2 Samuel 14

1 And Joab, son of Zeruiah, perceived that the heart of the king was towards Absolom.

Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart desired to see Absalom.

2 So Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched from thence, a wise woman, —and said unto her—I pray thee, feign thyself a mourner, and put on, I pray thee, mourning apparel, and do not anoint thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath, these many days, been mourning for the dead;

So Joab sent word to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought to him. He said to her, “Please pretend you are a mourner and put on mourning clothes. Please do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.

3 so shalt thou come in unto the king, and speak unto him, after this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

Then go to the king and speak to him about what I will describe.” So Joab told her the words she was to say to the king.

4 And, when the woman of Tekoa came in unto the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did homage, —and said—Save, O king!

When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she lay facedown on the ground and said, “Help me, king.”

5 And the king said to her—What aileth thee? And she said—Of a truth, a widow woman, am I, for my husband is dead.

The king said to her, “What is wrong?” She answered, “The truth is that I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

6 Now, thy maidservant, had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, with none to tear them apart, —so the one smote the other, and slew him.

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

7 Lo! therefore, all the family hath risen up against thy maidservant, and have said: Give up him that hath smitten his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother, whom he hath slain, that we may destroy, the heir also. So will they quench my ember that is left, and make my husband without name or remainder, on the face of the ground.

Now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, 'Give into our hand the man who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death, to pay for the life of his brother whom he killed.' So they would also destroy the heir. Thus they will put out the burning coal that I have left, and they will leave for my husband neither name nor descendant on the surface of the earth.”

8 And the king said unto the woman—Go to thy house, and, I, will give command concerning thee.

So the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will command something to be done for you.”

9 Then said the woman of Tekoa unto the king, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon the house of my father, —but, the king and his throne, be guiltless.

The woman of Tekoa replied to the king, “My master, king, may the guilt be on me and on my father's family. The king and his throne are guiltless.”

10 And the king said, —He that speaketh unto thee, bring him in unto me, and he shall, no more, annoy thee.

The king replied, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”

11 Then said she: Let the king, I pray thee, remember Yahweh thy God; so that the blood-redeemer may not make utter ruin, and that they destroy not my son. And he said—By the life of Yahweh, not one hair of thy son shall fall to the earth.

Then she said, “Please, may the king call to mind Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not destroy anyone further, so that they will not destroy my son.” The king replied, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.”

12 Then said the woman, Pray let thy maidservant speak unto my lord the king, a word. And he said—Speak.

Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a further word to my master the king.” He said, “Speak on.”

13 And the woman said, Wherefore, then, hast thou devised the like of this, for the people of God; and yet the king, in speaking this word, is verily guilty, unless the king, bring back his fugitive?

So the woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in saying this thing, the king is like someone who is guilty, because the king has not brought back home again his banished son.

14 For, when we, die, we become as water poured on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again, —therefore doth God not take away the life, but deviseth plans so as not to thrust out from him, a fugitive.

For we all must die, and we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life; instead, he finds a way for those who were driven away to be restored.

15 Now, therefore, [is it] that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, because the people kept putting me in fear, —so thy maidservant said—Do let me, I pray you, speak unto the king! peradventure the king will fulfil the request of his handmaid.

Now then, seeing that I have come to speak this thing to my master the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. So your servant said to herself, 'I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

16 For the king can hearken, to rescue his handmaid out of the power of the man who would seek to destroy both me and my son together, out of the inheritance of God.

Perhaps the king will listen to me and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together, out of the inheritance God gave us.'

17 So thy maidservant said, Pray let the word of my lord the king be comforting, —for, as the messenger of God, so is my lord the king, in hearing the good and the bad, Yahweh thy God, then, be with thee.

Then your servant prayed, 'Yahweh, please let the word of my master the king give me relief, for as an angel of God, so is my master the king in telling good from evil.' May Yahweh your God be with you.”

18 Then responded the king, and said unto the woman, Nay, now! do not hide from me, the thing which I am about to ask thee. And the woman said, Pray let my lord the king speak.

Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I will ask you.” The woman replied, “Let my master the king now speak.”

19 Then said the king, Is, the hand of Joab, with thee, in all this? And the woman answered and said—By the life of thy soul, my lord, O king, there is no way to the right or to the left, of anything that my lord the king hath spoken, for, thy servant Joab himself, charged me, and, himself, put, in the mouth of thy maidservant, all these words:

The king said, “Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As you live, my master the king, no one can escape to the right hand or to the left from anything that my master the king has spoken. It was your servant Joab who commanded me and told me to say these things that your servant has spoken.

20 for the purpose of turning round the face of the matter, hath thy servant Joab done this thing, —my lord being wise, as with the wisdom of a messenger of God, in knowing all that is [done] in the land.

Your servant Joab has done this to change the course of what is happening. My master is wise, like the wisdom of an angel of God, and he knows everything that is happening in the land.”

21 Then said the king unto Joab, See, I pray thee, I a have done this thing, —go then—bring back the young man, Absolom.

So the king said to Joab, “Look now, I will do this thing. Go then, and bring the young man Absalom back.”

22 So Joab fell with his face to the earth, and did homage, and blessed the king, —and Joab said—To-day, doth thy servant know, that I have found favour in thine eyes, my lord O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of thy servant.

So Joab lay facedown on the ground in honor and gratitude to the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my master, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”

23 And Joab arose, and went to Geshur, —and brought Absolom to Jerusalem.

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

24 And the king said—Let him go round to his own house, and, my face, let him not see. So Absolom went round, unto his own house, and, the face of the king, saw he not.

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

25 Now, like unto Absolom, was there no man handsome in all Israel, to be greatly praised, —from the sole of his foot, even unto the crown of his head, there was not, in him, a blemish.

Now in all Israel there was no one praised for his handsomeness more than Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 And when he polled his head—and it was at every year’s end that he used to poll it, because it was heavy upon him, therefore he used to poll it—he would weigh the hair of his head, two hundred shekels, by the royal standard.

When he cut the hair of his head at the end of every year, because it was heavy on him, he weighed his hair; it would weigh about two hundred shekels, which is measured by the weight of the king's standard.

27 And there were born to Absolom three sons, and one daughter, whose name, was Tamar, —she, was a woman beautiful to look upon.

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

28 So Absolom dwelt in Jerusalem two years of days, —and, the face of the king, had he not seen.

Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without seeing the king's face.

29 Then sent Absolom unto Joab, to send him unto the king, but he would not come to him, —so he sent yet a second time, but he would not come.

Then Absalom sent word for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. So Absalom sent word a second time, but Joab still did not come.

30 Then said he unto his servants—See, the allotted portion of Joab, adjoineth me, and, he, hath barley there, go, and set it on fire. So the servants of Absolom set the portion on fire.

So Absalom said to his servants, “See, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

31 Then rose Joab, and went unto Absolom, in his house, —and said unto him, Wherefore, have thy servants set the portion that pertaineth to me, on fire?

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

32 And Absolom said unto Joab—Lo! I sent unto thee, saying—Come hither, that I may send thee unto the king, saying—Wherefore, am I come from Geshur? I, might as well have yet been there. Now, therefore, let me see the face of the king, and, if there is in me iniquity, then let him put me to death.

Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent word to you saying, 'Come here so I may send you to the king to say, “Why did I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there. Now therefore let me see the king's face, and if I am guilty, let him kill me.”'”

33 So Joab came unto the king, and told him, and the king called for Absolom, and he came in unto the king, and bowed himself down with his face to the ground, before the king, —and the king kissed Absolom.

So Joab went to the king and told him. When the king called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed low to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.