14. The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by Uriah.
15. In the letter David wrote, “Put Uriah on the front lines where the fighting is worst. Then leave him there alone. Let him be killed in battle.”
16. Joab watched the city and saw where its strongest defenders were. He put Uriah there.
17. The men of the city came out to fight against Joab. Some of David’s men were killed. And Uriah the Hittite was one of them.
18. Then Joab sent a report to David about everything that had happened in the war.
19. Joab told the messenger, “Tell King David what happened in the war.
20. After you finish, the king may become angry. He may ask you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the city wall?
21. Do you remember who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? It was a woman on the city wall. She threw a large stone for grinding grain on Abimelech. She killed him there in Thebez. Why did you go so near the wall?’ If King David asks that, you must answer, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.’”
22. The messenger went in and told David everything Joab had told him to say.
23. The messenger told David, “The men of Ammon were winning. They came out and attacked us in the field. But we fought them back to the city gate.
24. The men on the city wall shot arrows at your servants. Some of your men were killed. Your servant Uriah the Hittite also died.”
25. David said to the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t be upset about this. The sword kills everyone the same. Make a stronger attack against the city and capture it.’ Encourage Joab with these words.”
26. When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she cried for him.
27. After she finished her time of sadness, David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David’s wife and gave birth to his son. But the Lord did not like what David had done.