Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
1 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heartwasconcernedabout Absalom.
2 And Joab sent toTekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner,and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead.
3 Go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joabput the words in her mouth.
4 And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, shefell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said,“Help, O king!”
5 Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?”
# And she answered,“Indeed Iama widow, my husband is dead.
6 Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, andtherewasno one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
7 And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute himfor the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husbandneithername nor remnant on the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”
9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king,letthe iniquitybeon me and on my father’s house,and the king and his thronebeguiltless.”
10 So the king said, “Whoever saysanythingto you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”
11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember theLordyour God, and do not permitthe avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”
# And he said,“AstheLordlives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Therefore the woman said, “Please, let your maidservant speakanotherword to my lord the king.”
And he said, “Say on.”
13 So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing againstthe people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty,inthatthe king does not bringhis banished one home again.
14 For wewill surely die andbecomelike water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does nottake away a life; but Hedevises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.
15 Now therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant.
16 For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the manwhowoulddestroy me and my son together from theinheritance of God.’
17 Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; foras the angel of God, soismy lord the king indiscerning good and evil. And may theLordyour God be with you.’ ”
18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.”
And the woman said, “Please, let my lord the king speak.”
19 So the king said, “Isthe hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “Asyou live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me, andhe put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant.
20 To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lordiswise,according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything thatisin the earth.”
21 And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.”
23 So Joab aroseand went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, butdo not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.
David Forgives Absalom
25 Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks.From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cutitbecause it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard.
27 To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose namewasTamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28 And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem,but did not see 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 the second time, he would not come.
30 So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32 And Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur?Itwouldbebetter for metobethere still.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; butif there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.”
33 So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the kingkissed Absalom.