Dāvida grēks ar Batšebu
1 Gadu mijā, laikā, kad ķēniņi parasti iziet karā, Dāvids sūtīja Joābu un kopā ar viņu savus ļaudis un visu Israēlu, un tie sakāva amoniešus un aplenca Rabu. Dāvids pats palika Jeruzālemē.
2 Kādu vakaru Dāvids, piecēlies no gultas, pastaigājās pa ķēniņa nama jumtu, un no jumta viņš ieraudzīja kādu sievu mazgājamies – šī sieva bija ļoti glīta no skata. 3 Dāvids lika ievākt ziņas par šo sievu, un viņam pastāstīja: “Tā taču Batšeba, Elīāma meita, hetieša Ūrijas sieva!” 4 Dāvids sūtīja vēstnešus viņu atvest, un tā nāca pie viņa, un viņš ar to gulēja – viņa tikko bija šķīstījusies no savas nešķīstības –, pēc tam viņa atgriezās mājās. 5 Un šī sieva kļuva grūta un sūtīja vēsti Dāvidam: “Esmu kļuvusi grūta.” 6 Tad Dāvids sūtīja ziņu Joābam: “Atsūti pie manis hetieti Ūriju!” Un Joābs sūtīja Ūriju pie Dāvida. 7 Kad Ūrija atnāca, Dāvids iztaujāja, kā klājas Joābam un kā ļaudīm un kā sokas karā. 8 Tad Dāvids teica: “Noej savā namā un mazgā kājas.” Ūrija iznāca no ķēniņa nama, un viņam pakaļ nesa ķēniņa dāvanas. 9 Taču Ūrija apgūlās pie ķēniņa nama ieejas kopā ar visiem sava kunga kalpiem un negāja uz savu namu. 10 Dāvidam pastāstīja: “Ūrija nav aizgājis uz savām mājām!” Dāvids jautāja Ūrijam: “Vai tad tu neesi nupat no ceļa? Kādēļ tu neej mājās?” 11 Ūrija atbildēja Dāvidam: “Dieva šķirsts, Israēls un Jūda mīt teltīs, tāpat mans kungs Joābs un mana kunga ļaudis ir nometnē uz lauka – kā lai es eju savā namā ēst, dzert un gulēt ar savu sievu?! Zvēru pie tevis un tavas dzīvības, ka es tā nedarīšu!” 12 Dāvids teica Ūrijam: “Šodien vēl paliec te, rīt es tevi atlaidīšu.” Tā Ūrija palika Jeruzālemē līdz nākamajai dienai. 13 Dāvids viņu aicināja, un viņš pie tā ēda un dzēra, un Dāvids viņu piedzirdīja. Bet vakarā, izgājis ārā, viņš atgūlās pie sava kunga kalpiem un neaizgāja uz savām mājām.
Dāvids sūta Ūriju nāvē
14 No rīta Dāvids rakstīja vēstuli Joābam un nosūtīja to ar Ūriju. 15 Vēstulē viņš rakstīja: “Nolieciet Ūriju priekšā, kur sīvākā kauja, un atkāpieties no viņa, lai viņš tiek nokauts un mirst.”
16 Un, aplencot pilsētu, Joābs nolika Ūriju tādā vietā, par kuru viņš zināja, ka tur ir spēcīgi karotāji. 17 Kad pilsētas vīri iznāca karot pret Joābu, vairāki no Dāvida ļaudīm krita, un arī hetietis Ūrija bija pagalam. 18 Joābs sūtīja ziņu Dāvidam par kara notikumiem. 19 Un viņš pavēlēja ziņnesim: “Kad būsi pastāstījis ķēniņam kara notikumus, 20 ja ķēniņš aizsvilsies dusmās un teiks tev: kādēļ gājāt cīnīties tik tuvu pilsētai, vai tad nezinājāt, ka viņi no mūra šaus?! 21 Kas nokāva Abīmelehu, Jerūbešeta dēlu? Vai ne sieva, kas no mūra uzmeta viņam augšējo dzirnakmeni, ka viņš nomira Tēbēcā? Kāpēc gājāt tik tuvu mūrim? – tad saki: arī tavs kalps hetietis Ūrija ir miris.” 22 Ziņnesis devās ceļā, atnāca pie Dāvida un vēstīja visu, ko Joābs bija licis teikt. 23 Ziņnesis sacīja Dāvidam: “Tā kā tie vīri mūs pārspēja un iznāca laukā pret mums, mēs tos atspiedām līdz vārtu ieejai. 24 Strēlnieki no mūra šāva uz taviem kalpiem, un vairāki ķēniņa kalpi krita, arī tavs kalps hetietis Ūrija ir miris.”
