2 Samuel 11

1 In the spring, at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem.

1 過了一年，到列王出戰的時候，大衛又差派約押，率領臣僕和以色列眾人出戰。他們就打敗亞捫人，圍攻拉巴。大衛仍住在耶路撒冷。

2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman.

2 一日，太陽平西，大衛從床上起來，在王宮的平頂上遊行，看見一個婦人沐浴，容貌甚美，

3 So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

3 大衛就差人打聽那婦人是誰。有人說：「她是以連的女兒，赫人烏利亞的妻拔示巴。」

4 Then David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. (Now she had just purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned home.

4 大衛差人去，將婦人接來；那時她的月經才得潔淨。她來了，大衛與她同房，她就回家去了。

5 And the woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

5 於是她懷了孕，打發人去告訴大衛說：「我懷了孕。」

6 At this, David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent him to David.

6 大衛差人到約押那裏，說：「你打發赫人烏利亞到我這裏來。」約押就打發烏利亞去見大衛。

7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going.

7 烏利亞來了，大衛問約押好，也問兵好，又問爭戰的事怎樣。

8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him.

8 大衛對烏利亞說：「你回家去，洗洗腳吧！」烏利亞出了王宮，隨後王送他一分食物。

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house.

9 烏利亞卻和他主人的僕人一同睡在宮門外，沒有回家去。

10 And David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey?” David asked Uriah. “Why didn’t you go home?”

10 有人告訴大衛說：「烏利亞沒有回家去。」大衛就問烏利亞說：「你從遠路上來，為甚麼不回家去呢？」

11 Uriah answered, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camped in the open field. How can I go to my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing!”

11 烏利亞對大衛說：「約櫃和以色列與猶大兵都住在棚裏，我主約押和我主 的僕人都在田野安營，我豈可回家吃喝、與妻子同寢呢？我敢在王面前起誓 ：我決不行這事！」

12 “Stay here one more day,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next.

12 大衛吩咐烏利亞說：「你今日仍住在這裏，明日我打發你去。」於是烏利亞那日和次日住在耶路撒冷。

13 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and he got Uriah drunk. And in the evening Uriah went out to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.

13 大衛召了烏利亞來，叫他在自己面前吃喝，使他喝醉。到了晚上，烏利亞出去與他主的僕人一同住宿，還沒有回到家裏去。

14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

14 次日早晨，大衛寫信與約押，交烏利亞隨手帶去。

15 In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”

15 信內寫着說：「要派烏利亞前進，到陣勢極險之處，你們便退後，使他被殺。」

16 So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew the strongest enemy soldiers were.

16 約押圍城的時候，知道敵人那裏有勇士，便將烏利亞派在那裏。

17 And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.

17 城裏的人出來和約押打仗；大衛的僕人中有幾個被殺的，赫人烏利亞也死了。

18 Joab sent to David a full account of the battle

18 於是，約押差人去將爭戰的一切事告訴大衛，

19 and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king a full account of the battle,

19 又囑咐使者說：「你把爭戰的一切事對王說完了，

20 if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?

20 王若發怒，問你說：『你們打仗為甚麼挨近城牆呢？豈不知敵人必從城上射箭嗎？

21 Who struck Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”

21 從前打死耶路‧比設 兒子亞比米勒的是誰呢？豈不是一個婦人從城上拋下一塊上磨石來，打在他身上，他就死在提備斯嗎？你們為甚麼挨近城牆呢？』你就說：『王的僕人－赫人烏利亞也死了。』」

22 So the messenger set out and reported to David all that Joab had sent him to say.

22 使者起身，來見大衛，照着約押所吩咐他的話奏告大衛。

23 The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.

23 使者對大衛說：「敵人強過我們，出到郊野與我們打仗，我們追殺他們，直到城門口。

24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s servants were killed. And your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.”

24 射箭的從城上射王的僕人，射死幾個，赫人烏利亞也死了。」

25 Then David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Do not let this matter upset you, for the sword devours one as well as another. Strengthen your attack against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him with these words.”

25 王向使者說：「你告訴約押說：『不要因這事愁悶，刀劍或吞滅這人或吞滅那人，沒有一定的；你只管竭力攻城，將城傾覆。』可以用這話勉勵約押。」

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

26 烏利亞的妻聽見丈夫烏利亞死了，就為他哀哭。

27 And when the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.

27 哀哭的日子過了，大衛差人將她接到宮裏，她就作了大衛的妻，給大衛生了一個兒子。但大衛所行的這事，耶和華甚不喜悅。