Now Joab³⁰⁹⁷ the son¹¹²¹ of Zeruiah⁶⁸⁷⁰ perceived³⁰⁴⁵ that the king's⁴⁴²⁸ heart³⁸²⁰ was toward Absalom.⁵³

And Joab³⁰⁹⁷ sent⁷⁹⁷¹ to Tekoah,⁸⁶²⁰ and fetched³⁹⁴⁷ thence a wise²⁴⁵⁰ woman,⁸⁰² and said⁵⁵⁹ unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner,⁵⁶ and put on³⁸⁴⁷ now mourning⁶⁰ apparel,⁸⁹⁹ and anoint⁵⁴⁸⁰ not thyself with oil,⁸⁰⁸¹ but be as a woman⁸⁰² that had a long⁷²²⁷ time³¹¹⁷ mourned⁵⁶ for the dead:⁴¹⁹¹

And come⁹³⁵ to the king,⁴⁴²⁸ and speak¹⁶⁹⁶ on this manner¹⁶⁹⁷ unto him. So Joab³⁰⁹⁷ put⁷⁷⁶⁰ the words¹⁶⁹⁷ in her mouth.⁶³¹⁰

And when the woman⁸⁰² of Tekoah⁸⁶²¹ spake⁵⁵⁹ to the king,⁴⁴²⁸ she fell⁵³⁰⁷ on her face⁶³⁹ to the ground,⁷⁷⁶ and did obeisance,⁷⁸¹² and said,⁵⁵⁹ Help,³⁴⁶⁷ O king.⁴⁴²⁸

And the king⁴⁴²⁸ said⁵⁵⁹ unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered,⁵⁵⁹ I am indeed⁶¹ a widow⁴⁹⁰ woman,⁸⁰² and mine husband³⁷⁶ is dead.⁴¹⁹¹

And thy handmaid⁸¹⁹⁸ had two⁸¹⁴⁷ sons,¹¹²¹ and they two⁸¹⁴⁷ strove⁵³²⁷ together in the field,⁷⁷⁰⁴ and there was none to part⁵³³⁷ them, but the one²⁵⁹ smote⁵²²¹ the other,²⁵⁹ and slew⁴¹⁹¹ him.

And, behold, the whole family⁴⁹⁴⁰ is risen⁶⁹⁶⁵ against thine handmaid,⁸¹⁹⁸ and they said,⁵⁵⁹ Deliver⁵⁴¹⁴ him that smote⁵²²¹ his brother,²⁵¹ that we may kill⁴¹⁹¹ him, for the life⁵³¹⁵ of his brother²⁵¹ whom he slew;²⁰²⁶ and we will destroy⁸⁰⁴⁵ the heir³⁴²³ also: and so they shall quench³⁵¹⁸ my coal¹⁵¹³ which is left,⁷⁶⁰⁴ and shall not leave⁷⁷⁶⁰ to my husband³⁷⁶ neither name⁸⁰³⁴ nor remainder⁷⁶¹¹ upon⁶⁴⁴⁰ the earth.¹²⁷

And the king⁴⁴²⁸ said⁵⁵⁹ unto the woman,⁸⁰² Go³²¹² to thine house,¹⁰⁰⁴ and I will give charge⁶⁶⁸⁰ concerning thee.

And the woman⁸⁰² of Tekoah⁸⁶²¹ said⁵⁵⁹ unto the king,⁴⁴²⁸ My sovereign,¹¹³ O king,⁴⁴²⁸ the iniquity⁵⁷⁷¹ be on me, and on my father's¹ house:¹⁰⁰⁴ and the king⁴⁴²⁸ and his throne³⁶⁷⁸ be guiltless.⁵³⁵⁵

And the king⁴⁴²⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ Whosoever saith¹⁶⁹⁶ ought unto thee, bring⁹³⁵ him to me, and he shall not touch⁵⁰⁶⁰ thee any more.³²⁵⁴

Then said⁵⁵⁹ she, I pray thee, let the king⁴⁴²⁸ remember²¹⁴² Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ thy Elohim,⁴³⁰ that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers¹³⁵⁰ of blood¹⁸¹⁸ to destroy⁷⁸⁴³ any more,⁷²³⁵ lest they destroy⁸⁰⁴⁵ my son.¹¹²¹ And he said,⁵⁵⁹ As Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ liveth,²⁴¹⁶ there shall not one hair⁸¹⁸⁵ of thy son¹¹²¹ fall⁵³⁰⁷ to the earth.⁷⁷⁶

Then the woman⁸⁰² said,⁵⁵⁹ Let thine handmaid,⁸¹⁹⁸ I pray thee, speak¹⁶⁹⁶ one word¹⁶⁹⁷ unto my sovereign¹¹³ the king.⁴⁴²⁸ And he said,⁵⁵⁹ Say on.¹⁶⁹⁶

