David & Bathsheba Part II

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People... A woman, alone on the roof of a modest house, was washing herself in a bronze basin. 00:00:10 Speaker 2: I must have her. She must be mine. The woman you wanted me to find. 00:00:16 Speaker 3: Her name is Bathsheba, granddaughter of General Ahithophel, of your High Council. 00:00:22 Speaker 4: She is also the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of your own mighty men. I see.... 00:00:29 Speaker 5: Uriah is away with Joab, fighting the Ammonites. 00:00:35 Speaker 1: So, she's alone. She stepped into the dim, trembling light of the flames, and the room itself seemed to still. I'm glad you came. 00:00:47 Speaker 6: And now that I'm here, what shall you do? 00:00:51 Speaker 1: The night unfolded in silence and sin. 00:00:56 Speaker 4: My king, I am with childe. 00:00:59 Speaker 1: Are you certain? 00:01:01 Speaker 2: Could it be your husband's? My husband? 00:01:04 Speaker 7: You mean Uriah. 00:01:06 Speaker 2: Uriah, one of your generals. Uriah has been on the battlefield since the snows melted. 00:01:14 Speaker 6: You know that. You sent him. 00:01:18 Speaker 2: It's your child. 00:01:22 Speaker 5: And now.... 00:01:24 Speaker 6: Now I'm alone. 00:01:27 Speaker 8: Exposed. 00:01:27 Speaker 7: Exposed. 00:01:29 Speaker 4: And.... 00:01:31 Speaker 6: And it's your fault. 00:01:33 Speaker 2: I'll make this right. It will be as if none of this happened. 00:01:44 Speaker 1: Rain pounded relentlessly upon the hills of Rabah. The storm was like a siege, soaking the muddy ground until the very earth seemed to rot. What was once a battleground had become a mire. Horses stumbled, spears sunk, even firewood refused to burn. Inside a tent, darkened with soot and steam, the generals of Israel leaned over a soaked and curling map. Joab, Uriah, Abishai and Jashabim. Joab squinted through the smoke of a dying flame. His fingers traced a ridge near the western border of the Ammonite stronghold. 00:02:28 Speaker 4: This should have been a quick battle, but this blasted rain has stalled us. If we move around the stronghold to the hill overlooking the western gate, we may have better luck. But that leaves us vulnerable to their archers as we move. 00:02:41 Speaker 7: We've already bled them. Let them rot in the city while we pull back and wait for the next dry moon. Our men need rest. 00:02:51 Speaker 1: Uriah recoiled at that. 00:02:53 Speaker 8: We cannot rest. The Ammonites have enough rations to last them months. We have another week, tops. 00:03:00 Speaker 4: It's true. 00:03:02 Speaker 7: We need more supplies. We need more men. What we need is for this rain to stop. We need the path to the Western Gate to dry if we have any hope of surviving. If we trudge through the mud, we'll be sitting ducks forever. 00:03:20 Speaker 8: The weather is out of our control, Jash. The rain could last another month. And then what? First we need reinforcements and rations. Then we must press forward. They mocked our king. They disgraced our men. To turn now would not just be weakness. 00:03:38 Speaker 6: It would be dishonor. 00:03:40 Speaker 1: There was no fire in his voice. No pride. Just conviction. That was Uriah's way. The others fell silent. Even Joab nodded in concession. 00:03:53 Speaker 3: Then west it is. 00:03:55 Speaker 4: But only if David sends reinforcements and supplies. These rains are thinning our bones faster than blades. 00:04:02 Speaker 7: Have you sent for him? 00:04:03 Speaker 1: Or has the king forgotten he has a war to finish? Joab grimaced. King David had been uncharacteristically separated from the battle. Joab's gut told him something was wrong. although he wouldn't say anything to the others. 00:04:19 Speaker 3: I've said word thrice. No reply, not even a bloody raven. 00:04:24 Speaker 7: It's not like him to stay in Jerusalem this long. 00:04:28 Speaker 1: Not while his men drown in blood and mud. Then the flap of the tent shifted and a man stepped inside, dripping with rain, his cloak soaked black. 