2 Samuel 14

1Now JoabH3097 sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 perceivedH3045 thatH3588 the king’sH4428 heartH3820 longed forH5921 AbsalomH53. 2So JoabH3097 sentH7971 to TekoaH8620 to bringH3947 a wiseH2450 womanH802 from thereH8033. He told herH559H413, “PleaseH4994 pretend to be a mournerH56; put onH3847H4994 clothesH899 for mourningH60 and do notH408 anoint yourselfH5480 with oilH8081. ActH1961 like a womanH802H2088 who has mournedH56 forH5921 the deadH4191 a longH7227 timeH3117. 3Then goH935 toH413 the kingH4428 and speakH1696 theseH2088 wordsH1697 to himH413.” And JoabH3097 putH7760 the wordsH1697 in her mouthH6310.

4

When the womanH802 from TekoaH8621 went toH413 the kingH4428, she fellH5307 facedownH5921H639H776 in homageH7812 and saidH559, “Help meH3467, O kingH4428!”

5“WhatH4100 troubles you?” the kingH4428 askedH559 her.

“IndeedH61,” she saidH559, “IH589 am a widowH802H490, for my husbandH376 is deadH4191. 6And your maidservantH8198 had twoH8147 sonsH1121 who were fightingH5327 in the fieldH7704 with noH369 one to separateH5337 themH996, and oneH259 struckH5221 the otherH259 and killedH4191 himH853. 7NowH2009 the wholeH3605 clanH4940 has risen upH6965 againstH5921 your maidservantH8198 and saidH559, ‘Hand overH5414 the one who struck downH5221 his brotherH251, that we may put him to deathH4191 for the lifeH5315 of the brotherH251 whomH834 he killedH2026. Then we will cut offH8045 the heirH3423 as wellH1571!’ So they would extinguishH3518 my one remainingH7604 emberH1513 by notH1115 preservingH7760 my husband’sH376 nameH8034 or posterityH7611 onH5921H6440 the earthH127.”

8“GoH1980 homeH1004,” the kingH4428 saidH559 toH413 the womanH802, “and IH589 will give ordersH6680 on your behalfH5921.”

9But the womanH802 of TekoaH8621 saidH559 toH413 the kingH4428, “My lordH113 the kingH4428, may any blame beH5771 on meH5921 and onH5921 my father’sH1 houseH1004, and may the kingH4428 and his throneH3678 be guiltlessH5355.”

10“If anyone speaksH1696 to youH413,” saidH559 the kingH4428, “bring himH935 to meH413, and he will notH3808 troubleH5060 you againH3254H5750!”

11“PleaseH4994,” she repliedH559, “may the kingH4428 invokeH2142 the LORDH3068 your GodH430 to prevent the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818 from increasingH7235 the devastationH7843, so that my sonH1121 may notH3808 be destroyedH8045!”

“As surely as the LORDH3068 livesH2416,” he vowedH559, “notH518 a hairH8185 of your son’s headH1121 will fallH5307 to the groundH776.”

12Then the womanH802 saidH559, “PleaseH4994, may your servantH8198 speakH1696 a wordH1697 toH413 my lordH113 the kingH4428?”

“SpeakH1696,” he repliedH559.

13The womanH802 askedH559, “WhyH4100 have you devisedH2803 a thing like thisH2063 againstH5921 the peopleH5971 of GodH430? When the kingH4428 saysH1696 thisH2088H1697, does he not convict himselfH818, sinceH4428 he has notH1115 brought backH7725 his own banishedH5080 son? 14ForH3588 we will surely dieH4191 and be like waterH4325 poured outH5064 on the groundH776, whichH834 cannotH3808 be recoveredH622. Yet GodH430 does notH3808 take awayH5375 a lifeH5315, but He devisesH2803 waysH4284 that the banished oneH5080 may notH1115 be cast outH5080 from HimH4480.

15Now thereforeH6258, I have comeH935 to presentH1696 thisH2088 matterH1697 toH413 my lordH113 the kingH4428 becauseH3588 the peopleH5971 have made me afraidH3372. Your servantH8198 thoughtH559, ‘I will speakH1696H4994 toH413 the kingH4428. PerhapsH194 he will grantH6213 the requestH1697 of his maidservantH519. 16ForH3588 the kingH4428 will hearH8085 and deliverH5337 his maidservantH519 from the handH3709 of the manH376 who would cut offH8045 bothH3162 meH853 andH853 my sonH1121 from God’sH430 inheritanceH5159.’

17And now your servantH8198H4994 saysH559, ‘MayH1961 the wordH1697 of my lordH113 the kingH4428 bring me restH4496, forH3588 my lordH113 the kingH4428 is able to discernH8085 goodH2896 and evilH7451, just like the angelH43971 of GodH430H3651. May the LORDH3068 your GodH430 beH1961 with youH5973.’”

