2 Samuel 14

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.2 And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead:3 and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.9 And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.10 And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12 Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.14 For we must needs die, and are as water split on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.15 Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto 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 that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.17 Then thy handmaid said, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and Jehovah thy God be with thee.

18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.19 And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;20 to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of his servant.23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

25 Now in all Israel there was none 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 blemish in him.26 And 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 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king’s face.29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be 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.

2 Samuel 14

David Permits Absalom to Return to Jerusalem

1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to seet Absalom.2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, “Pretend to be in mourningt and put on garments for mourning. Don’t anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time.t

3 Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion.” Then Joab told her what to say.t
4 So the Tekoan woman wents to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, “Please help me,t O king!”5 The king replied to her, “What do you want?”t She answered, “I am a widow; my husband is dead.6 Your servantt has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him.

7 Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, ‘Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the deatht of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.’ They want to extinguish my remaining coal,s leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband.”
8 Then the king told the woman, “Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation.”t

9 The Tekoan woman said to the king, “My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!”
10 The king said, “Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won’t bother you again!”

11 She replied, “In that case,t let the king invoke the name oft the Lord your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!” He replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, not a single hair of your son’s headt will fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter.” He replied, “Tell me.”13 The woman said, “Why have you devised something like this against God’s people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished.14 Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored.t15 I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful.s But your servant said, ‘I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servantt asks.16 Yes!t The king mayt listen and deliver his female servantt from the hand of the man who seeks to removet both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!’t

17 So your servant said, ‘May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the Lord your God be with you!’”
18 Then the king replied to the woman, “Don’t hide any information from me when I question you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak!”19 The king said, “Did Joab put you up to all of this?”t The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant’s mouth.

20 Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land.”t
21 Then the king said to Joab, “All right! Is will do this thing! Go and bring back the young man Absalom!

22 Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground and thankedt the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of yours servant!”
23 So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.s

24 But the king said, “Let him go overt to his own house. He may not see my face.” So Absalom went overt to his own house; he did not see the king’s face.
25 Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom.t From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance.t26 When he would shave his head – at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too longt and he would shave it – he used to weigh the hair of his head at three poundst according to the king’s weight.

27 Absalom hadt three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman.s
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king’s face.29 Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come.

30 So he said to his servants, “Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire.”s So Absalom’s servants set Joab’st portion of the field on fire.
31 Then Joab got up and came to Absalom’s house. He said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?”

32 Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent a message to you saying, ‘Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message:t “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.”’ Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!”

33 So Joab went to the king and informed him. The kingt summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalomt bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him.t