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2 Samuel 10-11
King James Version
2 Samuel 10-11
King James Version
10 And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David's servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.
6 And when the children of Ammon saw that they stank before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.
7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the mighty men.
8 And the children of Ammon came out, and put the battle in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah, were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians:
10 And the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
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.
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.
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. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.
11 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they 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 the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.
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 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?
11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the 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 livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye 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 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?
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 went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
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 Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: 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 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.
2 Samuel 10-11
1599 Geneva Bible
2 Samuel 10-11
1599 Geneva Bible
10 4 The messengers of David are villainously entreated of the king of Ammon. 7 Joab is sent against the Ammonites.
1 After this, the (A)King of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.
2 Then said David, I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father [a]showed kindness unto me. And David sent his servants to comfort him for his father. So David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.
3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, [b]Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters to thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, [c]to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?
4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the half of their beard, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.
5 ¶ When it was told unto David, he sent to meet them (for the men were exceedingly ashamed) and the king said, Tarry at Jericho, until your beards be grown, then return.
6 ¶ And when the children of Ammon saw that they [d]stank in the sight of David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the [e]Aramites of the house of Rehob, and the Aramites of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of king Maacah a thousand men, and of Ish-Tob twelve thousand men.
7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab, and all the host of the strong men.
8 And the children of Ammon came out and put their army in array at the entering in of the gate: and the Aramites of [f]Zoba, and of Rehob, and of Ish-Tob, and of Maacah were by themselves in the field.
9 When Joab saw that the front of the battle was against him before and behind, he chose of all the choice of Israel, and put them in array against the Aramites.
10 And the rest of the people, he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.
11 And he said, If the Aramites be stronger than I, thou shalt help me, and if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, I will come and succor thee.
12 Be strong and let us be valiant for [g]our people, and for the cities of our God, and let the Lord do that which is good in his eyes.
13 Then Joab, and the people that was with him, joined in battle with the Aramites, who fled before him.
14 And when the children of Ammon saw that the Aramites fled, they fled also before Abishai, and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.
15 ¶ And when the Aramites saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered them together.
16 And [h]Hadarezer sent, and brought out the Aramites that were beyond the [i]River: and they came to Helam, and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer went before them.
17 When it was showed David, then he gathered [j]all Israel together, and passed over Jordan, and came to Helam: and the Aramites set themselves in array against David, and fought with him:
18 And the Aramites fled before Israel: and David destroyed [k]seven hundred chariots of the Aramites, and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of his host, who died there.
19 And when all the kings, that were servants to Hadadezer, saw that they fell before Israel, they made peace with Israel, and served them. and the Aramites feared to help the children of Ammon anymore.
11 1 The city Rabbah is besieged. 4 David committeth adultery. 17 Uriah is slain. 27 David marrieth Bathsheba.
1 And when the year was [l]expired in the time when kings go forth to battle, David sent (B)Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel, who destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah: but David remained in Jerusalem.
2 And when it was evening-tide, David arose out of his [m]bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s palace: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself: and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
3 And David sent and inquired what woman it was: and one said, Is not this Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, wife to Uriah the [n]Hittite?
4 Then David sent messengers, and took her away: and she came unto him and he lay with her: (now she was (C)purified from her uncleanness) and she returned unto her house.
5 And the woman conceived: therefore she sent and [o]told David, and said, I am with child.
6 ¶ Then David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 And when Uriah came unto him, David demanded him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.
8 Afterward David said to Uriah, [p]Go down to thine house, and wash thy feet. So Uriah departed out of the king’s palace, and the king sent a present after him.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
10 Then they told David, saying, Uriah went not down to his house: and David said unto Uriah, Comest thou not from thy journey? why didst thou not go down to thine house?
11 Then Uriah answered David, [q]The Ark and Israel, and Judah dwell in tents: and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord abide in the open fields: shall I then go into mine house to eat and drink, and lie with my wife? by thy life, and by the life of thy soul, I will not do this thing.
12 Then David said unto Uriah, Tarry yet this day, and tomorrow I will send thee away. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.
13 Then David called him, and he did eat and drink before him, and he made him [r]drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
14 And on the morrow David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote [s]thus in the letter, [t]Put ye Uriah in the forefront of the strength of the battle, and recule ye back from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16 ¶ So when Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah unto a place, where he knew that strong men were.
17 And the men of the city came out, and fought with Joab: and there fell of the people of the servants of David, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war.
19 ¶ And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling all the matters of the war unto the King,
20 [u]And if the king’s anger arise, so that he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would hurl from the wall?
21 Who smote Abimelech son of [v]Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, and he died in Thebez? why went you nigh the wall? Then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.
22 So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.
23 And the messenger said unto David, Certainly the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, but we [w]pursued them unto the entering of the gate.
24 But the shooters shot from the wall against thy servants, and some of the king’s servants be dead: and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.
25 Then David said unto the messenger, [x]Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing trouble thee: for the sword devoureth [y]one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and destroy it, and encourage thou him.
26 ¶ And when the wife of Uriah heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27 So when the mourning was past, David sent and took her into his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son: but the thing that David had done, [z]displeased the Lord.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:2 The children of God are not unmindful of a benefit received.
- 2 Samuel 10:3 Hebrew, in thine eyes doth David.
- 2 Samuel 10:3 Their arrogant malice would not suffer them to see the simplicity of David’s heart: therefore their counsel turned to the destruction of their country.
