And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go out 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 remained still at Jerusalem.

And…in an evening…David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman bathing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her…and she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

And David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.

And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house…." …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.

And when they had told David…he said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart." …And David made him drunk: and at evening Uriah went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah…saying, "Set…Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and withdraw…from him, that he may be stricken, and die." And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. 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.

Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; and charged the messenger, saying, "When you have made an end of telling the matters of the war to the king, then say you, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’"

When Bathsheba heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for him. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And Nathan said to him…, "This says the LORD God of Israel, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul; Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife….

"Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house; because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife…. Look, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house…."

And David said unto Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

And Nathan said unto David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. But, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto you shall surely die." And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore unto David, and it was very sick. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died.

A Psalm of David, to bring to remembrance

"O LORD, rebuke me not in your wrath: neither discipline me in your hot displeasure. For your arrows stick fast in me, and your hand presses me sore. There is no soundness in my flesh because of your anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head: as a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

"My wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness. I am troubled; I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the daylong. For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease: and there is no soundness in my flesh. I am feeble and exceedingly broken: I have roared by reason of the raging of my heart.

"Lord, all my desire is before you; and my groaning is not hid from you. My heart pants, my strength fails me: as for the light of my eyes, it also is gone from me. My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my affliction; and my kinsmen stand afar off. They also that seek after my life laid snares for me: and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and imagine deceits all the daylong.

"But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that opened not his mouth. Thus I was as a man that hears not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs. For in you, O LORD, do I hope: you will hear, O Lord my God. For I said, ‘Hear me’, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slips, they magnify themselves against me. For I am ready to halt, and my sorrow is continually before me. For I will declare my iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

"O LORD: O my God, be not far from me. Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation. Forsake me not

…A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba

"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness: according unto the multitude of your tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight: that you might be justified when you speak, and be clear when you judge.

"Look, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part you shall make me to know wisdom.

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones that you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

"Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation; and uphold me with your free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors your ways; and sinners shall be converted unto you.

"Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, you God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open…my lips; and my mouth shall show forth your praise. For you desire not sacrifices; else would I give it: you delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

…A Psalm of David
"I waited patiently for the LORD;
And he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:
Many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
Blessed is that man that makes the LORD his trust,
And respects not the proud,
Nor such as turn aside to lies.

A Psalm of David

Bless the LORD, O my soul:
And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from destruction;
Who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies;
Who satisfies your mouth with good things;
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD executes righteousness and judgments for all that are oppressed.
He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger forever.
He has not dealt with us after our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as the heaven is high above the earth,
So great is his mercy toward them that revere him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Like as a father pities his children,
So the LORD pities them that revere him.
For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishs.
For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place of it shall know it no more.
But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that revere him, And his righteousness unto children's children,
To such as keep his covenant,
And to those that remember his commandments to do them.
The LORD has prepared his throne in the heavens;
And his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you his angels, which excel in strength,
That do his commandments, listening unto the voice of his word.
Bless you the LORD, all you his hosts, you ministers of his that do his pleasure.
Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion:
Bless the LORD, O my soul.

And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bore a son, and David called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.

And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom, David’s son, sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron."

And there came a messenger to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom."

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom": And the king went out, and all the people after him.

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son

"LORD, how are they increased that trouble me!
Many are they that rise up against me.
Many there be which say of my soul, ‘There is no help for him in God.’
But you, O LORD, are a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of my head.
I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill.
I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people,
That have set themselves against me round about.
Arise, O LORD; save me, O my God:
For you have struck all my enemies upon the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
Salvation belongs unto the LORD:
Your blessing is upon your people.

Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. And David numbered the people that were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. And David sent out a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai…Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom."

So the people went out into the field against Israel: and the battle was in the wood of Ephraim; the people of Israel were killed before the servants of David, and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. And Absalom met the servants of David.

He rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and Absalom’s head caught hold of the oak, and he hung between the heaven and the earth; and the mule that was under him went away. Then said Joab, "I may not wait now with you." And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom…. And they took Absalom, and threw him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him: and all Israel fled everyone to his tent.

Then said Joab to Cushi, "Go tell the king what you have seen." And Cushi…ran. And David sat between the two gates: And, look, Cushi came; and he said, "Greetings, my lord the king: for the LORD has avenged you this day of all them that rose up against you."

And the king said unto Cushi, "Is the young man Absalom safe?"

And Cushi answered, "The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against you to do you hurt, be as that young man is."

And David was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, this he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for you, O Absalom, my son, my son!" Then the king arose, and sat in the gate. And all the people came before him...so…David returned, and came to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the king, to conduct him over Jordan.

REFERENCES

2 Samuel 11:1-8a, 9-10a, 12a, 13b-19, 21b, 26-27; 2 Samuel 12:1a, 7, 9-11a, 13-14, 15b, 18a; Psalms 38:1-18, 21-22; Psalms 51:1-17; Psalms 40:1-4; Psalms 103:1-22; 2 Samuel 12:24; 2 Samuel 15:7a, 10; 2 Samuel 15:13-14a, 17a; Psalms 3:1-8; 2 Samuel 17:24, 2 Samuel 18:1-2a, 5a, 6-7, 9, 14, 17, 21, 24a, 31-33; 2 Samuel 19:8a, 8c, 15.

CHAPTER 28