2 Samuel 14
1 And he perceived Joab [the] son of Zeruiah that [the] heart of the king [was] towards Absalom.
Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew that the king kept on thinking about Absalom.
2 And he sent Joab Tekoa towards and he took from there a woman wise and he said to her play [the] mourner please and put on please garments of mourning and may not you anoint yourself oil and you will be like a woman this days many [who has been] mourning on a dead [person].
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 And you will go to the king and you will speak to him according to the word this and he put Joab the words in mouth her.
Then go to the king and tell him this.” Joab told her what to say.
4 And she said the woman Tekoite to the king and she fell on face her [the] ground towards and she bowed down and she said save! 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 And he said to her the king what? [is] to you and she said indeed [am] a woman a widow I and he has died husband my.
“What's the matter?” the king asked her. “Sadly I'm a widow. My husband is dead,” she replied.
6 And [belonged] to maidservant your two sons and they struggled together [the] two of them in the field and there not [was] a deliverer between them and he struck him the one the one and he 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 And there! it has risen up all the clan on maidservant your and they have said deliver up - [the] [one who] struck down brother his so we may put to death him for [the] life of brother his whom he killed and let us destroy also the heir and they will extinguish coal my which it is left to not (to establish *Q(K)*) for husband my a name and a remnant on [the] surface of the ground.
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 And he said the king to the woman go to house your and I I will command on you.
“Go on home,” the king told the woman, “and I myself will make sure your case is dealt with for you.”
9 And she said the woman Tekoite to the king [be] on me O lord my the king the iniquity and on [the] house of father my and the king and throne his [be] innocent.
“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 And he said the king the [one who] speaks to you and you will bring him to me and not he will repeat again to touch you.
“If anyone complains to you about it, bring him here to me, and he won't bother you again!” the king told her.
11 And she said let him remember please the king Yahweh God your (from increasing *Q(k)*) [the] avenger of blood to destroy and not they will destroy son my and he said [by] [the] life of Yahweh if it will fall one of [the] hair[s] of son your [the] ground towards.
“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 And she said the woman let her speak please maidservant your to lord my the king a word and he said speak.
“Could I please ask for one other thing, Your Majesty?” the woman asked. “Go ahead,” he replied.
13 And she said the woman and why? have you planned like this on [the] people of God and because has spoken the king the word this like a guilty [person] to not to bring back the king banished [son] his.
“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 certainly we will die and [we are] like waters which are spilled [the] ground towards which not they will be gathered and not he takes away God life and he plans plans to not he will be cast out from him a banished [one].
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 And now when I have come to speak to the king lord my the word this that they have made afraid me the people and she said maidservant your let me speak please to the king perhaps he will do the king [the] word of maidservant his.
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 he will hear the king to deliver maidservant his from [the] hand of the man to destroy me and son my together from [the] inheritance of God.
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 she said maidservant your may it become please [the] word of lord my the king rest for - like [the] angel of God [is] so lord my the king to hear good and bad and Yahweh God your may he 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 And he answered the king and he said to the woman may not please you hide from me anything which I [am] asking you and she said the woman let him speak please lord my the king.
“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 And he said the king ¿ [is] [the] hand of Joab with you in all this and she answered the woman and she said [by] [the] life of self your O lord my the king if there is - to go to [the] right and to go to [the] left from all that he has spoken lord my the king for servant your Joab he he commanded me and he he put in [the] mouth of maidservant your all the words these.
“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 In order to change [the] face of the matter he did servant your Joab the thing this and lord my [is] wise like [the] wisdom of [the] angel of God to know all that [is] 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 And he said the king to Joab here! please I do the thing this and go bring back the young man Absalom.
The king said to Joab, “Fine, I'll do it. Go and bring young Absalom back.”
22 And he fell Joab to face his [the] ground towards and he bowed down and he blessed the king and he said Joab this day he knows servant your that I have found favor in view your O lord my the king that he has done the king [the] word of (servant your. *Q(K)*)
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 And he arose Joab and he went Geshur towards and he brought Absalom Jerusalem.
Joab went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24 And he said the king he will turn to house his and face my not he will see and he turned Absalom to house his and [the] face of the king not he saw.
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 And like Absalom not he was a man handsome in all Israel to praise exceedingly from [the] sole of foot his and to scalp his not it was in him a blemish.
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 shaved he head his and it was from [the] end of days - to the days when he shaved for [it was] heavy on him and he shaved it and he weighed [the] hair of head his two hundred shekels by [the] weight of the king.
He cut his hair every year because it got so heavy—it weighed two hundred royal shekels.
27 And they were born to Absalom three sons and a daughter one and name her [was] Tamar she she was a woman beautiful of appearance.
He had three sons, and a daughter named Tamar—a very beautiful woman.
28 And he dwelt Absalom in Jerusalem two years days and [the] face of the king not he saw.
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years but was not permitted to see the king.
29 And he sent Absalom to Joab to send him to the king and not he was willing to come to him and he sent again a second [time] and not he was willing to 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 And he said to servants his see [the] portion of land of Joab [is] to hand my and [belongs] to him there barley go (and set on fire it *Q(K)*) with fire and they set on fire [the] servants of Absalom the portion of land with 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 And he arose Joab and he went to Absalom the house towards and he said to him why? have they set on fire servants your the portion of land which [belongs] to me with fire.
Joab went to Absalom's house and asked “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
32 And he said Absalom to Joab here! I sent to you - saying come here so let me send you to the king saying why? have I come from Geshur [was] good for me still I [was] there and therefore let me see [the] face of the king and if there in me [is] iniquity and he will 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 And he went Joab to the king and he told to him and he summoned Absalom and he came to the king and he bowed down to him on face his [the] ground towards before the king and he kissed the king 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.
