2 Samuel 14

The Woman of Tekoa

1Now JoabH3097 the sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 perceivedH3045 that 1the king’sH4428 heartH3820 was drawn towardH5921 AbsalomH53. 2So JoabH3097 sentH7971 a messenger to 2TekoaH8620 and 3broughtH3947 a wiseH2450 womanH802 from thereH8033, and saidH559 to her, “PleaseH4994 followH56 mourningH56 ritesH56, and putH3847 onH3847 mourningH60 garmentsH899 nowH4994, and do not 4anointH5480 yourself with oilH8081 but be like a womanH802 who has been mourningH56 for the deadH4191 for manyH7227 daysH3117. 3Then goH935 to the kingH4428 and speakH1696 to him in thisH2088 wayH1697.” So JoabH3097 putH7760 5the wordsH1697 in her mouthH6310.

4Now when the womanH802 of TekoaH8621 6spokeH559 to the kingH4428, she fellH5307 on her faceH639 to the groundH776 and 7prostratedH2331 herself, and saidH559, “8HelpH3467, O kingH4428!” 5And the kingH4428 saidH559 to her, “WhatH4100 is troubling you?” And she 9answeredH559, “TrulyH61 I am a widowH802H490, for my husbandH376 is deadH4191. 6And your servantH8198 had twoH8147 sonsH1121, but the twoH8147 of them foughtH5327 in the fieldH7704, and thereH369 wasH369 noH369 10oneH369 to saveH5337 11them fromH996 eachH996 otherH996, so oneH259 struckH5221 the otherH259 and killedH4191 him. 7Now beholdH2009, 12the entireH3605 familyH4940 has risenH6965 againstH5921 your servantH8198, and they have saidH559, ‘HandH5414 overH5414 the one who struckH5221 his brotherH251, so that we may putH4191 him toH4191 deathH4191 for the lifeH5315 of his brotherH251 whomH834 he killedH2026, 13and eliminateH8045 the heirH3423 asH1571 wellH1571.’ So they will extinguishH3518 my coalH1513 whichH834 is leftH7604, so as to 14leaveH7760 my husbandH376 neitherH1115 nameH8034 norH1115 remnantH7611 on the faceH6440 of the earthH127.”

8Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to the womanH802, “GoH1980 to your homeH1004, and I will issueH6680 ordersH6680 concerningH5921 you.” 9The womanH802 of TekoaH8621 saidH559 to the kingH4428, “My lordH113, the kingH4428, 15the guiltH5771 is on me and my father’sH1 houseH1004, but 16the kingH4428 and his throneH3678 are guiltlessH5355.” 10So the kingH4428 saidH559, “Whoever speaksH1696 to you, bringH935 him to me, and he will not touchH5060 you anymoreH3254H5750.” 11Then she saidH559, “May the kingH4428 pleaseH4994 rememberH2142 the LordH3068 your GodH430, 17so that the avengerH1350 of bloodH1818 will not continueH7235 to destroyH7843, otherwiseH3808 they will destroyH8045 my sonH1121.” And he saidH559, “18As the LordH3068 livesH2416, not one hairH8185 of your sonH1121 shall fallH5307 to the groundH776.”

12Then the womanH802 saidH559, “PleaseH4994 let your servantH8198 speakH1696 a wordH1697 to my lordH113 the kingH4428.” And he saidH559, “SpeakH1696.” 13The womanH802 saidH559, “19WhyH4100 then have you plannedH2803 suchH2088 a thingH2088 againstH5921 the peopleH5971 of GodH430? For in speakingH1696 thisH2088 wordH1697 the kingH4428 is like oneH818 who is guiltyH818, in that the kingH4428 does not bringH7725 backH7725 20his banishedH5080 oneH5080. 14For 21we will surelyH4191 dieH4191 and are 22like waterH4325 spilledH5064 on the groundH776, whichH834 cannotH3808 be gatheredH622 upH622. Yet GodH430 does not takeH5375 away lifeH5315, but makesH2803 plansH4284 so that 23the banishedH5080 oneH5080 will not be castH5080 outH5080 from Him. 15NowH6258 then, 24the reasonH834 I have comeH935 to speakH1696 thisH2088 wordH1697 to my lordH113 the kingH4428 is that the peopleH5971 have madeH3372 me afraidH3372; so your servantH8198 saidH559, ‘Let me nowH4994 speakH1696 to the kingH4428, perhapsH194 the kingH4428 will performH6213 the 25requestH1697 of his slaveH519. 16For the kingH4428 will listenH8085, to saveH5337 his slaveH519 from the 26handH3709 of the manH376 who would eliminateH8045 27bothH3162 me and my sonH1121 from 28the inheritanceH5159 of GodH430.’ 17Then your servantH8198 saidH559, ‘PleaseH4994 let the wordH1697 of my lordH113 the kingH4428 be 29comfortingH4496, for as 30the angelH4397 of GodH430, soH3651 is my lordH113 the kingH4428 to discernH8085 goodH2896 and evilH7451. And may the LordH3068 your GodH430 be with you.’”

