2 Samuel Chapter 14

2 Samuel Chapter 14
1 Then Joab the son of Zeruiah
perceived, that the king's heart was
toward Absalom,
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and brought
thence a subtle woman, and said unto
her, I pray thee, feign thyself to mourn,
and now put on mourning apparel, and
anoint not thyself with oil: but be as a
woman that had now long time mourned
for the dead.
3 And come to the king, and speak of this
manner unto him, (for Joab taught her
what she should say).
4 Then the woman of Tekoah spake unto
the king, and fell down on her face to the
ground, and did obeisance, and said,
Help, O king.
5 Then the king said unto her, What
aileth thee? And she answered, I am
indeed a widow, and mine husband is
dead:
6 And thine handmaid had two sons, and
they two strove together in the field:
(and there was none to part them) so the
one smote the other, and slew him. 7
And behold, the whole family is risen
against thine handmaid, and they said,
Deliver him that smote his brother, that
we may kill him for the soul of his
brother whom he slew, that we may
destroy the heir also: so they shall
quench my sparkle which is left, and
shall not leave to mine husband neither
name nor posterity upon the earth.
8 And the king said unto the woman, Go
to thine house, and I will give a charge
for thee.
9 Then the woman of Tekoah said unto
the king, My lord, O king, this trespass
be on me, and on my father's house, and
the king and his throne be guiltless.
10 And the king said, Bring him to me
that speaketh against thee, and he shall
touch thee no more.
11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king
remember the Lord thy God, that thou
wouldest not suffer many revengers of
blood to destroy, lest they slay my son.
And he answered, As the Lord liveth,
there shall not one hair of thy son fall to
the earth.
12 Then the woman said, I pray thee, let
thine handmaid speak a word to my lord
the king. And he said, Say on.
13 Then the woman said, Wherefore then
hast thou thought such a thing against the
people of God? Or why doth the king, as
one which is faulty, speak this thing, that
he will not bring again his banished?
14 For we must needs die, and we are as
water spilt on the ground, which cannot
be gathered up again: neither doth God
spare any person, yet doth he appoint
means, not to cast out from him, him that
is expelled.
15 Now therefore that I am come to
speak of this thing unto my lord the king,
the cause is that the people have made
me afraid: therefore thine handmaid
said, Now will I speak unto the king: it
may be that the king will perform the
request of his handmaid.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his
handmaid out of the hand of the man that
would destroy me, and also my son from
the inheritance of God. 17 Therefore
thine handmaid said, The word of my
lord the king shall now be comfortable:
for my lord the king is even as an angel
of God in hearing of good and bad:
therefore the Lord thy God be with thee.
18 Then the king answered, and said
unto the woman, Hide not from me, I
pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee.
And the woman said, Let my lord the
king now speak.
19 And the king said, Is not the hand of
Joab with thee in all this? Then the
woman answered, and said, As thy soul
liveth, my lord the king, I will not turn to
the right hand nor to the left, from ought
that my lord the king hath spoken: for
even thy servant Joab bade me, and he
put all these words in the mouth of thine
handmaid.
20 For to the intent that I should change
the form of speech, thy servant Joab hath
done this thing: but my lord is wise
according to the wisdom of an angel of
God to understand all things that are in
the earth.
21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold
now, I have done this thing: go then, and
bring the young man Absalom again.
22 And Joab fell to the ground on his
face, and bowed himself, and thanked
the king. Then Joab said, This day thy
servant knoweth, that I have found grace
in thy sight, my lord the king, in that the
king hath fulfilled the request of his
servant.
23 And Joab arose, and went to Geshur,
and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24
And the king said, Let him turn to his
own house, and not see my face. So
Absalom turned to his own house, and
saw not the king's face.
25 Now in all Israel there was none to
be so much praised for beauty as
Absalom: from the sole of his foot even
to the top of his head there was no
blemish in him.
26 And when he polled his head, (for at
every year's end he polled it: because it
was too heavy for him, therefore he
polled it) he weighed the hair of his
head at two hundred shekels by the
king's weight.
27 And Absalom had three sons, and one
daughter named Tamar, which was a fair
woman to look upon.
28 So Absalom dwelt the space of two
years in Jerusalem, and saw not the
king's face.
29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to
send him to the king, but he would not
come to him: and when he sent again, he
would not come.
30 Therefore he said unto his servants,
Behold, Joab hath a field by my place,
and hath barley therein: go, and set it on
fire: and Absalom's servants set the field
on fire.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to
Absalom unto his house, and said unto
him, Wherefore have thy servants burned
my field with fire?
32 And Absalom answered Joab,
Behold, I sent for thee, saying, Come
thou hither, and I will send thee to the
king for to say, Wherefore am I come
from Geshur? It had been better for me
to have been there still: now therefore
let me see the king's face: and if there be
any trespass in me, let him kill me. 33
Then Joab came to the king, and told
him: and he called for Absalom, who
came to the king, and bowed himself to
the ground on his face before the king,
and the king kissed Absalom.