2 Samuel 14

1Now JoabH3097 the sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 perceived that the king’sH4428 heartH3820 was toward AbsalomH53. 2And JoabH3097 sentH7971 to TekoaH8620, and fetched thence a wiseH2450 womanH802, and saidH559 unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to beH1961 a mourner, and putH4191 on mourningH60 apparel, I pray thee, and anointH5480 not thyself with oilH8081, but beH1961 as a womanH802 that hath a long time mournedH56 for the deadH4191: 3and goH935 in to the kingH4428, and speakH1696 on this mannerH1697 unto him. So JoabH3097 putH7760 the wordsH1697 in her mouthH6310.

4And when the womanH802 of Tekoa spake to the kingH4428, she fellH5307 on her faceH639 to the groundH776, and did obeisance, and saidH559, Help, O kingH4428. 5And the kingH4428 saidH559 unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widowH490, and my husbandH376 is deadH4191. 6And thy handmaid had twoH8147 sonsH1121, and they twoH8147 strove together in the fieldH7704, and there was none to part them, but the oneH259 smote the other, and killed him. 7And, behold, the whole familyH4940 is risenH6965 against thy handmaid, and they sayH559, Deliver him that smote his brotherH251, that we may killH2026 him for the lifeH5315 of his brotherH251 whom he slewH2026, and so destroyH8045 the heir alsoH1571. Thus will they quenchH3518 my coalH1513 which is leftH7604, and will leaveH7604 to my husbandH376 neither nameH8034 nor remainder upon the faceH6440 of the earthH127.

8And the kingH4428 saidH559 unto the womanH802, Go to thy houseH1004, and I will give charge concerning thee. 9And the womanH802 of Tekoa saidH559 unto the kingH4428, My lordH113, O kingH4428, the iniquityH5771 be on me, and on my father’sH1 houseH1004; and the kingH4428 and his throneH3678 be guiltless. 10And the kingH4428 saidH559, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bringH935 him to me, and he shall not touchH5060 thee any more. 11Then saidH559 she, I pray thee, let the kingH4428 rememberH2142 Jehovah thy GodH430, that the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818 destroyH7843 not any more, lest they destroyH7843 my sonH1121. And he saidH559, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hairH8185 of thy sonH1121 fallH5307 to the earthH776.

12Then the womanH802 saidH559, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speakH1696 a wordH1697 unto my lordH113 the kingH4428. And he saidH559, SayH559 on. 13And the womanH802 saidH559, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thingH1697 against the peopleH5971 of GodH430? for in speakingH1696 this wordH1697 the kingH4428 is as oneH2088 that is guiltyH818, in that the kingH4428 doth not fetch home again his banishedH5080 oneH2088. 14For we must needs dieH4191, and are as waterH4325 spilt on the groundH776, which cannot be gatheredH622 up again; neither doth GodH430 takeH5375 awayH5375 lifeH5315, but deviseth means, that he that is banishedH5080 be not an outcastH5080 from him. 15NowH6258 thereforeH6258 seeing that I am comeH935 to speakH1696 this wordH1697 unto my lordH113 the kingH4428, it is because the peopleH5971 have madeH6213 me afraidH3372: and thy handmaid saidH559, I will nowH6258 speakH1696 unto the kingH4428; it may be that the kingH4428 will perform the request of his servantH8198. 16For the kingH4428 will hearH8085, to deliverH5337 his servantH519 out of the handH3709 of the manH376 that would destroyH8045 me and my sonH1121 togetherH3162 out of the inheritanceH5159 of GodH430. 17Then thy handmaid saidH559, Let, I pray thee, the wordH1697 of my lord the kingH4428 beH1961 comfortable; for as an angelH4397 of GodH430, soH3651 is my lord the kingH4428 to discern goodH2896 and badH7451: and Jehovah thy GodH430 beH1961 with thee.