18Then the kingH4428 answeredH6030 and saidH559 to the womanH802, “PleaseH4994 do not hideH3582 anythingH1697 from me that I am about to askH7592 you.” And the womanH802 saidH559, “Let my lordH113 the kingH4428 pleaseH4994 speakH1696.” 19So the kingH4428 saidH559, “Is the handH3027 of JoabH3097 with you in allH3605 thisH2088?” And the womanH802 repliedH6030, “As your soulH5315 livesH2416, my lordH113 the kingH4428, noH518 one can turnH3231 to the rightH3231 or to the leftH8041 from anythingH3605 that my lordH113 the kingH4428 has spokenH1696. IndeedH3588, it was 31your servantH5650 JoabH3097 whoH1931 commandedH6680 me, and it was he who putH7760 allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 in the mouthH6310 of your servantH8198. 20In orderH5668 to changeH5437 the appearanceH6440 of thingsH1697 your servantH5650 JoabH3097 has doneH6213 thisH2088 thingH1697. But my lordH113 is wiseH2450, 32like the wisdomH2451 of the angelH4397 of GodH430, to knowH3045 allH3605 that is on the earthH776.”

Absalom Returns

21Then the kingH4428 saidH559 to JoabH3097, “BeholdH2009 nowH4994, 33I 34will certainly doH6213 thisH2088 thingH1697; goH1980 then, bringH7725 backH7725 the youngH5288 manH5288 AbsalomH53.” 22And JoabH3097 fellH5307 on his faceH6440 to the groundH776, prostratedH2331 himself, and blessedH1288 the kingH4428; then JoabH3097 saidH559, “TodayH3117 your servantH5650 knowsH3045 that I have foundH4672 favorH2580 in your sightH5869, my lordH113 the kingH4428, in that the kingH4428 has performedH6213 the 35requestH1697 of his servantH5650.” 23So JoabH3097 aroseH6965 and wentH1980 to 36GeshurH1650, and broughtH935 AbsalomH53 to JerusalemH3389. 24However, the kingH4428 saidH559, “He shall returnH5437 to 37his own houseH1004, but he shall not seeH7200 my faceH6440.” So AbsalomH53 returnedH5437 to his own houseH1004 and did not seeH7200 the king’sH4428 faceH6440.

25Now in allH3605 IsraelH3478 there was noH3808 oneH376 as handsomeH3303 as AbsalomH53, so highlyH3966 praisedH1984; 38from the soleH3709 of his footH7272 to the topH6936 ofH6936 his headH6936 there was noH3808 impairmentH4140 in him. 26And when he 39cutH1548 the hair of his headH7218 (and it was at the endH7093 of every yearH3117 that he cutH1548 it, becauseH3588 it was heavyH3515 on him, so he cutH1548 it), he weighedH8254 the hairH8181 of his headH7218 at 40twoH3967 hundredH3967 shekelsH8255 by the king’sH4428 weightH68. 27And 41to AbsalomH53 there were bornH3205 threeH7969 sonsH1121, and oneH259 daughterH1323 whose nameH8034 was 42TamarH8559; she was a womanH802 of beautifulH3303 appearanceH4758.

28Now AbsalomH53 livedH3427 two fullH3117 yearsH8141 in JerusalemH3389, 43yet he did not seeH7200 the king’sH4428 faceH6440. 29Then AbsalomH53 sentH7971 for JoabH3097, to sendH7971 him to the kingH4428, but he wouldH14 not comeH935 to him. So he sentH7971 word againH5750 a secondH8145 timeH8145, but he wouldH14 not comeH935. 30Therefore he saidH559 to his servantsH5650, “SeeH7200, 44Joab’sH3097 plotH2513 is nextH413H3027 to mine, and he has barleyH8184 thereH8033; goH1980 and setH3341 it on fireH784.” So Absalom’sH53 servantsH5650 setH3341 the plotH2513 on fireH784. 31Then JoabH3097 gotH6965 upH6965, cameH935 to AbsalomH53 at his houseH1004, and saidH559 to him, “WhyH4100 have your servantsH5650 setH3341 my plotH2513 on fireH784?” 32AbsalomH53 45answeredH559 JoabH3097, “BeholdH2009, I sentH7971 for you, sayingH559, ‘ComeH935 hereH2008, so that I may sendH7971 you to the kingH4428, to sayH559, “WhyH4100 have I comeH935 from GeshurH1650? It would be betterH2896 for me stillH5750 to be thereH8033.”’ NowH6258 then, let me seeH7200 the king’sH4428 faceH6440, 46and ifH518 thereH3426 isH3426 guiltH5771 in me, he can have me executedH4191.” 33So when JoabH3097 cameH935 to the kingH4428 and toldH5046 him, he summonedH7121 AbsalomH53. Then Absalom cameH935 to the kingH4428 and prostratedH2331 himself 47with his faceH639 to the groundH776 beforeH6440 the kingH4428; and 48the kingH4428 kissedH5401 AbsalomH53.