00:04:39 Speaker 2: Commander Joab, I have a message from the king. 00:04:43 Speaker 1: He requests Uriah the Hittite to return to Jerusalem At once. 00:04:47 Speaker 2: He wishes to speak with him directly. 00:04:49 Speaker 1: The tent fell still. The only sound was the soft drum of rain on leather. Joab's eyes narrowed. 00:04:57 Speaker 3: Speak with Uriah? What for? 00:05:01 Speaker 2: He seeks a detailed report of the battle. 00:05:04 Speaker 4: That's Jehoshabim's job. Why not send for him? What's going on? 00:05:08 Speaker 2: It must be Uriah and no one else. I've been told the matter is urgent. 00:05:14 Speaker 7: Something isn't right. 00:05:16 Speaker 1: Joab turned to Jasherbeam, who shook his head in confusion. Uriah exchanged a glance with Joab, his brows knit, his face unreadable. 00:05:26 Speaker 9: If the king calls, I will ride. 00:05:28 Speaker 1: Joab brought Uriah in close with intensity in his voice. Uriah. 00:05:34 Speaker 3: You've always loved David. 00:05:36 Speaker 4: I know you admire him, but now is not the time for listening and doting like a little girl. 00:05:42 Speaker 3: You get out there and grab our king by the loins. 00:05:46 Speaker 4: Squeeze and tell him to send some blasted reinforcements. Press him for men and supplies. If we're to win this siege before the season turns, we'll need strength and soon. 00:05:58 Speaker 1: Uriah nodded, gathered his gear. and strapped his sword to his back. He mounted without delay, and with the messenger at his side, vanished into the storm. Joab turned to Jasherbeam with worry on his face. 00:06:12 Speaker 3: Something is not right. 00:06:16 Speaker 1: David's throne room was alive with deliberation and governance, but the king's mind was elsewhere, on the baby, on his reputation, on how he would recover from this. David's gaze shifted to the heavy oaken doors. They creaked open with a groan and in stepped the man who haunted his sleep, Uriah. Mud still clung to his boots, his face worn from weeks beneath rain-soaked skies. He walked with the gravity of a soldier, each step deliberate, his body bearing the fatigue of brutal weeks. And yet he bowed. David descended from his throne like a father greeting a son. 00:07:02 Speaker 2: Uriah, thank you for coming. 00:07:07 Speaker 8: Of course, my king. When you call, I answer. 00:07:11 Speaker 1: The scent of sweat and battle filled his nostrils as he approached Uriah, and something like shame stirred in his gut, but he swallowed it down. 00:07:21 Speaker 5: You've come far. Surely you're weary. Go, bathe, lie with your wife. Enjoy the peace we too seldom taste. We'll speak of the war tomorrow. 00:07:34 Speaker 1: Uriah met the king's eyes, and for a brief moment, David wondered if he knew. 00:07:40 Speaker 8: With respect, my king, I would rather make my report now. Joab requests reinforcements. The city of Rabah is strong, and our resolve is thinning. I implore you to send me back with reinforcements and supplies for our men. 00:07:56 Speaker 2: Tomorrow, brave Uriah. Rest today. You have served me too well to be denied one night of warmth. David, Joab has urged me to... I insist, Uriah. Let's speak tomorrow. Go home and rest. 00:08:13 Speaker 5: I want your mind to be clear so that we can strategize together. 00:08:17 Speaker 1: Uriah remained for a long moment, though it seemed like an eternity to David. Uriah's jaw clenched and his fists tightened. David could feel his heart beating out of his chest. 00:08:31 Speaker 8: Very well, my king. 00:08:33 Speaker 2: We will speak tomorrow. 00:08:35 Speaker 1: Uriah bowed again and departed. David exhaled sharply, his palms slick with sweat. He turned from the throne and walked swiftly down the corridor, escaping the judging silence of his own house. That night, David waited. He imagined Uriah in Bathsheba's arms. One night with her and his shame would be covered. The child would be called his. The whispers would never begin. In all his fretting, David did not pray. He did not cry out as he had in the wilderness nor sing songs of deliverance beneath the stars. The name of the Lord did not pass his lips for he could not bear to speak it. At first light, As the mist rolled over the garden paths and the dew clung to the leaves, David slipped from his chambers to walk among the trees. Then, near the gate of his home, he saw a shape in the fog. Dark, still, upright. It was Uriah, sleeping on the ground, knees curled and head against the cold stone. A soldier's rest. 00:09:51 Speaker 7: Uriah! 