1 Now Joab|strong="H3097" the son|strong="H1121" of Zeruiah|strong="H6870" perceived|strong="H3045" that the king’s|strong="H4428" heart|strong="H3820" was toward Absalom|strong="H0053".
2 And Joab|strong="H3097" sent|strong="H7971" to Tekoah|strong="H8620", and fetched|strong="H3947" thence a wise|strong="H2450" woman|strong="H0802", and said|strong="H0559" unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner|strong="H0056", and put on|strong="H3847" now mourning|strong="H0060" apparel|strong="H0899", and anoint|strong="H5480" not thyself with oil|strong="H8081", but be as a woman|strong="H0802" that had a long|strong="H7227" time|strong="H3117" mourned|strong="H0056" for the dead|strong="H4191":
3 And come|strong="H0935" to the king|strong="H4428", and speak|strong="H1696" on this manner|strong="H1697" unto him. So Joab|strong="H3097" put|strong="H7760" the words|strong="H1697" in her mouth|strong="H6310".
4 And when the woman|strong="H0802" of Tekoah|strong="H8621" spake|strong="H0559" to the king|strong="H4428", she fell|strong="H5307" on her face|strong="H0639" to the ground|strong="H0776", and did obeisance|strong="H7812", and said|strong="H0559", Help|strong="H3467", O king|strong="H4428".
5 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559" unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered|strong="H0559", I am indeed|strong="H0061" a widow|strong="H0490" woman|strong="H0802", and mine husband|strong="H0376" is dead|strong="H4191".
6 And thy handmaid|strong="H8198" had two|strong="H8147" sons|strong="H1121", and they two|strong="H8147" strove together|strong="H5327" in the field|strong="H7704", and there was none to part|strong="H5337" them, but the one|strong="H0259" smote|strong="H5221" the other|strong="H0259", and slew|strong="H4191" him.
7 And, behold, the whole family|strong="H4940" is risen|strong="H6965" against thine handmaid|strong="H8198", and they said|strong="H0559", Deliver|strong="H5414" him that smote|strong="H5221" his brother|strong="H0251", that we may kill|strong="H4191" him, for the life|strong="H5315" of his brother|strong="H0251" whom he slew|strong="H2026"; and we will destroy|strong="H8045" the heir|strong="H3423" also: and so they shall quench|strong="H3518" my coal|strong="H1513" which is left|strong="H7760", and shall not leave|strong="H7604" to my husband|strong="H0376" neither name|strong="H8034" nor remainder|strong="H7611" upon|strong="H6440" the earth|strong="H0127".
8 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559" unto the woman|strong="H0802", Go|strong="H3212" to thine house|strong="H1004", and I will give charge|strong="H6680" concerning thee.
9 And the woman|strong="H0802" of Tekoah|strong="H8621" said|strong="H0559" unto the king|strong="H4428", My lord|strong="H0113", O king|strong="H4428", the iniquity|strong="H5771" be on me, and on my father’s|strong="H0001" house|strong="H1004": and the king|strong="H4428" and his throne|strong="H3678" be guiltless|strong="H5355".
10 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559", Whosoever saith|strong="H1696" ought unto thee, bring|strong="H0935" him to me, and he shall not touch|strong="H5060" thee any more|strong="H3254".
11 Then said|strong="H0559" she, I pray thee, let the king|strong="H4428" remember|strong="H2142" the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* thy God|strong="H0430", that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers|strong="H1350" of blood|strong="H1818" to destroy|strong="H7843" any more|strong="H7235", lest they destroy|strong="H8045" my son|strong="H1121". And he said|strong="H0559", As the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* liveth|strong="H2416", there shall not one hair|strong="H8185" of thy son|strong="H1121" fall|strong="H5307" to the earth|strong="H0776".
12 Then the woman|strong="H0802" said|strong="H0559", Let thine handmaid|strong="H8198", I pray thee, speak|strong="H1696" one word|strong="H1697" unto my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428". And he said|strong="H0559", Say on|strong="H1696".