- 2 Samuel 10:6 That they had deserved David’s displeasure, for the injury done to his ambassadors.
- 2 Samuel 10:6 Or, Syrians.
- 2 Samuel 10:8 These were divers parts of the country of Syria, whereby appeareth that the Syrians served where they might have entertainment, as now the Sweitzers do.
- 2 Samuel 10:12 Here is declared wherefore war ought to be undertaken: of the defense of true religion and God’s people.
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Or, Hadarezer.
- 2 Samuel 10:16 Or, Euphrates.
- 2 Samuel 10:17 Meaning, the greatest part.
- 2 Samuel 10:18 Which were the chiefest and most principal: for in all he destroyed 7000, as 1 Chron. 19:18, or the soldiers which were in 700 chariots.
- 2 Samuel 11:1 The year following about the spring time.
- 2 Samuel 11:2 Whereupon he used to rest at afternoon, as was read of Ishbosheth, 2 Sam. 4:7.
- 2 Samuel 11:3 Who was not an Israelite born, but converted to the true religion.
- 2 Samuel 11:5 Fearing lest she should be stoned according to the Law.
- 2 Samuel 11:8 David thought that if Uriah lay with his wife, his fault might be cloaked.
- 2 Samuel 11:11 Hereby God would touch David’s conscience, that seeing the fidelity and religion of his servant, he would declare himself so forgetful of God, and injurious to his servant.
- 2 Samuel 11:13 He made him drink more liberally than he was wont to do, thinking hereby he would have lain by his wife.
- 2 Samuel 11:15 Hebrew, saying.
- 2 Samuel 11:15 Except God continually uphold us with his mighty spirit, the most perfect fall headlong into all vice and abomination.
- 2 Samuel 11:20 Or, thou shalt do this, if.
- 2 Samuel 11:21 Meaning, Gideon, Judg. 9:52, 53.
- 2 Samuel 11:23 Hebrew, were against them.
- 2 Samuel 11:25 He dissembleth with the messenger, to the intent that neither his cruel commandment, nor Joab’s wicked obedience might be espied.
- 2 Samuel 11:25 Hebrew, so and so.
- 2 Samuel 11:27 Hebrew, was evil in the eyes of the Lord.
2 Samuel 10-11
New International Version
2 Samuel 10-11
New International Version
David Defeats the Ammonites(A)
10 In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king. 2 David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash,(B) just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father.
When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites, 3 the Ammonite commanders said to Hanun their lord, “Do you think David is honoring your father by sending envoys to you to express sympathy? Hasn’t David sent them to you only to explore the city and spy it out(C) and overthrow it?” 4 So Hanun seized David’s envoys, shaved off half of each man’s beard,(D) cut off their garments at the buttocks,(E) and sent them away.
5 When David was told about this, he sent messengers to meet the men, for they were greatly humiliated. The king said, “Stay at Jericho till your beards have grown, and then come back.”
6 When the Ammonites realized that they had become obnoxious(F) to David, they hired twenty thousand Aramean(G) foot soldiers from Beth Rehob(H) and Zobah,(I) as well as the king of Maakah(J) with a thousand men, and also twelve thousand men from Tob.(K)
7 On hearing this, David sent Joab(L) out with the entire army of fighting men. 8 The Ammonites came out and drew up in battle formation at the entrance of their city gate, while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maakah were by themselves in the open country.
9 Joab saw that there were battle lines in front of him and behind him; so he selected some of the best troops in Israel and deployed them against the Arameans. 10 He put the rest of the men under the command of Abishai(M) his brother and deployed them against the Ammonites. 11 Joab said, “If the Arameans are too strong for me, then you are to come to my rescue; but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. 12 Be strong,(N) and let us fight bravely for our people and the cities of our God. The Lord will do what is good in his sight.”(O)
13 Then Joab and the troops with him advanced to fight the Arameans, and they fled before him. 14 When the Ammonites(P) realized that the Arameans were fleeing, they fled before Abishai and went inside the city. So Joab returned from fighting the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 After the Arameans saw that they had been routed by Israel, they regrouped. 16 Hadadezer had Arameans brought from beyond the Euphrates River; they went to Helam, with Shobak the commander of Hadadezer’s army leading them.
17 When David was told of this, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan and went to Helam. The Arameans formed their battle lines to meet David and fought against him. 18 But they fled before Israel, and David killed seven hundred of their charioteers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers.[a] He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army, and he died there. 19 When all the kings who were vassals of Hadadezer saw that they had been routed by Israel, they made peace with the Israelites and became subject(Q) to them.
So the Arameans(R) were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.
David and Bathsheba
11 In the spring,(S) at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab(T) out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army.(U) They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.(V) But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof(W) of the palace. From the roof he saw(X) a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba,(Y) the daughter of Eliam(Z) and the wife of Uriah(AA) the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her.(AB) She came to him, and he slept(AC) with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.)(AD) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
6 So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah(AE) the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.”(AF) So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
10 David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark(AG) and Israel and Judah are staying in tents,[b] and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love(AH) to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
12 Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter(AI) to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down(AJ) and die.(AK)”
16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelek(AL) son of Jerub-Besheth[c]? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall,(AM) so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”
22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. 24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”
25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning(AN) was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased(AO) the Lord.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 10:18 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also 1 Chron. 19:18); Hebrew horsemen
- 2 Samuel 11:11 Or staying at Sukkoth
- 2 Samuel 11:21 Also known as Jerub-Baal (that is, Gideon)
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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