00:09:52 Speaker 2: What are you doing here on the stone? Why haven't you gone home? Why not sleep beside your wife? 00:09:58 Speaker 4: Ah! 00:10:02 Speaker 9: David the Ark of the Covenant dwells in a tent Joab and the other servants of my Lord are camped. 00:10:12 Speaker 4: In mud. 00:10:15 Speaker 8: Shall I then go to my house to eat drink and And lie with my wife? 00:10:23 Speaker 6: I would feel the guilt in my very bones. 00:10:28 Speaker 8: As the Lord lives, I would not do this thing. 00:10:31 Speaker 1: David forced a smile, though his teeth ground behind it. Righteousness poured from the man like sunlight, and David hated it. Uriah's very virtue mocked him. 00:10:44 Speaker 2: What a blessing to have you in my service. 00:10:46 Speaker 6: Come. 00:10:49 Speaker 4: Come. 00:10:49 Speaker 2: Sit with me. Tell me more about the war. 00:10:53 Speaker 1: They entered the courtroom, where the scent of old parchment and candle smoke lingered. David waved the scribes away. Alone, he poured wine into two cups. 00:11:04 Speaker 2: How are the men? 00:11:06 Speaker 4: Suffering. 00:11:07 Speaker 8: We drove back the enemy, but they've locked themselves within their walls. The rains came early, and the ground has turned to mire. We rot while they rest. 00:11:18 Speaker 1: David sipped his cup, eyes never leaving Uriah. 00:11:23 Speaker 2: Is there no way forward? We have numbers on our side. 00:11:28 Speaker 8: Not on terrain like this. There is a plan. Joab means to strike from the west. With reinforcements and more supplies, we could end this quickly. 00:11:38 Speaker 2: Quickly? Yes, I would like that. 00:11:42 Speaker 1: David stood. 00:11:43 Speaker 2: You'll have your supplies and reinforcements, Uriah. You've convinced me. 00:11:47 Speaker 4: But. 00:11:48 Speaker 2: Before you go, tonight, eat with me. Drink. Let's enjoy each other's company once more. 00:11:56 Speaker 4: I shouldn't. 00:11:57 Speaker 2: I insist. As your king. 00:12:00 Speaker 1: The matter was settled. The hall was filled with meats and soft bread, spiced wine and strong liquor. David watched closely, signaling the servants to keep Uriah's cup brimming. Slowly, deliberately... He tried to drown the man's clarity. 00:12:19 Speaker 2: To you, dear Uriah. To your bravery. To your legacy. To your wife and future children. 00:12:27 Speaker 1: David toasted his smile like a blade. Uriah grinned dreamily. 00:12:34 Speaker 2: Ah, yes. 00:12:37 Speaker 6: Beth Sheba. She is the love of my life. A cool spring in a desolate desert. 00:12:46 Speaker 1: David flinched at the words. 00:12:49 Speaker 2: Go home, then. Embrace her. You must be eager to rekindle your passion. 00:12:57 Speaker 1: But even in drunkenness, Uriah's spine did not bend. 00:13:01 Speaker 8: No, I. 00:13:04 Speaker 6: Can't. 00:13:05 Speaker 9: I won't. 00:13:07 Speaker 6: Not while my brothers are still in the muck. She's a delicacy. I'll not taste honey while others chew on bitter roots. What kind of a man would I be to sleep with her in a warm bed while Jash and Joab are shivering in the mud? 00:13:28 Speaker 1: Uriah stumbled to his feet, knocking over a goblet. With no further ceremony, he collapsed onto a pile of cushions by the fire, snoring before his head even hit the cloth. David stared down at him For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he tried to shake him awake. Once, twice, nothing. 00:13:52 Speaker 2: Blast it! 00:13:54 Speaker 1: David turned from the sleeping man and kicked over the iron pit of coals in his rage. They spilled like blood across the stone. One rolled onto his foot. He cried out and cursed, limping back as servants scrambled to clean the mess. 00:14:11 Speaker 7: Clear the halls! 00:14:12 Speaker 1: He stormed out, slamming the great cedar doors behind him. His fists balled so tight his knuckles cracked. He walked into the garden and screamed into the dawn. 00:14:26 Speaker 2: All he had to do was lie with her. Why must he be so righteous? 