13 And the woman|strong="H0802" said|strong="H0559", Wherefore then hast thou thought|strong="H2803" such a thing against the people|strong="H5971" of God|strong="H0430"? for the king|strong="H4428" doth speak|strong="H1696" this thing|strong="H1697" as one which is faulty|strong="H0818", in that the king|strong="H4428" doth not fetch home again|strong="H7725" his banished|strong="H5080".
14 For we must needs|strong="H4191" die|strong="H4191", and are as water|strong="H4325" spilt|strong="H5064" on the ground|strong="H0776", which cannot be gathered up again|strong="H0622"; neither doth God|strong="H0430" respect|strong="H5375" any person|strong="H5315": yet doth he devise|strong="H2803" means|strong="H4284", that his banished|strong="H5080" be not expelled|strong="H5080" from him.
15 Now therefore that I am come|strong="H0935" to speak|strong="H1696" of this thing|strong="H1697" unto my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428", it is because the people|strong="H5971" have made me afraid|strong="H3372": and thy handmaid|strong="H8198" said|strong="H0559", I will now speak|strong="H1696" unto the king|strong="H4428"; it may be that the king|strong="H4428" will perform|strong="H6213" the request|strong="H1697" of his handmaid|strong="H0519".
16 For the king|strong="H4428" will hear|strong="H8085", to deliver|strong="H5337" his handmaid|strong="H0519" out of the hand|strong="H3709" of the man|strong="H0376" that would destroy|strong="H8045" me and my son|strong="H1121" together|strong="H3162" out of the inheritance|strong="H5159" of God|strong="H0430".
17 Then thine handmaid|strong="H8198" said|strong="H0559", The word|strong="H1697" of my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428" shall now be comfortable|strong="H4496": for as an angel|strong="H4397" of God|strong="H0430", so is my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428" to discern|strong="H8085" good|strong="H2896" and bad|strong="H7451": therefore the \+w LORD|strong="H3068"\+w* thy God|strong="H0430" will be with thee.
18 Then the king|strong="H4428" answered|strong="H6030" and said|strong="H0559" unto the woman|strong="H0802", Hide|strong="H3582" not from me, I pray thee, the thing|strong="H1697" that I shall ask|strong="H7592" thee. And the woman|strong="H0802" said|strong="H0559", Let my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428" now speak|strong="H1696".
19 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559", Is not the hand|strong="H3027" of Joab|strong="H3097" with thee in all this? And the woman|strong="H0802" answered|strong="H6030" and said|strong="H0559", As thy soul|strong="H5315" liveth|strong="H2416", my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428", none|strong="H0376" can|strong="H0786" turn to the right hand|strong="H3231" or to the left|strong="H8041" from ought that my lord|strong="H0113" the king|strong="H4428" hath spoken|strong="H1696": for thy servant|strong="H5650" Joab|strong="H3097", he bade|strong="H6680" me, and he put|strong="H7760" all these words|strong="H1697" in the mouth|strong="H6310" of thine handmaid|strong="H8198":
20 To|strong="H5668" fetch about|strong="H5437" this form|strong="H6440" of speech|strong="H1697" hath thy servant|strong="H5650" Joab|strong="H3097" done|strong="H6213" this thing|strong="H1697": and my lord|strong="H0113" is wise|strong="H2450", according to the wisdom|strong="H2451" of an angel|strong="H4397" of God|strong="H0430", to know|strong="H3045" all things that are in the earth|strong="H0776".
21 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559" unto Joab|strong="H3097", Behold now, I have done|strong="H6213" this thing|strong="H1697": go|strong="H3212" therefore, bring|strong="H7725" the young man|strong="H5288" Absalom|strong="H0053" again|strong="H7725".
22 And Joab|strong="H3097" fell|strong="H5307" to the ground|strong="H0776" on his face|strong="H6440", and bowed|strong="H7812" himself, and thanked|strong="H1288" the king|strong="H4428": and Joab|strong="H3097" said|strong="H0559", To day|strong="H3117" thy servant|strong="H5650" knoweth|strong="H3045" that I have found|strong="H4672" grace|strong="H2580" in thy sight|strong="H5869", my lord|strong="H0113", O king|strong="H4428", in that the king|strong="H4428" hath fulfilled|strong="H6213" the request|strong="H1697" of his servant|strong="H5650".
