14
1 Now
Joab the son
of Zeruiah
perceived that the
king’s heart was
toward Absalom.
2 Joab
sent to Tekoa
and brought a
wise woman from
there, and said to
her, “Please act
like a mourner,
and put on mourning
clothing, please,
and don’t anoint
yourself with oil;
but be as
a woman who
has mourned a long
time for the
dead.
3 Go
in to the
king and speak
like this to
him.” So Joab
put the words
in her mouth.
4 When
the woman of
Tekoa spoke to the
king, she fell
on her face to
the ground, showed respect,
and said, “Help, O
king!”
5 The
king said to her,
“What ails you?”
She answered, “Truly I am
a widow, and
my husband is dead.
6 Your
servant had two
sons; and they
both fought together
in the field,
and there was no
one to part
them, but the
one struck the
other and killed
him.
7 Behold,
the whole family
has risen against
your servant, and
they say, ‘Deliver
him who struck
his brother, that
we may kill
him for the
life of his brother
whom he killed,
and so destroy
the heir also.’
Thus they would
quench my coal
which is left,
and would leave
to my husband
neither name nor
remainder on the
surface of
the earth.”
8 The
king said to the
woman, “Go to
your house, and
I will give
a command
concerning you.”
9 The
woman of Tekoa said
to the king, “My
lord, O king, may
the iniquity be
on me, and
on my father’s
house; and may
the king and
his throne be
guiltless.”
10 The
king said, “Whoever
says anything to
you, bring him
to me, and
he will not
bother you any
more.”
11 Then
she said, “Please
let the king
remember the LORD
your God, that
the avenger of
blood destroy not
any more, lest
they destroy my
son.”
He said, “As the
LORD lives, not
one hair of
your son shall
fall to the earth.”
12 Then
the woman said, “Please
let your servant
speak a word
to my lord the
king.”
He said, “Say
on.”
13 The
woman said, “Why
then have you
devised such a
thing against the
people of God? For
in speaking this
word the king
is as one
who is guilty, in
that the king
does not bring
home again his
banished one.
14 For
we must die,
and are like
water spilled on
the ground, which
can’t be gathered
up again; neither
does God take
away life, but
devises means,
that he who
is banished not
be an outcast
from him.
15 Now
therefore, seeing
that I have
come to speak
this word to
my lord the king,
it is because
the people have
made me afraid.
Your servant said,
‘I will now
speak to the
king; it may
be that the
king will perform
the request of
his servant.’
16 For
the king will
hear, to deliver
his servant out of
the hand of
the man who
would destroy me
and my son
together out of
the inheritance
of God.
17 Then
your servant said,
‘Please let the
word of my
lord the king
bring rest; for
as an angel
of God, so
is my lord
the king to
discern good and
bad. May the
LORD, your God,
be with you.’ ”
18 Then
the king answered
the woman, “Please don’t
hide anything from
me that I
ask you.”
The woman said, “Let
my lord the king
now speak.”
19 The
king said, “Is
the hand of
Joab with you
in all this?”
The woman answered, “As
your soul lives,
my lord the king,
no one can
turn to the
right hand or
to the left
from anything that
my lord the king
has spoken; for
your servant
Joab urged me, and
he put all
these words in
the mouth of
your servant.
20 Your
servant Joab has
done this thing
to change the
face of the
matter. My lord is
wise, according to
the wisdom of
an angel of
God, to know
all things that
are in the earth.”
21 The
king said to
Joab, “Behold now,
I have granted
this thing. Go
therefore, and
bring the young
man Absalom back.”
22 Joab
fell to the
ground on his
face, showed
respect, and
blessed the king.
Joab said, “Today
your servant knows
that I have
found favor in
your sight,
my lord, O king,
in that the
king has performed
the request of
his servant.”
23 So
Joab arose and
went to Geshur,
and brought Absalom
to Jerusalem.
24 The
king said, “Let
him return to his
own house, but
let him not
see my face.”
So Absalom returned
to his own
house, and didn’t
see the king’s
face.
25 Now
in all Israel
there was no
one to be
so much praised
as Absalom for his
beauty. From the
sole of his
foot even to
the crown of
his head there
was no defect
in him.
26 When
he cut the
hair of his
head (now it
was at every
year’s end that
he cut it;
because it was
heavy on him,
therefore he cut
it), he weighed
the hair of
his head at
two hundred
shekels,
after the king’s
weight.
27 Three
sons were born
to Absalom, and
one daughter,
whose name was
Tamar. She was
a woman with
a beautiful face.
28 Absalom
lived two full
years in Jerusalem,
and he didn’t see
the king’s face.
29 Then Absalom
sent for Joab,
to send him
to the king,
but he would
not come to
him. Then he
sent again a
second time, but
he would not
come.
30 Therefore
he said to his
servants, “Behold,
Joab’s field is
near mine, and
he has barley
there. Go and
set it on
fire.” So Absalom’s
servants set the
field on fire.
31 Then
Joab arose and
came to Absalom to
his house, and said
to him, “Why have
your servants set
my field on
fire?”
32 Absalom answered
Joab, “Behold, I
sent to you,
saying, ‘Come here,
that I may
send you to
the king, to say,
“Why have I
come from Geshur?
It would be
better for me
to be there
still. Now
therefore, let me
see the king’s
face; and if
there is iniquity
in me, let
him kill me.” ’ ”
33 So
Joab came to
the king and
told him; and
when he had
called for Absalom,
he came to
the king and
bowed himself on
his face to
the ground before
the king; and
the king
kissed Absalom.