2 Samuel 14
1. Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived * that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2. And Joab sent * to Tekoah, and fetched * thence a wise woman, and said * unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner * , and put on * now mourning apparel, and anoint * not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned * for the dead * :
3. And come * to the king, and speak * on this manner unto him. So Joab put * the words in her mouth.
4. And when the woman of Tekoah spake * to the king, she fell * on her face to the ground, and did obeisance * , and said * , Help * , O king.
5. And the king said * unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered * , I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead * .
6. And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together * in the field, and there was none to part * them, but the one smote * the other, and slew * him.
7. And, behold, the whole family is risen * against thine 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: and so they shall quench * my coal which is left * , and shall not leave * to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
8. And the king said * unto the woman, Go * to thine house, and I will give charge * concerning thee.
9. And the woman of Tekoah 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.
10. And the king said * , Whosoever saith * ought unto thee, bring * him to me, and he shall not touch * thee any more * .
11. Then said * she, I pray thee, let the king remember * the LORD thy God,that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers * of blood to destroy * any more * , lest they destroy * my son. And he said * , As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall * to the earth.
12. Then the woman said * , Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak * one word unto my lord the king. And he said * , Say on * .
13. And the woman said * , Wherefore then hast thou thought * such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak * this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again * his banished * .
14. For we must needs * die * , and are as water spilt * on the ground,which cannot be gathered up again * ; neither doth God respect * any person: yet doth he devise * means, that his banished * be not expelled * from him.
15. Now therefore that I am come * to speak * of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid * : and thy handmaid said * , I will now speak * unto the king; it may be that the king will perform * the request of his handmaid.
16. For 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.
17. Then thine handmaid said * , The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern * good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
18. Then 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 * .
19. And the king said * , Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered * and said * , As thy soul liveth, my lord the king,none can turn to the right hand * or to the left * from ought that my lord the king hath spoken * : for thy servant Joab, he bade * me, and he put * all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
20. To fetch about * this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done * this thing: and my lord is wise,according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know * all things that are in the earth.
21. And the king said * unto Joab,Behold now, I have done * this thing: go * therefore, bring * the young man Absalom again * .
22. And Joab fell * to the ground on his face, and bowed * himself, and thanked * the king: and Joab said * , To day thy servant knoweth * that I have found * grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled * the request of his servant.
23. So Joab arose * and went * to Geshur, and brought * Absalom to Jerusalem.
24. And the king said * , Let him turn * to his own house, and let him not see * my face. So Absalom returned * to his own house, and saw * not the king's face.
25. But in all Israel there was none 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 blemish in him.
26. And when he polled * his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled * it: because the hair was heavy * on him, therefore he polled * it:) he weighed * the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
27. And unto Absalom there were born * three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
28. So Absalom dwelt * two full years in Jerusalem, and saw * not the king's face.
29. Therefore 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 * .
30. Therefore he said * unto his servants,See * , Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go * and set * it on fire. And Absalom's servants set * the field on fire.
31. Then Joab arose * , and came * to Absalom unto his house, and said * unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set * my field on fire?
32. And Absalom answered * Joab,Behold, I sent * unto thee, saying * , Come * hither, that I may send * thee to the king, to say * , Wherefore am I come * from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see * the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill * me.
33. 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.