00:14:32 Speaker 1: His words echoed, and what came back was a voice resembling that of Saul. He pounded a fist against the stone wall. Then, in silence, he stood, panting, lost. And in that void, an idea came. Hideous. Simple. He returned to his chambers, grabbed a fresh parchment, dipped his quill in ink, and began to write. To Joab. To war. To murder. 00:15:06 Speaker 4: Joab. 00:15:08 Speaker 5: It's come to my attention that the front lines are in need of more soldiers. 00:15:12 Speaker 1: The words were clean. No trace of his desperation. No hint of the guilt that poisoned his veins. 00:15:20 Speaker 2: I will grant your request at once. 00:15:22 Speaker 5: With this letter, I also send supplies and enough rations to last through the rainy spring. However, I'm also requesting something from you. It is a matter of great importance and will require your secrecy. As my commander and right hand. 00:15:40 Speaker 1: David paused, but only for a moment. Not long enough for the whispers of conviction to reach his heart. 00:15:47 Speaker 2: Set Uriah at the forefront of the charge. 00:15:50 Speaker 5: When he marches in, order the other soldiers to delay before following him. I need Uriah to fall on that battlefield. Considering my forgiveness of your crimes against Abner, I trust. 00:16:05 Speaker 2: That you will obey me. without question. Burn this letter upon receiving it. 00:16:11 Speaker 1: David's hand trembled as he rolled the scroll. He melted the wax and pressed his seal into the red. His emblem, a lion, growled at him as he touched it to the wax. He handed the message to the courier in a calm voice. 00:16:28 Speaker 2: This will go to Joab, along with Uriah, and the supplies he requested. At once, with no delay. 00:16:35 Speaker 1: The boy bowed, took the scroll, and vanished into the dawn mist. David stood alone now, the room empty but for his thoughts. He had chosen to spill the blood of one of his own mighty men, a man who once shielded him in battle, who would have died for him without hesitation. He knew Joab was as ruthless as he was loyal. He would not ask questions. He would see the game board for what it was. A king's whim was law after all. David leaned forward, pressing his palms against the table. He wanted to weep. He wanted to scream. But he did neither. Instead, he whispered to no one, It is finished. And in that moment, the giant slayer had lost his greatest battle yet. The war horns bellowed through the hills as Israel's army rose over the ridge, but there was no glory in Joab's heart. In his gloved hand was a crumpled letter, creased, sweat-stained, and heavy as a noose. King David's seal had been broken, but its contents echoed like a curse in his mind. Set Uriah at the front, leave him there. Let him fall. Beside him, Abishai adjusted the leather of his braces. To Joab's other side, Uriah rode with calm dignity, unaware that death followed closely behind. His eyes were steady, fixed on the battlements of Rabah, where the Ammonites waited, bristling with iron and arrows. The gates were shut tight, the outer ranks thick and ready to bleed. 00:18:37 Speaker 7: They've reinforced the wall. We'll lose men taking that gate. 00:18:42 Speaker 1: Joab nodded. His lips twitched, but he made no words. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed forward. 00:18:50 Speaker 4: Abishai, Jehoshabim, take your company straight at the gates. Split them wide open. Uriah, you with me. Come, we'll sweep the perimeter with a hundred. 00:19:00 Speaker 3: Clean the flanks. 00:19:01 Speaker 1: Abishai and Jashabim nodded. Uriah grunted in approval, already turning his horse. There was no hesitation in him, no suspicion, no fear. The command was given. Abishai's horns sounded and the front lines surged. The clash was immediate. Screams, steel and chaos erupted. Joab pulled his men off to the side, wheeling around the west wall of the city, where the ground sloped in their favor. Uriah rode just ahead, sword in hand, shield strapped to his back. 00:19:40 Speaker 3: Uriah, you lead the charge, my friend. Go, and don't look back. 00:19:45 Speaker 2: For the glory of God! For Israel! 