25 Dāvids teica ziņnesim: “Tā saki Joābam: neraizējies, jo zobens rij te še, te tur. Cīnies vēl stiprāk pret šo pilsētu un noposti to – uzmundrini viņu!” 26 Ūrijas sieva dzirdēja, ka viņas vīrs Ūrija ir miris, un apraudāja savu kungu. 27 Kad sēru laiks bija pagājis, Dāvids sūtīja pārvest to uz savu namu. Viņa kļuva tam par sievu un dzemdēja dēlu. Bet Kungam nepatika tas, ko Dāvids bija darījis.
David and Bathsheba
1 The following spring, at the time of the year when kings usually go to war, David sent out Joab with his officers and the Israelite army; they defeated the Ammonites and besieged the city of Rabbah. But David himself stayed in Jerusalem.
2 One day, late in the afternoon, David got up from his nap and went to the palace roof. As he walked around up there, he saw a woman taking a bath in her house. She was very beautiful. 3 So he sent a messenger to find out who she was, and learned that she was Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. 4 David sent messengers to get her; they brought her to him and he made love to her. (She had just finished her monthly ritual of purification.) Then she went back home. 5 Afterward she discovered that she was pregnant and sent a message to David to tell him.
6 David then sent a message to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah arrived, David asked him if Joab and the troops were well, and how the fighting was going. 8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go on home and rest a while.” Uriah left, and David had a present sent to his home. 9 But Uriah did not go home; instead he slept at the palace gate with the king's guards. 10 When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he asked him, “You have just returned after a long absence; why didn't you go home?”
11 Uriah answered, “The men of Israel and Judah are away in battle, and the Covenant Box is with them; my commander Joab and his officers are camping out in the open. How could I go home, eat and drink, and sleep with my wife? By all that's sacred, I swear that I could never do such a thing!”
12 So David said, “Then stay here the rest of the day, and tomorrow I'll send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 David invited him to supper and got him drunk. But again that night Uriah did not go home; instead he slept on his blanket in the palace guardroom.
14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah. 15 He wrote: “Put Uriah in the front line, where the fighting is heaviest, then retreat and let him be killed.” 16 So while Joab was besieging the city, he sent Uriah to a place where he knew the enemy was strong. 17 The enemy troops came out of the city and fought Joab's forces; some of David's officers were killed, and so was Uriah.
18 Then Joab sent a report to David telling him about the battle, 19 and he instructed the messenger, “After you have told the king all about the battle, 20 he may get angry and ask you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight them? Didn't you realize that they would shoot arrows from the walls? 21 Don't you remember how Abimelech son of Gideon was killed? It was at Thebez, where a woman threw a millstone down from the wall and killed him. Why, then, did you go so near the wall?’ If the king asks you this, tell him, ‘Your officer Uriah was also killed.’”
22 So the messenger went to David and told him what Joab had commanded him to say. 23 He said, “Our enemies were stronger than we were and came out of the city to fight us in the open, but we drove them back to the city gate. 24 Then they shot arrows at us from the wall, and some of Your Majesty's officers were killed; your officer Uriah was also killed.”
25 David said to the messenger, “Encourage Joab and tell him not to be upset, since you never can tell who will die in battle. Tell him to launch a stronger attack on the city and capture it.”
26 When Bathsheba heard that her husband had been killed, she mourned for him. 27 When the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to the palace; she became his wife and bore him a son. But the Lord was not pleased with what David had done.
