14. That morning, David wrote a message to Joab and sent it by way of Uriah.
15. He wrote in the message, “Send Uriah to the front of the line where the fighting is heaviest then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”
16. So as Joab was besieging the city, he stationed Uriah in a place where he knew fierce men were.
17. When the men of the city came out, they fought with Joab, and some people among those who served David fell; Uriah the Hittite died among them.
18. Joab sent word to inform David of all of the events of the battle.
19. He instructed the messenger, “When you finish telling the king all the details of the battle,
20. if his anger rises and he says to you, ‘Why did you approach so near to the city? Did you not know that they might shoot from the city wall?
21. Who killed Abimelek the son of Jerub-Besheth? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the city wall so that he died at Thebez? Why did you approach so near to the city wall?’ You shall then say, ‘Additionally your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’ ”
22. So the messenger departed and came to report to David everything that Joab had sent with him.