1 ¶ Now Joab, the son of Zeruiah, perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

And Joab son of Zeruial knoweth that the heart of the king on Absalom,

2 A nd Joab sent to Tekoa and brought an astute woman from there and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner and put on mourning apparel and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that has mourned for a long time for someone who is dead

and Joab sendeth to Tekoah, and taketh thence a wise woman, and saith unto her, `Feign thyself a mourner, I pray thee, and put on, I pray thee, garments of mourning, and anoint not thyself with oil, and thou hast been as a woman these many days mourning for the dead,

3 a nd come to the king and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

and thou hast gone unto the king, and spoken unto him, according to this word;' and Joab putteth the words into her mouth.

4 A nd when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance and said, Save me, O king.

And the woman of Tekoah speaketh unto the king, and falleth on her face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and saith, `Save, O king.'

5 A nd the king said unto her, What ails thee? And she answered, I am a widow woman, and my husband is dead.

And the king saith to her, `What -- to thee?' and she saith, `Truly a widow woman I, and my husband dieth,

6 A nd thy handmaid had two sons, and the two strove together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.

and thy maid-servant hath two sons; and they strive both of them in a field, and there is no deliverer between them, and the one smiteth the other, and putteth him to death;

7 A nd, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and we will destroy the heir also. So they shall quench my coal which is left and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

and lo, the whole family hath risen against thy maid-servant, and say, Give up him who smiteth his brother, and we put him to death for the life of his brother whom he hath slain, and we destroy also the heir; and they have quenched my coal which is left -- so as not to set to my husband a name and remnant on the face of the ground.'

8 A nd the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give a command concerning thee.

And the king saith unto the woman, `Go to thine house, and I give charge concerning thee.'

9 A nd 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.

And the woman of Tekoah saith unto the king, `On me, my lord, O king, the iniquity, and on the house of my father; and the king and his throne innocent.'

10 A nd the king said, Whoever speaks against thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

And the king saith, `He who speaketh unto thee, and thou hast brought him unto me, then he doth not add any more to come against thee.'

11 T hen she said, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou will not allow the avengers of blood to increase the damage by destroying my son. And he said, As the LORD lives, not one hair of thy son shall fall to the earth.

And she saith, `Let, I pray thee, the king remember by Jehovah thy God, that the redeemer of blood add not to destroy, and they destroy not my son;' and he saith, `Jehovah liveth; if there doth fall of the hair of thy son to the earth.'

12 T hen the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

And the woman saith, `Let, I pray thee, thy maid-servant speak unto my lord the king a word;' and he saith, `Speak.'

13 A nd the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this word as one who is guilty in that the king does not bring home again his banished.

And the woman saith, `And why hast thou thought thus concerning the people of God? yea, the king is speaking this thing as a guilty one, in that the king hath not brought back his outcast;

14 F or it is certain that we die and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither does God respect any person; yet he does devise means that his outcasts not be expelled from him.

for we do surely die, and as water which is running down to the earth, which is not gathered, and God doth not accept a person, and hath devised devices in that the outcast is not outcast by Him.

15 N ow, therefore, that I have come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. But thy handmaid said to herself, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the word of his handmaid.

`And now that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, because the people made me afraid, and thy maid-servant saith, Let me speak, I pray thee, unto the king; it may be the king doth do the word of his handmaid,

16 F or the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

for the king doth hearken to deliver his handmaid out of the paw of the man to destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God,

17 T hen thy handmaid said, 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 evil; and let the LORD thy God be with thee.

and thy maid-servant saith, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for ease; for as a messenger of God so my lord the king, to understand the good and the evil; and Jehovah thy God is with thee.'

18 T hen the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

And the king answereth and saith unto the woman, `Do not, I pray thee, hide from me the thing that I am asking thee;' and the woman saith, `Let, I pray thee, my lord the king speak.'

19 A nd the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, By the life of thy soul, my lord the king, I can not turn to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for thy slave Joab, he commanded me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;

And the king saith, `Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this?' And the woman answereth and saith, `Thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, none to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of thy maid-servant all these words;

20 t o bring about this form of speech thy slave Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know that which is done in the earth.

in order to bring round the appearance of the thing hath thy servant Joab done this thing, and my lord wise, according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all that in the land.'

21 ¶ Then the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing; go, therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.

And the king saith unto Joab, `Lo, I pray thee, thou hast done this thing; and go, bring back the young man Absalom.'

22 A nd Joab fell to the ground on his face and worshipped and blessed the king, and Joab said, Today thy slave knows that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the word of his slave.

And Joab falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and blesseth the king, and Joab saith, `To-day hath thy servant known that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, in that the king hath done the word of his servant.'

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

And Joab riseth and goeth to Geshur, and bringeth in Absalom to Jerusalem,

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

and the king saith, `Let him turn round unto his house, and my face he doth not see.' And Absalom turneth round unto his house, and the face of the king he hath not seen.

25 A nd in all Israel there was no one to be so greatly 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.

And like Absalom there was no man fair in all Israel, to praise greatly; from the sole of his foot even unto his crown there was no blemish in him;

26 A nd when he shaved his head (for it was at every year’s end that he shaved it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore, he shaved it), the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.

and in his polling his head -- and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth, for it heavy on him, and he hath polled it -- he hath even weighed out the hair of his head -- two hundred shekels by the king's weight.

27 A nd unto Absalom there were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar, who was a beautiful woman to behold.

And there are born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, and her name Tamar; she was a woman of a fair appearance.

28 ¶ So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem and did not see the king’s face.

And Absalom dwelleth in Jerusalem two years of days, and the face of the king he hath not seen;

29 T herefore, Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him; and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

and Absalom sendeth unto Joab, to send him unto the king, and he hath not been willing to come unto him; and he sendeth again a second time, and he hath not been willing to come.

30 T herefore, he said unto his slaves, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s slaves set the field on fire.

And he saith unto his servants, `See, the portion of Joab by the side of mine, and he hath barley there; go, and burn it with fire;' and the servants of Absalom burn the portion with fire.

31 T hen Joab arose and came to Absalom unto his house and said unto him, Why have thy slaves set my field on fire?

And Joab riseth and cometh unto Absalom in the house, and saith unto him, `Why have thy servants burned the portion that I have with fire?'

32 A nd Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I have sent for thee, saying, Come here, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why have I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me to have been there still. Now, therefore, let me see the king’s face; and if there is any iniquity in me, let him kill me.

And Absalom saith unto Joab, `Lo, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, and I send thee unto the king to say, Why have I come in from Geshur? -- good for me while I there -- and now, let me see the king's face, and if there is in me iniquity then thou hast put me to death.'

33 S o Joab came to the king and told him. Then he called Absalom, who came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

And Joab cometh unto the king, and declareth to him, and he calleth unto Absalom, and he cometh unto the king, and boweth himself to him, on his face, to the earth, before the king, and the king giveth a kiss to Absalom.