13
David invited him to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. But in the evening Uriah again went out and slept with his master's servants. He didn't go home.
14
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15
In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front lines where the fighting is the fiercest. Then pull back and leave him exposed so that he's sure to be killed."
16
So Joab, holding the city under siege, put Uriah in a place where he knew there were fierce enemy fighters.
17
When the city's defenders came out to fight Joab, some of David's soldiers were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.
18
Joab sent David a full report on the battle.
19
He instructed the messenger, "After you have given to the king a detailed report on the battle,
20
if he flares in anger,
21
say, 'And by the way, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'"
22
Joab's messenger arrived in Jerusalem and gave the king a full report.
23
He said, "The enemy was too much for us. They advanced on us in the open field, and we pushed them back to the city gate.