Schwebel
"He saw a woman washing herself"
over New York
1999


II Samuel 11

1
Now it was at the turning of the year, at the time of kings' going-forth,
that David sent Yo'av and his servants with him, and all Israel:
they wrought-ruin to the Children of Ammon and beseiged Rabba,
while David stayed in Jerusalem.

2
Now it was around the time of sunset
that David arose from his lying-place and went-for-a-walk upon the roof of the king's house,
and he saw a woman washing herself, from on the roof,
the woman was exceedingly fair to look at.

3
David sent and asked after the woman:
they said: Isn't this Bat-Sheva daughter of Eli'am, wife of Uriyya the Hittite?

4
David sent messengers, and he had-her-brought,
she came to him and he lay with her
–now she had just purified-herself from her state of tum'a–,
then she returned to her house.

5
The woman became pregnant,
she sent and had-it-told to David, she said: I am pregnant!

 

Back