16. So it came to pass, when Joab was besieging the city, that he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.
17. Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the troops of David’s officers fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18. When Joab sent and reported to David all the events of the war,
19. he charged the messenger saying, “When you finish reporting all the events of the war to the king,
20. if it happens that the king’s wrath flares up and he says to you, ‘Why did you come so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know that they would shoot from the wall?
21. Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you come so close to the wall?’ Then you will say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead, too.’”
22. So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to report.