14
In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15
And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die."
16
So it was, while Joab besieged the city, that he assigned Uriah to a place where he knew there were valiant men.
17
Then the men of the city came out and fought with Joab. And some of the people of the servants of David fell; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18
Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war,
19
and charged the messenger, saying, "When you have finished telling the matters of the war to the king,
20
if it happens that the king's wrath rises, and he says to you: 'Why did you approach so near to the city when you fought? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
21
Who struck Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who cast a piece of a millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go near the wall?'--then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.' "
22
So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent by him.
23
And the messenger said to David, "Surely the men prevailed against us and came out to us in the field; then we drove them back as far as the entrance of the gate.
24
The archers shot from the wall at your servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."