto the entering of the gate.
24. And the archers shot from off the wall upon thy slaves, and some of the king’s slaves are dead, and thy slave Uriah, the Hittite, is dead also.
25. Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devours one as well as another; strengthen the battle against the city until it is overthrown and encourage thou him.
26. And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband, was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27. And when the mourning was past, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and gave birth to a son unto him. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.