18Then the kingH4428 answered and saidH559 unto the womanH802, HideH3582 not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall askH7592 thee. And the womanH802 saidH559, Let my lordH113 the kingH4428 now speakH1696. 19And the kingH4428 saidH559, Is the handH3027 of JoabH3097 with thee in all this? And the womanH802 answered and saidH559, As thy soulH5315 liveth, my lordH113 the kingH4428, none can turn to the rightH3231 handH3027 or to the left from aught that my lordH113 the kingH4428 hath spokenH1696; for thy servantH5650 JoabH3097, he bade me, and he putH7760 all these wordsH1697 in the mouthH6310 of thy handmaid; 20to changeH5437 the faceH6440 of the matterH1697 hath thy servantH5650 JoabH3097 done this thingH1697: and my lordH113 is wiseH2450, according to the wisdomH2451 of an angelH4397 of GodH430, to knowH3045 all thingsH1697 that are in the earthH776.

21And the kingH4428 saidH559 unto JoabH3097, Behold now, I have done this thingH1697: goH7725 therefore, bringH7725 the youngH5288 manH5288 AbsalomH53 backH7725. 22And JoabH3097 fellH5307 to the groundH776 on his faceH6440, and did obeisance, and blessedH1288 the kingH4428; and JoabH3097 saidH559, To-day thy servantH5650 knoweth that I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in thy sight, my lordH113, O kingH4428, in that the kingH4428 hath performed the request of his servantH5650. 23So JoabH3097 aroseH6965 and wentH935 to GeshurH1650, and broughtH935 AbsalomH53 to JerusalemH3389. 24And the kingH4428 saidH559, Let him turnH5437 to his own houseH1004, but let him not seeH7200 my faceH6440. So AbsalomH53 turnedH5437 to his own houseH1004, and sawH7200 not the king’sH4428 faceH6440.

25Now in all IsraelH3478 there wasH1961 none to beH1961 so much praisedH1984 as AbsalomH53 for his beauty: from the soleH3709 of his footH7272 even to the crown of his head there wasH1961 no blemishH3971 in him. 26And when he cut the hairH8181 of his headH7218 (now it wasH1961 at every year’s endH7093 that he cut it; because it wasH1961 heavyH3513 on him, therefore he cut it); he weighedH8254 the hairH8181 of his headH7218 at twoH3967 hundredH3967 shekelsH8255, after the king’sH4428 weightH68. 27And unto AbsalomH53 there wereH1961 bornH3205 threeH7969 sonsH1121, and oneH259 daughterH1323, whose nameH8034 was TamarH8559: she was a womanH802 of a fair countenance.

28And AbsalomH53 dweltH3427 two full yearsH8141 in JerusalemH3389; and he sawH7200 not the king’sH4428 faceH6440. 29Then AbsalomH53 sentH7971 for JoabH3097, to sendH7971 him to the kingH4428; but he wouldH14 not comeH935 to him: and he sentH7971 againH5750 a secondH8145 timeH8145, but he wouldH14 not comeH935. 30Therefore he saidH559 unto his servantsH5650, SeeH7200, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barleyH8184 there; go and setH3341 it on fireH784. And Absalom’s servantsH5650 setH3341 the field on fireH784. 31Then JoabH3097 aroseH6965, and cameH935 to AbsalomH53 unto his houseH1004, and saidH559 unto him, Wherefore have thy servantsH5650 setH6965 my field on fireH784? 32And AbsalomH53 answered JoabH3097, Behold, I sentH7971 unto thee, sayingH559, ComeH935 hither, that I may sendH7971 thee to the kingH4428, to sayH559, Wherefore am I comeH935 from GeshurH1650? it were betterH2896 for me to be there stillH5750. NowH6258 thereforeH6258 let me seeH7200 the king’sH4428 faceH6440; and if there be iniquityH5771 in me, let him killH4191 me. 33So JoabH3097 cameH935 to the kingH4428, and toldH5046 him; and when he had calledH7121 for AbsalomH53, he cameH935 to the kingH4428, and bowedH7812 himself on his faceH6440 to the groundH776 before the kingH4428: and the kingH4428 kissedH5401 AbsalomH53.