David and Bathsheba

IRA:

Wait here.

Lord Commander.

- Well?

- The king is not in his tent.

- Not in his tent?

IRA:
No, sir.

Well, he must be somewhere.

Have you searched the camp?

Yes, sir. I have brought the aide

you assigned to him.

I think the man knows something.

That is the man, sir.

You were assigned

to attend the king?

- Yes, sir.

- Where did he go?

Sir, I...

I cannot tell you.

As your commander

I order you to tell me.

The king pledged me to silence.

Where is he?

He went with the scouting party.

Scouting party?

JOAB:

What scouting party?

Every night, sir, we send out small

patrols to test the walls of the city.

And tonight?

Tonight, the waterway

under the north wall.

A patrol of 20 men

under Captain Uriah.

- You let him go?

- I could not stop him, sir.

We had finished the dispatches.

The king stood in the mouth

of the tent as the patrol went by.

He looked after them...

...and suddenly he took up

a sword and followed them.

Take 100 of your best men

and go after them.

Sir.

IRA:
To arms, men.

- King.

IRA:

Ira's hundred. To arms.

King of all Israel out there

in the darkness...

...exposing himself to the enemy...

...crawling on his belly

like a common soldier.

[MEN WHOOPING]

Attack.

[SHOUTING]

JOAB:

Sire, I am the commander of the army.

JOAB:
My orders...

DAVID:
Yes, I know.

We'll speak of it later.

Come in, Uriah.

I apologize for delaying your supper.

DAVID:

Sit down, Uriah.

Pour us some wine.

Sit down.

[DAVID GRUNTS]

Sire.

DAVID:
Hmm?

JOAB:
You are wounded.

JOAB:
Let me call the physician.

- No, no, let it alone.

It's a long time

since I've shed any blood.

It's good to have proof

that it still runs in my veins.

Sit down, Joab.

[JOAB SIGHS]

We must decide on our strategy,

for Rabbah is well defended.

Unfortunately, there are no Joshuas

among us:
::

...to command the walls to fall down.

DAVID:

What would you do, Uriah?

URIAH:

I can speak for them, sire.

Every man in the army

would be glad to die for David.

A thousand dead, perhaps two.

A thousand vineyards

and flocks left untended.

A thousand women

wailing on my doorstep.

You have a wife, Uriah?

- Yes, sire.

- She will come to my door in tears.

If I am unlucky.

No, it is a certainty.

In wartime,

the best are always the first to die.

Then her tears will be tears of pride.

You are young to know much of women

and too brave, whereas I'm a coward.

A coward, sire?

[CHUCKLES]

My men go into battle

singing an old song.

"Saul has slain his thousands

and David his ten thousands. "

That was years ago.

When I was captain of a hundred,

like yourself.

I was not the king.

You will serve me better

if you live, Uriah.

Come, Joab.

Remain seated.

Continue with your meal.

DAVID:
I will return to Jerusalem

in the morning.

AMBASSADOR:

Oh, King of Judah and Israel, live forever.

The pharaoh of Egypt sends greetings

to his beloved cousin.

The pharaoh bids me...

...prostrate myself

before the great king...

...and to present this humble token

of Egypt's regard.

The king of Israel warms himself

in the sun of the pharaoh's regard.

My beloved cousin,

the pharaoh probably hopes...

...that I'll cut my throat with this.

8FLUNKY:

Nathan, the prophet of God.

May God walk with David.

It is his custom to walk with Nathan.

God looks with favor on you to bring

the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem.

Excellent.

NATHAN:
But as to your intention

of building a temple to receive the Ark...

...he has commanded me

to say this to you.

Thus speaks the Lord:

"Should my servant David

build me a house to dwell in.

For I have not dwelt in a house since

the day I brought the Israelites...

...up out of Egypt, even to this day,

but I have lived in a tent.

NATHAN:

Have I ever, in all these years...

...demanded that a temple

be built for me?

Now therefore I say to David:

'I took you from the pasture

from guarding your sheep...

...to make you shepherd over my people,

even over all Israel. '"

Yes, yes. I understand.

God sees no need of a temple,

is that it?

That is his word.

Very well.

I leave such decisions to you.

To God, sire.

Whatever you like.

You may take full charge...

...of the arrangements to bring

the Ark here from Baal, Judah.

My father...

...will you hear my petition?

Amnon, my son,

you need not beg for an audience.

You promised me, as the heir to Israel...

...all the vineyards north of the Mount of

Olives as far as the borders of Ephraim...

...yet you have given the large vineyard

on the Gibeon road to Absalom.

DAVID:

Did I?

Only last month you said it was mine,

yet Amnon claims it.

I demand only justice.

DAVID:

And what does Absalom demand?

Justice too.

Then, no matter how I decide,

I am unjust.

The vineyard belongs to Amnon.

Thank you, my father.

Come with me.

You must try to understand my problem.

Amnon is the heir. He's been anointed.

If it became known

that I favored you...

...it would weaken him

in the eyes of the people.

We both know he needs all

the strength we can give him.

We both know he is not fit to be heir.

That I cannot help.

You could anoint me in his place.

Even if I wanted to,

I am bound by the law.

With our people, the law is everything.

It is in their bones.

It's only one vineyard, Absalom.

I'll give you your choice

of my own holdings.

I want only what is mine.

Here. Take this.

It is worth 20 vineyards.

Michal.

I did not expect to see you here.

Does my presence displease the king?

Of course not.

You are always welcome.

If the sight of me is so welcome...

...why haven't you come

to my chamber since your return?

I have much on my mind.

Yet you found time

to greet your other wives.

I was the first and now I am the last.

If you had been with the others

I would have greeted you too.

You remain aloof by your own choice.

MICHAL:
There was a time

when you thought well of my aloofness.

I make no objection to it now.

Do as you please.

How graciously...

...you give your royal approval.

And your sarcasm is wasted.

We both know that royalty is a fraud.

It was no fraud

when my father was king.

I have never denied that

Saul was every inch a king.

And his successor every inch a fraud.

I will not argue with that either.

Do you think that hanging his spear

on your wall...

...will make you royal?

- Michal, please.

I have messages to read.

Oh.

I understand.

I am dismissed.

The shepherd's son is dismissing

the daughter of Saul.

I am to go

and sit with the concubines.

They are my wives...

...and you are my wife.

Is that not enough?

Why did you marry me, David?

Why?

Because I loved you.

You lie.

You have never loved anyone

but yourself.

"David," meaning "beloved. "

- David, the beloved-of-David.

- Whatever you say...

My love was wasted.

You had no need of it.

Is your memory so short?

I had great need of it once.

I begged you on my knees,

but you deserted me.

You refused to follow me into exile.

You even dishonored your vows

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