David Arranges Uriah’s Murder

14

In the morning David wrote a letter to Yo'av and sent it with Uriyah.

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In the letter he wrote, "Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed."

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So while Yo'av had the city under siege, he assigned Uriyah to the place where he knew the toughest defenders were.

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The men of the city went out and fought Yo'av; a number of people fell, including some of David's servants, with Uriyah the Hitti among the dead.

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Yo'av sent a message to David reporting all the news concerning the war,

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and he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling the king all the news about the war,

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he may become angry and ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot from the wall?

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Didn't you think about the person who struck Avimelekh the son of Yerubeshet, that a woman threw an upper millstone down on him from the wall, so that he died at Tevetz? Why did you go so near the wall?' If he says this, tell him, 'Your servant Uriyah is dead also.'"

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So the messenger left, and on arrival he told David all that Yo'av had sent him to say.

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The messenger said to David, "The men were overpowering us and came out after us into the countryside. But we chased them back all the way to the entrance of the city gate.

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The archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king's servants are dead; also your servant Uriyah the Hitti is dead."

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David said to the messenger, "Tell Yo'av, 'Don't let this matter get you down - the sword devours in one way or another. Intensify your battle against the city, and overthrow it.'And encourage him."

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