And the woman⁸⁰² said,⁵⁵⁹ Wherefore then hast thou thought²⁸⁰³ such a thing against the people⁵⁹⁷¹ of Elohim?⁴³⁰ for the king⁴⁴²⁸ doth speak¹⁶⁹⁶ this thing¹⁶⁹⁷ as one which is faulty,⁸¹⁸ in that the king⁴⁴²⁸ doth not fetch home again⁷⁷²⁵ his banished.⁵⁰⁸⁰

For we must needs⁴¹⁹¹ die,⁴¹⁹¹ and are as water⁴³²⁵ spilt⁵⁰⁶⁴ on the ground,⁷⁷⁶ which cannot be gathered⁶²² up again; neither doth Elohim⁴³⁰ respect⁵³⁷⁵ any person:⁵³¹⁵ yet doth he devise²⁸⁰³ means,⁴²⁸⁴ that his banished⁵⁰⁸⁰ be not expelled⁵⁰⁸⁰ from him.

Now therefore that I am come⁹³⁵ to speak¹⁶⁹⁶ of this thing¹⁶⁹⁷ unto my sovereign¹¹³ the king,⁴⁴²⁸ it is because the people⁵⁹⁷¹ have made me afraid:³³⁷² and thy handmaid⁸¹⁹⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ I will now speak¹⁶⁹⁶ unto the king;⁴⁴²⁸ it may be that the king⁴⁴²⁸ will perform⁶²¹³ the request¹⁶⁹⁷ of his handmaid.⁵¹⁹

For the king⁴⁴²⁸ will hear,⁸⁰⁸⁵ to deliver⁵³³⁷ his handmaid⁵¹⁹ out of the hand³⁷⁰⁹ of the man³⁷⁶ that would destroy⁸⁰⁴⁵ me and my son¹¹²¹ together³¹⁶² out of the inheritance⁵¹⁵⁹ of Elohim.⁴³⁰

Then thine handmaid⁸¹⁹⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ The word¹⁶⁹⁷ of my sovereign¹¹³ the king⁴⁴²⁸ shall now be comfortable:⁴⁴⁹⁶ for as an angel⁴³⁹⁷ of Elohim,⁴³⁰ so is my sovereign¹¹³ the king⁴⁴²⁸ to discern⁸⁰⁸⁵ good²⁸⁹⁶ and bad:⁷⁴⁵¹ therefore Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ thy Elohim⁴³⁰ will be with thee.

Then the king⁴⁴²⁸ answered⁶⁰³⁰ and said⁵⁵⁹ unto the woman,⁸⁰² Hide³⁵⁸² not from me, I pray thee, the thing¹⁶⁹⁷ that I shall ask⁷⁵⁹² thee. And the woman⁸⁰² said,⁵⁵⁹ Let my sovereign¹¹³ the king⁴⁴²⁸ now speak.¹⁶⁹⁶

And the king⁴⁴²⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ Is not the hand³⁰²⁷ of Joab³⁰⁹⁷ with thee in all this? And the woman⁸⁰² answered⁶⁰³⁰ and said,⁵⁵⁹ As thy soul⁵³¹⁵ liveth,²⁴¹⁶ my sovereign¹¹³ the king,⁴⁴²⁸ none³⁷⁶ can⁷⁸⁶ turn to the right hand³²³¹ or to the left⁸⁰⁴¹ from ought that my sovereign¹¹³ the king⁴⁴²⁸ hath spoken:¹⁶⁹⁶ for thy servant⁵⁶⁵⁰ Joab,³⁰⁹⁷ he bade⁶⁶⁸⁰ me, and he put⁷⁷⁶⁰ all these words¹⁶⁹⁷ in the mouth⁶³¹⁰ of thine handmaid:⁸¹⁹⁸

To⁵⁶⁶⁸ fetch about⁵⁴³⁷ this form⁶⁴⁴⁰ of speech¹⁶⁹⁷ hath thy servant⁵⁶⁵⁰ Joab³⁰⁹⁷ done⁶²¹³ this thing:¹⁶⁹⁷ and my sovereign¹¹³ is wise,²⁴⁵⁰ according to the wisdom²⁴⁵¹ of an angel⁴³⁹⁷ of Elohim,⁴³⁰ to know³⁰⁴⁵ all things that are in the earth.⁷⁷⁶

And the king⁴⁴²⁸ said⁵⁵⁹ unto Joab,³⁰⁹⁷ Behold now, I have done⁶²¹³ this thing:¹⁶⁹⁷ go³²¹² therefore, bring the young man⁵²⁸⁸ Absalom⁵³ again.⁷⁷²⁵

And Joab³⁰⁹⁷ fell⁵³⁰⁷ to the ground⁷⁷⁶ on his face,⁶⁴⁴⁰ and bowed⁷⁸¹² himself, and thanked¹²⁸⁸ the king:⁴⁴²⁸ and Joab³⁰⁹⁷ said,⁵⁵⁹ To day³¹¹⁷ thy servant⁵⁶⁵⁰ knoweth³⁰⁴⁵ that I have found⁴⁶⁷² grace²⁵⁸⁰ in thy sight,⁵⁸⁶⁹ my sovereign,¹¹³ O king,⁴⁴²⁸ in that the king⁴⁴²⁸ hath fulfilled⁶²¹³ the request¹⁶⁹⁷ of his servant.⁵⁶⁵⁰

