14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and made Uriah carry the letter.
15 In the letter David wrote: “Put Uriah on the front lines where the fighting is the hardest. Then leave him there alone, and let him be killed in battle.”
16 Joab watched the city and saw where the bravest Ammonites were. He chose Uriah to go to that place.
17 The men of the city came out to fight against Joab. Some of David’s men were killed. Uriah the Hittite was one of them.
18 Then Joab sent a report to David about what happened in the battle.
19 Joab told the messenger to tell King David what had happened in the battle.
20 “The king might get upset and ask, ‘Why did Joab’s army go that close to the city to fight? Surely he knows that there are men on the city walls who can shoot arrows down at his men?