In the spring, when kings go out to war, David sent Joab, his officers, and all of the Israelites out to destroy the Ammonites. Joab's army surrounded their capital city, Rabbah. David stayed in Jerusalem.
so David sent for his officers and asked them who she was. An officer answered, "That is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam. She is the wife of Uriah the Hittite."
David sent messengers to go and bring Bathsheba to him. She had just purified herself after her monthly time of bleeding. She went to David, he had sexual relations with her, and then she went back to her house.
Uriah said to David, "The Holy Box and the soldiers of Israel and Judah are staying in tents. My lord Joab and my lord's officers are camping out in the field. So it is not right for me to go home to eat and drink and sleep with my wife. As surely as you live, I will not do this."
Then David called Uriah to come and see him. Uriah ate and drank with David. David got him drunk, but Uriah still did not go home. That evening, Uriah again slept at the palace with the rest of the king's servants.
In the letter David wrote: "Put Uriah on the front lines where the fighting is the hardest. Then leave him there alone, and let him be killed in battle."
"The king might get upset and ask, 'Why did Joab's army go that close the city to fight? Surely he knows that there are men on the city walls who can shoot arrows down at his men?
Surely he remembers that at Thebez a woman killed Abimelech son of Jerub Besheth when he threw the top part of a grinding stone down from the wall. So why did he go that close to the wall?' If King David says something like that, tell him, 'Your officer, Uriah the Hittite, also died.'"
David said to the messenger, "Give this message to Joab: 'Don't be too upset about this. A sword can kill one person as well as the next. Make a stronger attack against Rabbah and you will win.' Encourage Joab with these words."
After her time of sadness, David sent servants to bring her to his house. She became David's wife and gave birth to a son for David. But the Lord did not like what David had done.