So Joab³⁰⁹⁷ arose⁶⁹⁶⁵ and went³²¹² to Geshur,¹⁶⁵⁰ and brought⁹³⁵ Absalom⁵³ to Jerusalem.³³⁸⁹

And the king⁴⁴²⁸ said,⁵⁵⁹ Let him turn⁵⁴³⁷ to his own house,¹⁰⁰⁴ and let him not see⁷²⁰⁰ my face.⁶⁴⁴⁰ So Absalom⁵³ returned⁵⁴³⁷ to his own house,¹⁰⁰⁴ and saw⁷²⁰⁰ not the king's⁴⁴²⁸ face.⁶⁴⁴⁰

But in all Israel³⁴⁷⁸ there was none³⁷⁶ to be so much³⁹⁶⁶ praised¹⁹⁸⁴ as Absalom⁵³ for his beauty:³³⁰³ from the sole³⁷⁰⁹ of his foot⁷²⁷² even to the crown of his head⁶⁹³⁶ there was no blemish³⁹⁷¹ in him.

And when he polled¹⁵⁴⁸ his head,⁷²¹⁸ (for it was at every year's³¹¹⁷ end⁷⁰⁹³ that he polled¹⁵⁴⁸ it: because the hair was heavy³⁵¹³ on him, therefore he polled¹⁵⁴⁸ it:) he weighed⁸²⁵⁴ the hair⁸¹⁸¹ of his head⁷²¹⁸ at two hundred³⁹⁶⁷ shekels⁸²⁵⁵ after the king's⁴⁴²⁸ weight.⁶⁸

And unto Absalom⁵³ there were born³²⁰⁵ three⁷⁹⁶⁹ sons,¹¹²¹ and one²⁵⁹ daughter,¹³²³ whose name⁸⁰³⁴ was Tamar:⁸⁵⁵⁹ she was a woman⁸⁰² of a fair³³⁰³ countenance.⁴⁷⁵⁸

So Absalom⁵³ dwelt³⁴²⁷ two full³¹¹⁷ years⁸¹⁴¹ in Jerusalem,³³⁸⁹ and saw⁷²⁰⁰ not the king's⁴⁴²⁸ face.⁶⁴⁴⁰

Therefore Absalom⁵³ sent⁷⁹⁷¹ for Joab,³⁰⁹⁷ to have sent⁷⁹⁷¹ him to the king;⁴⁴²⁸ but he would¹⁴ not come⁹³⁵ to him: and when he sent⁷⁹⁷¹ again the second time,⁸¹⁴⁵ he would¹⁴ not come.⁹³⁵

Therefore he said⁵⁵⁹ unto his servants,⁵⁶⁵⁰ See,⁷²⁰⁰ Joab's³⁰⁹⁷ field²⁵¹³ is near⁴¹³ mine,³⁰²⁷ and he hath barley⁸¹⁸⁴ there; go³²¹² and set it³³⁴¹ on fire.⁷⁸⁴ And Absalom's⁵³ servants⁵⁶⁵⁰ set³³⁴¹ the field²⁵¹³ on fire.⁷⁸⁴

Then Joab³⁰⁹⁷ arose,⁶⁹⁶⁵ and came⁹³⁵ to Absalom⁵³ unto his house,¹⁰⁰⁴ and said⁵⁵⁹ unto him, Wherefore have thy servants⁵⁶⁵⁰ set³³⁴¹ my field²⁵¹³ on fire?⁷⁸⁴

And Absalom⁵³ answered⁵⁵⁹ Joab,³⁰⁹⁷ Behold, I sent⁷⁹⁷¹ unto thee, saying,⁵⁵⁹ Come⁹³⁵ hither, that I may send⁷⁹⁷¹ thee to the king,⁴⁴²⁸ to say,⁵⁵⁹ Wherefore am I come⁹³⁵ from Geshur?¹⁶⁵⁰ it had been good²⁸⁹⁶ for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see⁷²⁰⁰ the king's⁴⁴²⁸ face;⁶⁴⁴⁰ and if there be³⁴²⁶ any iniquity⁵⁷⁷¹ in me, let him kill⁴¹⁹¹ me.

So Joab³⁰⁹⁷ came⁹³⁵ to the king,⁴⁴²⁸ and told⁵⁰⁴⁶ him: and when he had called⁷¹²¹ for Absalom,⁵³ he came⁹³⁵ to the king,⁴⁴²⁸ and bowed⁷⁸¹² himself on his face⁶³⁹ to the ground⁷⁷⁶ before⁶⁴⁴⁰ the king:⁴⁴²⁸ and the king⁴⁴²⁸ kissed⁵⁴⁰¹ Absalom.⁵³