Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that ^athe king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent word to ^aTekoa and had a wise woman brought from there and told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning clothes, and do not ^banoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has for many days been in mourning for the dead. 3 Then go to the king and speak to him in this way.” So Joab ¹told her ^awhat to say.

4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she bowed with her face to the ground and ^alay herself down, and said, “^bHelp, O king.” 5 The king asked her, “¹What is the matter?” She said, “Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled and fought in the field. There was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now behold, the ^aentire family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother, so that we may ¹put him to death to pay for the life of his brother whom he killed and ^bdestroy the heir also.’ By doing this they will extinguish my coal that is left, leaving my husband without a name or a remnant (heir) on the face of the earth.”

8 Then David said to the woman, “Go to your home, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, ^athe guilt is on me and on my father’s house, but ^bthe king and his throne are guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone speaks to you about this matter, bring him to me for judgment, and he will not touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, ^aso that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And David said, “^bAs the LORD lives, not a single hair from the head of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak one more word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “^aNow why have you planned such a thing against God’s people? For in speaking this word the king is like a guilty man, in that the king does not bring back ^bhis banished one. 14 For ^awe will certainly die and are ^blike water that is spilled on the ground and cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not simply take away life, but devises plans so that ^cthe one who is banished is not driven away from Him. 15 Now I came to speak of this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. So your maidservant thought, ‘I will just speak to the king; perhaps the king will do what his maidservant requests. 16 For the king will hear and save his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from ^athe inheritance of God.’ 17 Then your maidservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for my lord the king is as the ^aangel of God to discern good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.’”

18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Do not hide from me anything that I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all of this?” And the woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. Indeed, it was ^ayour servant Joab who commanded me; he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant. 20 In order to change the appearance of things between Absalom and you, his father your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord has wisdom ^alike the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Listen, ^aI will most certainly do this thing; now go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab bowed his face toward the ground and lay himself down and blessed the king. Then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has done the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab got up, went to ^aGeshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 However, the king said, “Let him go to ^ahis own house, and do not let him see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

25 Now in all Israel there was no man as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised for that; ^afrom the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 When he ^acut the hair of his head (for at the end of each year he cut it, because its weight was heavy on him) he weighed the hair of his head at ¹200 shekels by the king’s weight. 27 To ^aAbsalom were born three sons and one daughter whose name was ^1bTamar; she was a beautiful woman.

28 Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, ^awithout seeing the king’s face. 29 So Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; even when he sent again a second time, he still would not come. 30 Therefore Absalom said to his servants, “See, ^aJoab’s property 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 Joab ¹took action and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom answered Joab, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me to still be there.”’ Now then, let me see the king’s face, ^aand if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.” 33 So Joab came to the king and told him. Then David called for Absalom, and he came to the king and bowed his face to the ground before ^athe king; and the king kissed Absalom.

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that ^athe king’s heart was drawn toward Absalom. 2 So Joab sent a messenger to ^aTekoa and ¹brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please follow mourning rites, and put on mourning garments now, and do not ^banoint yourself with oil but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for many days. 3 Then go to the king and speak to him in this way.” So Joab put ^athe words in her mouth.

4 Now when the woman of Tekoa ¹spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and ^aprostrated herself, and said, “^bHelp, O king!” 5 And the king said to her, “What is troubling you?” And she ¹answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, but the two of them fought in the field, and there was no ¹one to save ²them from each other, so one struck the other and killed him. 7 Now behold, ^athe entire family has risen against your servant, and they have said, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, ^band eliminate the heir as well.’ So they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to ¹leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your home, and I will issue orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, the king, ^athe guilt is on me and my father’s house, but ^bthe king and his throne are guiltless.” 10 So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.” 11 Then she said, “May the king please remember the LORD your God, ^aso that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “^bAs the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” 13 The woman said, “^aWhy then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is like one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back ^bhis banished one. 14 For ^awe will surely die and are ^blike water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up. Yet God does not take away life, but makes plans so that ^cthe banished one will not be cast out from Him. 15 Now then, ¹the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the ²request of his slave. 16 For the king will listen, to save his slave from the ¹hand of the man who would eliminate ²both me and my son from ^athe inheritance of God.’ 17 Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be ¹comforting, for as ^athe angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’”

18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.” 19 So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was ^ayour servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, ^alike the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is on the earth.”

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, ^aI ¹will certainly do this thing; go then, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself, and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has performed the ¹request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to ^aGeshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 However, the king said, “He shall return to ^ahis own house, but he shall not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

25 Now in all Israel there was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; ^afrom the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no impairment in him. 26 And when he ^acut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, because it was heavy on him, so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at ¹two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. 27 And ^ato Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was ^bTamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.

28 Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, ^ayet he did not see the king’s face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent word again a second time, but he would not come. 30 Therefore he said to his servants, “See, ^aJoab’s plot is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the plot on fire. 31 Then Joab got up, came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my plot on fire?” 32 Absalom ¹answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.”’ Now then, let me see the king’s face, ^aand if there is guilt in me, he can have me executed.” 33 So when Joab came to the king and told him, he summoned Absalom. Then Absalom came to the king and prostrated himself ¹with his face to the ground before the king; and ^athe king kissed Absalom.