23 So Joab|strong="H3097" arose|strong="H6965" and went|strong="H3212" to Geshur|strong="H1650", and brought|strong="H0935" Absalom|strong="H0053" to Jerusalem|strong="H3389".
24 And the king|strong="H4428" said|strong="H0559", Let him turn|strong="H5437" to his own house|strong="H1004", and let him not see|strong="H7200" my face|strong="H6440". So Absalom|strong="H0053" returned|strong="H5437" to his own house|strong="H1004", and saw|strong="H7200" not the king’s|strong="H4428" face|strong="H6440".
25 But in all Israel|strong="H3478" there was none|strong="H0376" to be so much|strong="H3966" praised|strong="H1984" as Absalom|strong="H0053" for his beauty|strong="H3303": from the sole|strong="H3709" of his foot|strong="H7272" even to the crown of his head|strong="H6936" there was no blemish|strong="H3971" in him.
26 And when he polled|strong="H1548" his head|strong="H7218", (for it was at every year’s|strong="H3117" end|strong="H7093" that he polled|strong="H1548" it: because the hair was heavy|strong="H3513" on him, therefore he polled|strong="H1548" it:) he weighed|strong="H8254" the hair|strong="H8181" of his head|strong="H7218" at two hundred|strong="H3967" shekels|strong="H8255" after the king’s|strong="H4428" weight|strong="H0068".
27 And unto Absalom|strong="H0053" there were born|strong="H3205" three|strong="H7969" sons|strong="H1121", and one|strong="H0259" daughter|strong="H1323", whose name|strong="H8034" was Tamar|strong="H8559": she was a woman|strong="H0802" of a fair|strong="H3303" countenance|strong="H4758".
28 So Absalom|strong="H0053" dwelt|strong="H3427" two full|strong="H3117" years|strong="H8141" in Jerusalem|strong="H3389", and saw|strong="H7200" not the king’s|strong="H4428" face|strong="H6440".
29 Therefore Absalom|strong="H0053" sent|strong="H7971" for Joab|strong="H3097", to have sent|strong="H7971" him to the king|strong="H4428"; but he would|strong="H0014" not come|strong="H0935" to him: and when he sent again|strong="H7971" the second time|strong="H8145", he would|strong="H0014" not come|strong="H0935".
30 Therefore he said|strong="H0559" unto his servants|strong="H5650", See|strong="H7200", Joab’s|strong="H3097" field|strong="H2513" is near|strong="H0413" mine|strong="H3027", and he hath barley|strong="H8184" there; go|strong="H3212" and set|strong="H3341" it on fire|strong="H0784". And Absalom’s|strong="H0053" servants|strong="H5650" set|strong="H3341" the field|strong="H2513" on fire|strong="H0784".
31 Then Joab|strong="H3097" arose|strong="H6965", and came|strong="H0935" to Absalom|strong="H0053" unto his house|strong="H1004", and said|strong="H0559" unto him, Wherefore have thy servants|strong="H5650" set|strong="H3341" my field|strong="H2513" on fire|strong="H0784"?
32 And Absalom|strong="H0053" answered|strong="H0559" Joab|strong="H3097", Behold, I sent|strong="H7971" unto thee, saying|strong="H0559", Come|strong="H0935" hither, that I may send|strong="H7971" thee to the king|strong="H4428", to say|strong="H0559", Wherefore am I come|strong="H0935" from Geshur|strong="H1650"? it had been good|strong="H2896" for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see|strong="H7200" the king’s|strong="H4428" face|strong="H6440"; and if there be|strong="H3426" any iniquity|strong="H5771" in me, let him kill|strong="H4191" me.
33 So Joab|strong="H3097" came|strong="H0935" to the king|strong="H4428", and told|strong="H5046" him: and when he had called|strong="H7121" for Absalom|strong="H0053", he came|strong="H0935" to the king|strong="H4428", and bowed|strong="H7812" himself on his face|strong="H0639" to the ground|strong="H0776" before|strong="H6440" the king|strong="H4428": and the king|strong="H4428" kissed|strong="H5401" Absalom|strong="H0053".