1. Now these are the last words of DAVID.DAVID the son of Jesse says,the man who was raised on high says,the anointed of the God of Jacob,the sweet psalmist of Israel:

2. "The LORD's Spirit spoke by me.His word was on my tongue.

3. The God of Israel said,the Rock of Israel spoke to me,'One who rules over men righteously,who rules in the fear of God,

4. shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun rises,a morning without clouds,when the tender grass springs out of the earth,through clear shining after rain.'

5. Isn't my house so with God?Yet he has made with me an everlasting covenant,ordered in all things, and sure,for it is all my salvation, and all my desire,although he doesn't make it grow.

6. But all the ungodly will be as thorns to be thrust away,because they can't be taken with the hand,

7. But the man who touches them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear.They will be utterly burned with fire in their place."

8. These are the names of the mighty men whom DAVID had: Josheb Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time.

9. After him was Eleazar the son of Dodai the son of an Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with DAVID, when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together to battle, and the men of Israel had gone away.

10. He arose and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand froze to the sword; and the LORD worked a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to take plunder.

11. After him was Shammah the son of Agee a Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop, where there was a plot of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

12. But he stood in the middle of the plot and defended it, and killed the Philistines; and the LORD worked a great victory.

13. Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to DAVID in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim.

14. DAVID was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

15. DAVID longed, and said, "Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

16. The three mighty men broke through the army of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to DAVID; but he would not drink of it, but poured it out to The LORD.

17. He said, "Be it far from me, The LORD, that I should do this! Isn't this the blood of the men who risked their lives to go?" Therefore he would not drink it. The three mighty men did these things.

18. Abishai, the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of the three. He lifted up his spear against three hundred and killed them, and had a name among the three.

19. Wasn't he most honorable of the three? therefore he was made their captain. However he wasn't included as one of the three.

20. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done mighty deeds, killed the two sons of Ariel of Moab. He also went down and killed a lion in the middle of a pit in a time of snow.

21. He killed a huge Egyptian, and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and killed him with his own spear.

22. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did these things, and had a name among the three mighty men.

23. He was more honorable than the thirty, but he didn't attain to the three. DAVID set him over his guard.

24. Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty: Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

25. Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

26. Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

27. Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

28. Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

29. Heleb the son of Baanah the Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

30. Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash.

31. Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

32. Eliahba the Shaalbonite, the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

33. Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Ararite,

34. Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maacathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

35. Hezro the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

36. Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

37. Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armor bearers to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

38. Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

39. and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

1. At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, DAVID sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But DAVID stayed at Jerusalem.

2. At evening, DAVID arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.

3. DAVID sent and inquired after the woman. One said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite's wife?"

4. DAVID sent messengers, and took her; and she came in to him, and he lay with her (for she was purified from her uncleanness); and she returned to her house.

5. The woman conceived; and she sent and told DAVID, and said, "I am with child."

6. DAVID sent to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." Joab sent Uriah to DAVID.

7. When Uriah had come to him, DAVID asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

8. DAVID said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." Uriah departed out of the king's house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

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

10. When they had told DAVID, saying, "Uriah didn't go down to his house," DAVID said to Uriah, "Haven't you come from a journey? Why didn't you go down to your house?"

11. Uriah said to DAVID, "The ark, Israel, and Judah, are staying in tents; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go into 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. DAVID said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day, and the next day.

13. When DAVID had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn't go down to his house.

14. In the morning, DAVID wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15. He wrote in the letter, saying, "Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and die."

16. When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.

17. The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of DAVID's servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

18. Then Joab sent and told DAVID all the things concerning the war;

19. and he commanded the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling all the things concerning the war to the king,

20. it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he asks you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall?

21. Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Didn't a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your 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. The messenger said to DAVID, "The men prevailed against us, and came out to us into the field, and we were on them even to the entrance of the gate.

24. The shooters shot at your servants from off the wall; and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead."

25. Then DAVID said to the messenger, "Tell Joab, 'Don't let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Make your battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it.' Encourage him."

26. When Uriah's wife heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

27. When the mourning was past, DAVID sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that DAVID had done displeased The LORD.

23. But now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

24. DAVID comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her, and lay with her. She bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. the LORD loved him;

25. and he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah, for The LORD's sake.

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

27. Joab sent messengers to DAVID, and said, "I have fought against Rabbah. Yes, I have taken the city of waters.

28. Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it; lest I take the city, and it be called by my name."

29. DAVID gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

30. He took the crown of their king from off his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on DAVID's head. He brought a great quantity of plunder out of the city.

31. He brought out the people who were in it, and put them under saws, under iron picks, under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick kiln; and he did so to all the cities of the children of Ammon. Then DAVID and all the people returned to Jerusalem.