00:19:48 Speaker 1: For King Israel! David! Joab winced at that. 00:19:56 Speaker 3: Yes, for King David. 00:20:00 Speaker 1: Uriah charged around the west end of the wall. The men began to charge with him, but Joab gave the second command. 00:20:09 Speaker 6: Hold! 00:20:11 Speaker 1: His men skidded to a halt, but Uriah didn't. He charged on, alone. The air was still for a breath. Then came the whisper of bowstrings. Joab's eyes lifted just in time to see the Ammonite archers emerge on the battlements. A volley descended from the heavens like a murder of crows, black-feathered and whistling. Uriah saw them a moment before they fell. He raised his shield, but it was too late. Three arrows found his chest, one buried deep in his thigh, and the last slammed into his side between breastplate and mail. He stumbled forward, fell to his knees, and pitched face-first into the blood-soaked earth. There was no cry of pain, just silence. Joab did not speak. He turned his horse sharply, face like stone, and called for the withdrawal. The rest of the day was blood and fire. The siege continued, and Israel was victorious. That night, while the men drank sour wine and mourned the day's dead, Joab sat alone in his command tent, Eyes fixed on the letter still clenched in his fist. The parchment had crumpled to softness now, almost like cloth. 00:21:44 Speaker 4: The blood of Uriah is on David's hands, not mine. 00:21:49 Speaker 1: Joab tossed David's letter into the fire. 00:21:52 Speaker 2: Now we're even. 00:22:00 Speaker 4: The Hamanites gained a brief advantage over the army, but... We managed to drive them back to the city gates. Commander Job was confident that another charge would breach the wall. 00:22:10 Speaker 1: King David, seated on the edge of his throne, gave a nod. His gaze was far off, somewhere beyond the limestone walls of Jerusalem, out toward a bloodied corner of the world where his sins lay buried under dust and arrows. 00:22:29 Speaker 2: Were any of our men lost? 00:22:31 Speaker 4: Yes, my king. 00:22:33 Speaker 3: A volley of arrows fell down on us. 00:22:35 Speaker 2: We lost many men. 00:22:37 Speaker 1: David's voice caught in his throat, but he steadied it. 00:22:41 Speaker 2: Anyone of note? 00:22:43 Speaker 3: Just one, my king. Uriah the Hittite. One of your mighty men. 00:22:49 Speaker 1: There it was. The name. Spoken aloud. And with it, the weight of consequence. 00:22:57 Speaker 4: Master Job sends his condolences. He knows you two were close. 00:23:02 Speaker 1: David would have felt a sting at that, but there was no time. The work wasn't done, not until he wed Bathsheba to hide their affair. It wouldn't be tidy, but it would be enough. When the mourning was done, Bathsheba removed her black veil and donned a white one. Her eyes were still rimmed with red. but she sat tall in the ceremonial wedding seat as she was carried through the streets. The people whispered. Some admired her beauty. Others gossiped with furrowed brows and knowing glances. She said nothing. She only kept her gaze fixed forward, her hand pressed against the place where new life stirred within her. In the palace courtyard, beneath garlands of myrrh and cedar branches, David stood waiting. He wore royal robes, Jonathan's robes. At his sides were his most loyal captains, Abishai, Benaiah, Jashabim, and Joab. They weren't all privy to what Joab knew, but they felt it. They knew David. Once more, The Lord knew David, and he saw everything. And in the back, by the fountain where the ivy hung low, stood Nathan the prophet. He watched the king take Bathsheba's hand and place it gently in his, watched him lift the veil and whisper something no one else could hear, watched his gaze fall from her face to her belly. A stillness crept through the prophet's bones. It was not the silence of ceremony, nor awe, nor reverence. It was the whisper of wrath. God's voice came not as thunder, but as a breath in Nathan's soul. Cold, unrelenting, and the Lord's anger burned. This Pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.