2 Samuel 14
1 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.
Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
2 So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.
So Joab sent a messenger to Tekoa to bring back a wise woman who lived there. He told her, “Pretend to be a mourner. Put on clothes for mourning, and don't use any scented oils. Be like a woman who has been in mourning for the dead a long time.
3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.
Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
4 When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!”
When the woman from Tekoa went to see the king, she bowed facedown to the ground in respect, and said, “Please help me, Your Majesty!”
5 “What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
“What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
6 And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
“Your Majesty, I had two sons. They had a fight outside, and there was nobody there to stop them. One of them hit the other, and killed him.
7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.”
Now the whole family is against me. They're saying, ‘Hand over your son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for murdering his brother. That way he won't inherit anything either!’ By doing this they would snuff out the last ember of hope I have to carry on my husband's name and family in the world.”
8 “Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”
“Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
9 But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said the woman. “I and my family will take the blame, and may Your Majesty and your family be held to be innocent.”
10 “If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”
“If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
11 “Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
“Please, Your Majesty,” the woman continued, “swear by the Lord your God that you will stop the person wanting to avenge the murder from making it worse by killing my son!” “As the Lord lives,” he promised, “not a single hair from your son's head will fall to the ground.”
12 Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.
“Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
13 The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?
“So why have you schemed in a similar way against the people of God?” the woman asked. “Since Your Majesty just decided my case by what you said, haven't you convicted yourself because you refuse to bring back the son you banished?
14 For surely we will die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him.
Yes, we all have to die. We're like water spilled on the ground that can't be collected again. But that's not what God does. Instead he works out ways for anyone who is banished to come back home to him.
15 Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant.
That's why I've come to explain this to Your Majesty, because someone has frightened me. So I thought to myself, I will go and speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant my request.
16 For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’
Perhaps the king will listen and save me from the man who would cut off both me and my son from God's chosen people.
17 And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’”
I thought: May what Your Majesty says bring me peace, for Your Majesty is able to tell the difference between good and evil, just like an angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you!”
18 Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.
“Please don't refuse to answer the question I'm about to ask,” the king said to the woman. “Please ask your question, Your Majesty,” she replied.
19 So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.
“Is all this Joab's doing?” the king asked. The woman replied, “As you live, Your Majesty, no one can hide anything from you. Yes, it was Joab, your officer, who ordered me to do this—he told me exactly what to say.
20 Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”
He did so to show the other side of the situation, but Your Majesty is as wise as an angel of God, and you know everything that happens in this country.”
21 Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
22 Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”
Joab bowed down with his face to the ground in respect, and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “I, your servant, know that you approve of me, Your Majesty, because you have granted my request.”
23 So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24 But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.
But the king gave this order, “He may return to his home, but he's not to come and see me.” So Absalom returned to his own home, but he didn't go and see the king.
25 Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.
Absalom was admired as the most handsome man in the whole of Israel. He didn't have a single blemish from head to toe.
26 And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.
He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
27 Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.
He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
28 Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
29 Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.
Absalom called Joab to arrange for him to see the king, for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come. Absalom called Joab again, but Joab still wouldn't come.
30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
So Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire!” Absalom's servants went and set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32 “Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”
“Look here,” said Absalom, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here. I want you to go to the king and ask: Why did I bother coming back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.’ So go and arrange for me to see the king, and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.”
33 So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.
So Joab went and told the king what Absalom had said. Then David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed down with his face to the ground before him in respect. Then the king kissed Absalom.
