The Ammonites defeated.

B. C. about 1037.

|| Or, The men of Tob.

thousand men.

7 And when David heard of it, he

See Judg. 11. sent Joab, and all the host of the

3, 5.

e ch. 23. 8.

f ver. 6.

g Deut. 31. 6.

h1 Sam. 4. 9. 1 Cor. 16. 13.

i 1 Sam. 3. 18.

about 1036.

|| That is, Euphrates.

Il Or, Shophach, 1 Chr. 19. 16.

k1 Chr. 19. 18, footmen.

1 ch. 8. 6.

CHAPTER XI.

Joab besiegeth Rabbah. 2 David committeth adultery with Bath-sheba. 6 His attempt to conceal his adultery, 14 He plotteth the death of Uriah. 17 Uriah is slain; and Joab sendeth word to David. 26 David taketh Bath-sheba to wife.

mon.

11 And he said, If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

h

12 Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the cities of our God: and the LORD do that which seemeth him good.

13 And Joab drew nigh, and the people that were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians: and they fled before him.

14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians were fled, then fled they also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem. 15 ¶ And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

16 And Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Syrians that were beyond the river; and they came to Helam: and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadarezer went before them.

17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

18 And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

k

19 And when all the kings that were servants to Hadarezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and 'served them.

B. C. about 1036.

about 1035.

return of the year,

1 Kings 20. 22, 26. 2 Chr. 36.10.

ND it came to pass, after the Heb. at the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that a David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they a 1 Chr. 20. 1. destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

2 ¶ And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of b Deut. 22.8. the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there + followed him a mess + Heb. tent of meat from the king.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

out after him.

11 And Uriah said unto David, The h ch. 7. 2, 6. ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the ch. 20. 6. servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou

Uriah slain in battle.

B. C.

livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will about 1035. not do this thing.

12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the mor

the shameful

See Jer. 11.

16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; 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 made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

20 And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

Judg. 9.53. 21 Who smote Abimelech the son That is Let of P Jerubbesheth? did not a woman plead cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

plate. 6. 32,

Jabbaal

22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed 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 were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.

24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto

The parable of Nathan.

B. C. about 1035.

Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth tone as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and he be evil overthrow it: and encourage thou† Heb. so and 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 fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

in thine eyes.

such.

a ch. 12. 9.

+ Heb. was

evil in the eyes of.

ND the LORD sent Nathan unto about 1034. a Ps. 51, title.

AND and said unto him, There were two b See ch. 14.5, men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds :

&c. 1 Kings 20. 35-41. Is.

5. 3.

3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own + meat, and drank of his own cup, and + Heb. morsel. lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall Or, is worsurely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

i Deut. 28. 30. ch. 16. 22.

k ch. 16. 22.

1 See 1 Sam. 15. 24.

m ch. 24. 10.

10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this

sun.

12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

13 And David said unto Nathan, m I have sinned against the LORD. Job 7.20. Ps. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath "put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.

32. 5. & 51. 4. Prov. 28. 13.

n ch. 24. 10. Job 7. 21. Ps. 32. 1. Mic. 7.

o Is. 52. 5.

14 Howbeit, because by this deed 18. Zech. 3.4. thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

Ez. 36. 20, 23. Rom. 2. 24.

15 ¶ And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.

16 David therefore besought God + Heb. fasted for the child; and David † fasted, and went in, and Play all night upon the earth.

a fast.

P ch. 13. 31.

17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: + Heb.do hurt. how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?

q Ruth 3. 3.

r Job 1. 20.

19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.

20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and 'worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.

21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for

The birth of Solomon.

B. C.

the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise about 1034. and eat bread.

22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

See Is. S. 1. 5. Jonah 3.9.

23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but the Job 7.8,9,1 shall not return to me.

24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and "she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name "Jedidiah, because of the LORD.

26 ¶ And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.

30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abun- † Heb. tery dance.

31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.