[1] Now it was clear to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, that the king's heart was
turning to Absalom. [2] And Joab sent to Tekoa and got from there a wise
woman, and said to her, Now make yourself seem like one given up to grief,
and put on the clothing of sorrow, not using any sweet oil for your body,
but looking like one who for a long time has been weeping for the dead: [3]
And come to the king and say these words to him. So Joab gave her words to
say. [4] And the woman of Tekoa came to the king, and falling on her face,
gave him honour and said, Give me help, O king. [5] And the king said to
her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my
husband is dead. [6] And I had two sons, and the two of them had a fight in
the field, and there was no one to come between them, and one with a blow
put the other to death. [7] And now all the family is turned against me,
your servant, saying, Give up him who was the cause of his brother's death,
so that we may put him to death in payment for the life of his brother,
whose life he took; and we will put an end to the one who will get the
heritage: so they will put out my last burning coal, and my husband will
have no name or offspring on the face of the earth. [8] And the king said
to the woman, Go to your house and I will give orders about this. [9] And
the woman of Tekoa said to the king, My lord, O king, may the sin be on me
and on my family, and may the king and the seat of his kingdom be clear of
sin! [10] And the king said, If anyone says anything to you, make him come
to me, and he will do you no more damage. [11] Then she said, Let the king
keep in mind the Lord your God, so that he who gives punishment for blood
may be kept back from further destruction and that no one may send death on
my son. And he said, By the living Lord, not a hair of your son's head will
come to the earth. [12] Then the woman said, Will the king let his servant
say one word more? And he said, Say on. [13] And the woman said, Why have
you had such a thought about the people of God? (for in saying these very
words the king has put himself in the wrong because he has not taken back
the one whom he sent far away.) [14] For death comes to us all, and we are
like water drained out on the earth, which it is not possible to take up
again; and God will not take away the life of the man whose purpose is that
he who has been sent away may not be completely cut off from him. [15] And
now it is my fear of the people which has made me come to say these words
to my lord the king: and your servant said, I will put my cause before the
king, and it may be that he will give effect to my request. [16] For the
king will give ear, and take his servant out of the power of the man whose
purpose is the destruction of me and my son together from the heritage of
God. [17] Then your servant said, May the word of my lord the king give me
peace! for my lord the king is as the angel of God in his hearing of good
and bad: and may the Lord your God be with you! [18] Then the king said to
the woman, Now give me an answer to the question I am going to put to you;
keep nothing back. And the woman said, Let my lord the king say on. [19]
And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the
woman in answer said, By the life of your soul, my lord the king, it is not
possible for anyone to go to the right hand or to the left from anything
said by the king: your servant Joab gave me orders, and put all these words
in my mouth: [20] This he did, hoping that the face of this business might
be changed: and my lord is wise, with the wisdom of the angel of God,
having knowledge of everything on earth. [21] And the king said to Joab,
See now, I will do this thing: go then and Come back with the young man
Absalom. [22] Then Joab, falling down on his face on the earth, gave the
king honour and blessing; and Joab said, Today it is clear to your servant
that I have grace in your eyes, my lord king, because the king has given
effect to the request of his servant. [23] So Joab got up and went to
Geshur and came back again to Jerusalem with Absalom. [24] And the king
said, Let him go to his house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom went
back to his house and did not see the face of the king. [25] Now in all
Israel there was no one so greatly to be praised for his beautiful form as
Absalom: from his feet to the crown of his head he was completely
beautiful. [26] And when he had his hair cut, (which he did at the end of
every year, because of the weight of his hair;) the weight of the hair was
two hundred shekels by the king's weight. [27] And Absalom was the father
of three sons and of one daughter named Tamar, who was very beautiful. [28]
For two full years Absalom was living in Jerusalem without ever seeing the
face of the king. [29] Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king,
but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would
not come. [30] So he said to his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine,
and he has barley in it; go and put it on fire. And Absalom's servants put
the field on fire. [31] Then Joab came to Absalom in his house and said to
him, Why have your servants put my field on fire? [32] And Absalom's answer
was, See, I sent to you saying, Come here, so that I may send you to the
king to say, Why have I come back from Geshur? it would be better for me to
be there still: let me now see the king's face, and if there is any sin in
me, let him put me to death. [33] So Joab went to the king and said these
words to him: and when the king had sent for him, Absalom came, and went
down on his face on the earth before the king: and the king gave him a
kiss.
