1 N ow Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.

2 A nd Joab sent to Tekoah and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning apparel, do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has long been mourning for the dead.

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 A nd go to the king and speak thus to him. And Joab told her what to say.

and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 W hen the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king!

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 T he king asked her, What troubles you? She said, I am a widow; my husband is dead.

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 A nd your handmaid had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

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 A nd behold, our whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, Deliver him who slew his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and so they would destroy the heir also. And so quenching my coal which is left, they would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth.

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 D avid said to the woman, Go home, and I will give orders concerning you.

And the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

9 A nd the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, let the guilt be on me and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.

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 T he king said, If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you again.

And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

11 T hen she said, I pray you, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And David said, As the Lord lives, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.

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 T hen the woman said, Let your handmaid, I pray you, speak one word to my lord the king. He said, Say on.

Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

13 s aid, Why then have you planned such a thing against God’s people? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that does not bring home his banished one.

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 W e must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away life, but devises means so that he who is banished may not be an utter outcast from Him.

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 A nd now I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And I thought, I will speak to the king; it may be that he will perform the request of his servant.

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 F or the king will hear to deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God.

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 A nd the woman said, The word of my lord the king will now give me rest and security, for as an angel of God is my lord the king to hear and discern good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you!

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 T hen the king said to the woman, Hide not from me anything I ask you. And the woman said, Let my lord the king speak.

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 T he king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered, As your soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who directed me; he put all these words in my mouth.

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 I n order to change the course of matters your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God—to know all things that are on the earth.

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 T hen the king said to Joab, Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.

And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.

22 A nd Joab fell to the ground on his face and did obeisance and thanked the king. And 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.

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 S o Joab arose, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 A nd the king said, Let him go to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

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 B ut in all Israel there was none so much to be praised for his beauty as Absalom; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

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 A nd when he cut the hair of his head, he weighed it—for at each year’s end he cut it, because its weight was a burden to him—and it weighed 200 shekels by the king’s weight.

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 T here were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 A bsalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem and did not see the king’s face.

And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king's face.

29 S o Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; even when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

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 T herefore Absalom said to his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. So Absalom’s servants set the field afire.

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 T hen Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

32 A bsalom answered Joab, I sent to you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the king to ask, Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore, let me see the king, and if there is iniquity and guilt in me, let him kill me.

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 S o Joab came to the king and told him. And when David had called for Absalom, he came to him and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and kissed Absalom.

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.