1
And Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the heart of the king was toward Absalom.
2
And Joab sent to Tekoah, and took thence a wise woman, and said to▵ her, I pray◦ thee, make thyself a mourner, and clothe thyself, I pray◦ thee, with garments of mourning, and anoint◦ not thyself with oil; but be as a woman that mourns this many days for▵ the dead.
3
And come thou unto▵ the king, and speak unto▵ him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4
And the woman of··Tekoah said to▵ the king, and she fell on her face◦ to▫ the earth and bowed··down and said, Save, O king!
5
And the king said unto her, What hast thou? And she said, I◦ am indeed a widow woman, and my husband◦ is··dead.
6
And thy handmaid had two sons, and the two of them quarreled in the field, and there was no rescuer between them, and the one smote the other one and put· him ·to··death.
7
And, behold, all the family has risen··up against thy handmaid, and they said, Give us him who smote his brother, and we will put· him ·to··death for the soul of his brother whom he killed; and we will even blot··out the heir◦; and they will quench my coal which is left, leaving to my husband◦ neither name nor◦ any left on the face of the ground.
8
And the king said unto▵ the woman, Go to thy house, and I◦ will command concerning thee.
9
And the woman of··Tekoah said unto▵ the king, Upon me my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.
10
And the king said, He who speaks to▵ thee, bring him to▵ me and he shall not touch thee again any··more.
11
And she said, I pray◦ thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that multiplying the redeemer of blood to destroy, that they not blot··out my son. And he said, By the life of Jehovah, if a hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12
And the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray◦ thee, speak a word unto▵ my lord the king. And he said, speak.
13
And the woman said, And why hast thou thought as thus against the people of God? and the king speaks this word as one that is guilty, in that the king does not cause his outcast◦ to return.
14
For dying we die, and are as water that flows··down on the earth, which cannot be gathered; neither does God lift a soul, but He thinks thoughts so that His outcast◦ may not▵ be cast··out◦ from Him.
15
And now that I am come to speak this word to▵ the king, my lord, is because◦ the people have made me to fear, and thy handmaid said, I will now◦ speak unto▵ the king; perhaps the king will do the word of his maidservant.
16
For the king will hear to rescue his maidservant from the palm of the hand of the man◦ that would blot··out me and my son together, out of the inheritance of God.
17
And thy handmaid said, Let, I pray◦, the word of my lord the king be for a rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to hear good and evil, and Jehovah thy God will be with thee.
18
And the king answered and said unto▵ the woman, Conceal◦ not now◦ from me the word which I▵ shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now◦ speak.
19
And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with◦ thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, By the life of thy soul, my lord, the king, if a man◦ can turn··to··the··right or turn··to··the··left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he◦ commanded me, and he◦ put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid,
20
in··order that the face of the word might be turned··around has thy servant Joab done this thing; and my lord is wise according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.
21
And the king said unto▵ Joab, Behold, now◦, I have done this thing. Go then, return with the lad Absalom.
22
And Joab fell to the earth on his face, and bowed· himself ·down, and blessed the king. And Joab said, Today thy servant knows that I have··found grace in thine eyes, my lord the king, that the king has done the word of his servant.
23
And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24
And the king said, Let him turn··around to▵ his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom turned··around to▵ his own house, and saw not the king’s face.
25
And in all Israel there was not a man◦ as beautiful as Absalom, praised exceedingly; from◦ the sole of his foot and even··to the top··of· his ·head there was no◦ blemish in him.
26
And when he trimmed◦ his head (and it was at the end of every year* that he trimmed◦ it), for it was··heavy upon him, and he trimmed◦ it; and he weighed the hair of his head, two··hundred shekels after the stone of the king.
27
And there were··born unto Absalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Tamar; she◦ was a woman beautiful of appearance.
28
And Absalom dwelt in Jerusalem two··years of days, and saw not the king’s face.
29
And Absalom sent for◦ Joab to send him to▵ the king, and he was· not ·willing to come to▵ him; and when he sent yet··again the second time, he was· not ·willing to come.
30
And he said to▵ his servants, See, the part of the field of Joab is at▵ my hand, and he has barley there; go and kindle it with fire. And the servants of Absalom kindled the part of the field with fire.
31
And Joab arose and came to▵ Absalom unto◦ the house, and said to▵ him, Why have thy servants kindled the part of the field that I have◦ with fire?
32
And Absalom said to▵ Joab, Behold, I sent unto▵ thee, saying, Come hither, and I will send thee unto▵ the king, to say, Why am I Come from Geshur? It had been good for me to be there still; and now let me see the king’s face; and if there··be iniquity in me, then let· him ·put· me ·to··death.
33
And Joab came to▵ the king and told him; and he called for◦ Absalom, and he came to▵ the king, and bowed· himself ·down to him on his face◦ to▫ the earth before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
