Liber II Samuelis, 11

1. Factum est autem vertente anno, eo tempore quo solent reges ad bella procedere, misit David Ioab et servos suos cum eo et universum Israel, et vastaverunt filios Ammon et obsederunt Rabba; David autem remansit in Ierusalem.

1. In the spring of the year, the time when kings go forth to battle, David sent Jo'ab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

2. Et factum est vespere, ut surgeret David de strato suo et deambularet in solario domus regiae. Viditque de solario mulierem se lavantem; erat autem mulier pulchra valde.

2. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking upon the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.

3. Misit ergo rex et requisivit quae esset mulier; nuntiatumque ei est quod ipsa esset Bethsabee filia Eliam uxor Uriae Hetthaei.

3. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathshe'ba, the daughter of Eli'am, the wife of Uri'ah the Hittite?"

4. Missis itaque David nuntiis, tulit eam; quae cum ingressa esset ad illum, dormivit cum ea, quae se sanctificaverat ab immunditia sua.

4. So David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.

5. Et reversa est domum suam; cum autem concepisset, mittens nuntiavit David et ait: “Concepi”.

5. And the woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am with child."

6. Misit autem David ad Ioab dicens: “Mitte ad me Uriam Hetthaeum”. Misitque Ioab Uriam ad David,

6. So David sent word to Jo'ab, "Send me Uri'ah the Hittite." And Jo'ab sent Uri'ah to David.

7. et venit Urias ad David. Quaesivitque David quam recte ageret Ioab et populus, et quomodo administraretur bellum;

7. When Uri'ah came to him, David asked how Jo'ab was doing, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

8. et dixit David ad Uriam: “Descende in domum tuam et lava pedes tuos”. Et egressus est Urias de domo regis; secutusque est eum cibus regius.

8. Then David said to Uri'ah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uri'ah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king.

9. Dormivit autem Urias ante portam domus regiae cum aliis servis domini sui et non descendit ad domum suam.

9. But Uri'ah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.

10. Nuntiatumque est David a dicentibus: “Non ivit Urias ad domum suam”. Et ait David ad Uriam: “Numquid non de via venisti? Quare non descendisti ad domum tuam?”.

10. When they told David, "Uri'ah did not go down to his house," David said to Uri'ah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"

11. Et ait Urias ad David: “Arca et Israel et Iuda habitant in papilionibus, et dominus meus Ioab et servi domini mei super faciem terrae manent; et ego ingrediar domum meam, ut comedam et bibam et dormiam cum uxore mea? Per salutem tuam et per salutem animae tuae, non faciam rem hanc!”.

11. Uri'ah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths; and my lord Jo'ab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing."

12. Ait ergo David ad Uriam: “Mane hic etiam hodie, et cras dimittam te”. Mansit Urias in Ierusalem die illa et altera.

12. Then David said to Uri'ah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uri'ah remained in Jerusalem that day, and the next.

13. Vocavit enim eum David, ut comederet coram se et biberet, et inebriavit eum. Qui egressus vespere dormivit in strato suo cum servis domini sui et in domum suam non descendit.

13. And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.

14. Factum est ergo mane, et scripsit David epistulam ad Ioab misitque per manum Uriae

14. In the morning David wrote a letter to Jo'ab, and sent it by the hand of Uri'ah.

15. scribens in epistula: “Ponite Uriam in prima acie, ubi fortissimum est proelium, et recedite ab eo, ut percussus intereat”.

15. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uri'ah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."

16. Igitur cum Ioab obsideret urbem, posuit Uriam in loco, quo sciebat viros esse fortissimos.

16. And as Jo'ab was besieging the city, he assigned Uri'ah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.

17. Egressique viri de civitate bellabant adversum Ioab; et ceciderunt de populo, de servis David, et mortuus est etiam Urias Hetthaeus.

17. And the men of the city came out and fought with Jo'ab; and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uri'ah the Hittite was slain also.

18. Misit itaque Ioab et nuntiavit David omnia de proelio;

18. Then Jo'ab sent and told David all the news about the fighting;

19. praecepitque nuntio dicens: “Cum compleveris universos sermones proelii ad regem,

19. and he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,

20. si eum videris indignari et dixerit: “Quare accessistis ad urbem, ut proeliaremini? An ignorabatis quod desuper ex muro tela mittantur?

20. then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, `Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?

21. Quis percussit Abimelech filium Ierobbaal? Nonne mulier misit super eum molam versatilem de muro, et mortuus est in Thebes? Quare iuxta murum accessistis?”, dices: Etiam servus tuus Urias Hetthaeus occubuit”.

21. Who killed Abim'elech the son of Jerub'besheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone upon him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, `Your servant Uri'ah the Hittite is dead also.'"

22. Abiit ergo nuntius et venit et narravit David omnia, quae ei praeceperat Ioab.

22. So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Jo'ab had sent him to tell.

23. Et dixit nuntius ad David: “Quia praevaluerunt adversum nos viri et egressi sunt ad nos in agrum, nos, facto impetu, persecuti eos sumus usque ad portam civitatis.

23. The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us, and came out against us in the field; but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.

24. Et direxerunt iacula sagittarii ad servos tuos ex muro desuper; mortuique sunt de servis regis, quin etiam servus tuus Urias Hetthaeus mortuus est”.

24. Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king's servants are dead; and your servant Uri'ah the Hittite is dead also."

25. Et dixit David ad nuntium: “Haec dices Ioab: Non te affligat ista res; varius enim eventus est belli, et nunc hunc, nunc illum consumit gladius; corrobora proelium tuum adversus urbem, ut destruas eam. Et tu conforta eum”.

25. David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Jo'ab, `Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another; strengthen your attack upon the city, and overthrow it.' And encourage him."

26. Audivit autem uxor Uriae quod mortuus esset Urias vir suus et planxit eum.

26. When the wife of Uri'ah heard that Uri'ah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.

27. Transactoque luctu, misit David et introduxit eam domum suam, et facta est ei uxor peperitque ei filium. Et displicuit, quod fecerat David, coram Domino.

27. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.