1 N ow Joab the son of Zeruiah saw that the king missed Absalom very much.

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

2 S o Joab sent for a wise woman from Tekoa, and said to her, “Pretend to be filled with sorrow. Dress as if you were filled with sorrow, and do not pour oil on yourself. Dress like a woman who has been filled with sorrow for the dead many days.

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 T hen go to the king and speak to him in this way.” And Joab told her what to say.

Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 W hen the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showing honor, and said, “Help, O king.”

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 T he king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “I am a woman whose husband has died.

The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

6 Y our woman servant had two sons. But they fought together in the field and there was no one to pull them apart. So one hit the other and killed him.

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 N ow the whole family has come against your woman servant. They say, ‘Give us the one who killed his brother. We must put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ So I would be without a son to receive what belonged to his parents when I die. They would put out the last of the fire which is left to me. My husband would be left without a name and with no children on the earth.”

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 T hen the king said to the woman, “Go to your house. I will say what should be done about your trouble.”

The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”

9 T he woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord the king, the sin is on me and my father’s family. But the king and his throne are without guilt.”

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 T he king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me. And he will not touch you again.”

The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”

11 T hen she said, “I beg the king to remember the Lord your God, that the one who punishes for blood will stop destroying. Or my son might be destroyed.” And the king said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.”

Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”

12 T hen the woman said, “Let your woman servant speak to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”

Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”

13 T he woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in deciding in this way, the king is as one who is guilty. For the king does not bring home his son who has been driven away.

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 I t is sure that we will die. We are like water poured on the ground, which cannot be picked up again. But God does not take away life. He plans ways so that the one who is driven away may not be kept away from Him.

For we must die, and are like water split 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 I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your woman servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. It might be that the king will do what his woman servant asks.

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 F or the king will hear and save his woman servant from the man who would destroy both me and my son from the gift of God.’

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 T hen your woman servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will comfort me. For my lord the king is like the angel of God in understanding what is good and bad. May the Lord your God be with you.’”

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 Yahweh, your God, be with you.’”

18 T hen the king said to the woman, “Do not hide anything from me that I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.”

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 S o the king said, “Is Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or left from anything my lord the king has said. Yes, it was your servant Joab who told me to do this. It was he who put all these words in the mouth of your woman servant.

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 Y our servant Joab has done this to change the way things are now. But my lord is wise like the angel of God, to know all that is on the earth.”

to change the face of the matter has your servant Joab done this thing. 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, “See now, I will do this. Go and bring back the young man Absalom.”

The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”

22 A nd Joab fell on his face to the ground in honor and thanks to the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, O my lord the king. Because the king has done what his servant has asked of him.”

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, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

23 S o Joab got up and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

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

24 B ut the king said, “Let him go to his own house. Do not let him see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king’s face. David Forgives Absalom

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 N ow there was no one in Israel as good looking and as much praised as Absalom. There was nothing wrong with him from the bottom of his foot to the top of his head.

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 A t the end of every year he would cut the hair from his head, for it was heavy on him. When he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head. It weighed as much as 200 pieces of silver, by the king’s weight.

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 hree sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.

28 A bsalom lived two whole years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face.

Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face.

29 T hen Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king. But Joab would not come to him. So he sent for him a second time. But he would not come.

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 H e said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants burned the field.

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 T hen Joab got up and came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants burned my field?”

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

32 A bsalom answered Joab, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to say to the king, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.”’ Now let me see the king’s face. If there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.”

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 T hen Joab went to the king and told him. And he called for Absalom. So he came to the king and put his face to the ground in front of him. And the king 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.