NET Bible
"if the king becomes angry and asks you,‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the wall?"
— 2 Samuel 11:20, NET Bible
“And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?”
“it shall be that, if the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore went ye so nigh unto the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? ”
“it shall be that, if the king's wrath arise, and he asks you, 'Why did you go so near to the city to fight? Didn't you know that they would shoot from the wall?”
“If thou see him to be angry, and he shall say: Why did you approach so near to the wall to fight? knew you not that many darts are thrown from above off the wall?”
“If the king is angry and says, Why did you go so near the town for the fight? was it not certain that their archers would be on the wall?”
“And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?”
When the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, some of David’s soldiers fell in battle. Uriah the Hittite also died.
Then Joab sent a full battle report to David.
He instructed the messenger as follows:“When you finish giving the battle report to the king,
if the king becomes angry and asks you,‘Why did you go so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you realize they would shoot from the wall?
Who struck down Abimelech the son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman throw an upper millstone down on him from the wall so that he died in Thebez? Why did you go so close to the wall?’ just say to him,‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’”
So the messenger departed. When he arrived, he informed David of all the news that Joab had sent with him.
The messenger said to David,“The men overpowered us and attacked us in the field. But we forced them to retreat all the way to the door of the city gate.