14. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.
15. In it he wrote, ‘Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so that he will be struck down and die.’
16. So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were.
17. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
18. Joab sent David a full account of the battle.
19. He instructed the messenger: ‘When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle,