2 Samuel 14

1 Then Ioab the sonne of Zeruiah perceyued, that the Kings heart was toward Absalom,

When Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart longed for Absalom,

2 And Ioab sent to Tekoah, and brought thence a subtile woman, and sayd vnto her, I pray thee, fayne thy selfe to mourne, and nowe put on mourning apparel, and anoynt not thy selfe with oyle: but be as a woman that had now long time mourned for the dead.

he sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave as a woman who has been mourning for the dead a long time.

3 And come to the King, and speake on this maner vnto him, (for Ioab taught her what she should say).

Go in to the king and say this to him." Then Joab told her what to say.

4 Then the woman of Tekoah spake vnto the king, and fel downe on her face to the ground, and did obeysance, and sayd, Helpe, O King.

And the woman of Tekoa went to the king, and she bowed down with her face to the ground and showed respect, and said, "Help, O king."

5 Then the King sayd vnto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am in deede a widow, and mine husband is dead:

And the king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she replied, "Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

6 And thine handmayd had two sonnes, and they two stroue together in the fielde: (and there was none to part them) so the one smote the other, and slew him.

And your servant had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

7 And beholde, the whole familie is risen against thine handmayde, and they sayde, Deliuer him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the soule of his brother whome hee slewe, that we may destroy the heire also: so they shall quenche my sparkle which is left, and shall not leaue to mine husband neither name nor posteritie vpon the earth.

Look, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give us the man who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed.' Thus they would eliminate also the heir and the one ember I have left will be extinguished, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.

8 And the King said vnto the woman, Go to thine house, and I wil giue a charge for thee.

Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to the king, my lord, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your servant said, 'I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.'

9 Then the woman of Tekoah said vnto the King, My lord, O King, this trespas be on me, and on my fathers house, and the King and his throne be giltlesse.

For the king will hear and deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who is seeking to destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of the LORD.

10 And the King sayde, Bring him to me that speaketh against thee, and he shall touche thee no more.

Then your servant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May the LORD, your God, be with you.'"

11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the King remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer many reuengers of blood to destroy, lest they slay my sonne. And he answered, As the Lord liueth, there shall not one heare of thy sonne fall to the earth.

Then the king said, "Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you."

12 Then the woman said, I pray thee, let thine handmayde speake a worde to my lord the King. And he sayd, Say on.

The woman of Tekoa said to 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."

13 Then the woman sayde, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? or why doeth the King, as one which is faultie, speake this thing, that he will not bring againe his banished?

The king said, "Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more."

14 For we must needes dye, and we are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered vp againe: neither doeth God spare any person, yet doeth he appoynt meanes, not to cast out from him, him that is expelled.

Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son." He said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

15 Nowe therefore that I am come to speake of this thing vnto my lord the King, the cause is that the people haue made me afrayd: therefore thine handmayde sayd, Nowe will I speake vnto the King: it may be that the King will perfourme the request of his handmayde.

Then the woman said, "Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." He said, "Say on."

16 For the King wil heare, to deliuer his handmayde out of the hande of the man that woulde destroy mee, and also my sonne from the inheritance of God.

The woman said, "Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of the LORD? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his exiled one.

17 Therefore thine handmaid sayd, The word of my lord the King shall now be comfortable: for my lorde the King is euen as an Angel of God in hearing of good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God be with thee.

For your son is dead, and as water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again, so he can't bring his life back again. But it seems sensible to the king to keep his exiled one away from him."

18 Then the King answered, and said vnto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall aske thee. And the woman sayde, Let my lord the King now speake.

Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king speak."

19 And the King said, Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this? Then the woman answered, and sayd, As thy soule liueth, my lord the King, I will not turne to the right hande nor to the left, from ought that my lorde the King hath spoken: for euen thy seruant Ioab bade mee, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thine handmayde.

So the king said, "Did Joab put you up to all this?" The woman answered, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who had me do this, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

20 For to the intent that I should chage the forme of speach, thy seruant Ioab hath done this thing: but my lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angel of God to vnderstande all things that are in the earth.

Your servant Joab did this in order to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of an angel of God for knowing things in the land."

21 And the King sayde vnto Ioab, Beholde nowe, I haue done this thing: go then, and bring the yong man Absalom againe.

Then the king said to Joab, "Look now, I have done according to your word. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."

22 And Ioab fell to the grounde on his face, and bowed himselfe, and thanked the King. Then Ioab sayde, This day thy seruant knoweth, that I haue found grace in thy sight, my lord the King, in that the King hath fulfilled the request of his seruant.

Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground, and blessed the king. And Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant."

23 And Ioab arose, and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Ierusalem.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 And the King sayde, Let him turne to his owne house, and not see my face. So Absalom turned to his owne house, and saw not the Kings face.

The king said, "He must return to his own house, but he must not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.

25 Nowe in all Israel there was none to be so much praysed for beautie as Absalom: from the sole of his foote euen to the toppe of his head there was no blemish in him.

Moreover, Absalom – in Israel no one was so much admired as he for his fine appearance. 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 at euery yeeres ende he polled it: because it was too heauie for him, therefore he polled it) he weyghed the heare of his head at two hundreth shekels by the Kings weight.

When he cut the hair of his head – now it was at the end of every year that he cut it, because it became too heavy, therefore he cut it – he weighed the hair of his head at one hundred shekels by the king's weight.

27 And Absalom had three sonnes, and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fayre woman to looke vpon.

To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

28 So Absalom dwelt the space of two yeres in Ierusalem, and saw not the Kings face.

Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem; and he did not see the king's face.

29 Therefore Absalom sent for Ioab to sende him to the King, but he would not come to him: and when he sent againe, he would not come.

Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

30 Therefore he sayde vnto his seruants, Beholde, Ioab hath a fielde by my place, and hath barley therein: go, and set it on fire: and Absaloms seruants set the field on fire.

Therefore he said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire." Absalom's servants set the field on fire. And the servants of Joab came to him with their clothes rent, and they said to him, "The servants of Absalom have set the field on fire."

31 Then Ioab arose, and came to Absalom vnto his house, and sayd vnto him, Wherefore haue thy seruants burnt my field with fire?

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"

32 And Absalom answered Ioab, Beholde, I sent for thee, saying, Come thou hither, and I wil send thee to the King for to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It had bene better for me to haue bene there still: nowe therefore let mee see the Kings face: and if there be any trespasse in me, let him kill me.

And Absalom answered Joab, "Look, I sent to you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there. Now therefore let me appear before the king. If I am guilty, put me to death.'"

33 Then Ioab came to the King, and told him: and he called for Absalom, who came to the King, and bowed himselfe to the grounde on his face before the King, and the King kissed Absalom.

So Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. And he came to the king and bowed himself with his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.