15In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
16So as Joab besieged the city, he assigned Uriah to a place where he saw the strongest enemy soldiers.
17And when the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of David’s servants fell, and Uriah the Hittite also died.
18Joab sent to David a full account of the battle
19and instructed the messenger, “When you have finished giving the king all the details of the battle,
20if the king’s anger flares, he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Did you not realize they would shoot from atop the wall?
21Who was the one to strike Abimelech son of Jerubbesheth? Was it not a woman who dropped an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If so, then you are to say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead as well.’”
— 2 Samuel 11:15-21