18Then the kingH4428 saidH6030 toH413 the womanH802, “I amH595 going to askH7592 youH853 somethingH1697; do notH408H4994 concealH3582 it from meH4480!”

“Let my lordH113 the kingH4428 speakH1696H4994,” sheH802 repliedH559.

19So the kingH4428 askedH559, “Is the handH3027 of JoabH3097 behindH854 allH3605 thisH2063?”

The womanH802H559 answeredH6030, “As surely as youH5315 liveH2416, my lordH113 the kingH4428, no oneH518 can turnH786 to the rightH3231 or to the leftH8041 from anythingH3605 thatH834 my lordH113 the kingH4428 saysH1696. YesH3588, your servantH5650 JoabH3097 is the one whoH1931 gave me ordersH6680; heH1931 toldH7760H6310 your maidservantH8198 exactly what to sayH1697H428. 20JoabH3097 your servantH5650 has doneH6213 thisH2088 toH5668 bring aboutH5437 this changeH6440 of affairsH1697, but my lordH113 has wisdomH2450 like the wisdomH2451 of the angelH4397 of GodH430, to knowH3045 everythingH3605 thatH834 happens in the landH776.”

21Then the kingH4428 saidH559 toH413 JoabH3097H2009H4994, “I hereby grantH6213 thisH2088 requestH1697. GoH1980, bring backH7725 the young manH5288 AbsalomH53.”

22JoabH3097 fellH5307 facedownH413H6440H776 in homageH7812 and blessedH1288 the kingH4428. “TodayH3117,” saidH559 JoabH3097, “your servantH5650 knowsH3045 thatH3588 he has foundH4672 favorH2580 in your eyesH5869, my lordH113 the kingH4428, becauseH834 the kingH4428 has grantedH6213 his requestH1697.”

23So JoabH3097 got upH6965, wentH1980 to GeshurH1650, and broughtH935 AbsalomH53 to JerusalemH3389. 24But the kingH4428 addedH559, “He may returnH5437 toH413 his houseH1004, but he must notH3808 seeH7200 my faceH6440.” So AbsalomH53 returnedH5437 toH413 his own houseH1004, but he did notH3808 seeH7200 the faceH6440 of the kingH4428.

25Now there wasH1961 notH3808 a manH376 in allH3605 IsraelH3478 as handsomeH3303 and highlyH3966 praisedH1984 as AbsalomH53. From the soleH3709 of his footH7272 toH5704 the top of his headH6936, he did notH3808 haveH1961 a single flawH3971. 26And when he cut the hairH1548 ofH853 his headH7218H1961—he shavedH1548 it every yearH7093H3117 becauseH3588 his hair got so heavyH3515H5921H1548—he would weighH8254 it out to be two hundredH3967 shekelsH8255,2 according to the royalH4428 standardH68.

27ThreeH7969 sonsH1121 were bornH3205 to AbsalomH53, and aH259 daughterH1323 namedH8034 TamarH8559, whoH1931 wasH1961 a beautifulH3303H4758 womanH802.

Absalom Reconciled to David

28Now AbsalomH53 livedH3427 in JerusalemH3389 twoH8141 yearsH3117 withoutH3808 seeingH7200 the faceH6440 of the kingH4428. 29ThenH53 he sentH7971 forH413 JoabH3097 to sendH7971 himH853 toH413 the kingH4428, but Joab refusedH3808H14 to comeH935 to himH413.

So Absalom sentH7971 a secondH5750H8145 time, but Joab still would notH3808H14 comeH935.

30Then Absalom saidH559 toH413 his servantsH5650, “LookH7200, Joab’sH3097 field isH2513 next toH413 mineH3027, and he has barleyH8184 thereH8033. GoH1980 and set itH3341 on fireH784!”

And Absalom’sH53 servantsH5650 set the fieldH2513 on fireH3341H784.3

31

Then JoabH3097 cameH935 toH413 Absalom’sH53 houseH1004 and demandedH559H413, “WhyH4100 did your servantsH5650 setH3341 my fieldH2513 on fireH784?”

32“LookH2009,” saidH559 AbsalomH53, “I sentH7971 forH413 you and saidH559, ‘ComeH935 hereH2008. I want to sendH7971 you toH413 the kingH4428 to askH559: WhyH4100 have I come backH935 from GeshurH1650? It would be betterH2896 for me if IH589 were stillH5750 thereH8033.’ So nowH6258, let me seeH7200 the king’sH4428 faceH6440, and ifH518 there isH3426 iniquityH5771 in me, let him kill meH4191.”

33So JoabH3097 wentH935 and toldH5046 the king, and David summonedH7121 AbsalomH53, who cameH935H413 toH413 him and bowedH7812 facedownH5921H639H776 before himH6440H4428. Then the kingH4428 kissedH5401 AbsalomH53.