2 Samuel 14

1 And Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the heart of the king was toward Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and took a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Mourn, please, and put on mourning clothes, and do not rub yourself with oil; and be like a woman who has been mourning many days for someone who has died. 3 And you will go to the king and speak to him in this way.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4 And the woman of Tekoa went in to the king and fell on her face to the ground and bowed down to him, and said, “Save me, O king, save me!” 5 And the king said to her, “What is it with you?” And she said, “I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband has died. 6 And your slave had two sons, and the two of them fought in the field, and there was no one there to pull them apart; and the one struck his brother and killed him. 7 And now the whole family has risen up against your slave, and they say, ‘Give up the one who struck his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed — and we will take away your heir as well.’ So they will quench my one coal that is left, and leave my husband no remnant and no name on the face of the earth.”

8 And the king said to the woman, “Go home in good health, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me, my lord king, be the lawlessness, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne are guiltless.” 10 And the king said, “Who is it that speaks to you? Bring him to me, and he will not lay a hand on him again.” 11 And she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord his God, so that the near relative who avenges the blood may not go on destroying; and let them not take away my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, not a hair of your son will fall to the ground.” [a]

12 And the woman said, “Please let your slave speak one word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” 13 And the woman said, “Why have you reckoned such a thing against the people of God? This word from the king’s own mouth is like a wrongdoing, in that the king does not bring back the one he has driven out. [b] 14 For we will surely die, and we are like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God will take a life, and he plans to drive out from himself the one already driven out. [c]

15 And now, I have come to speak this word to the king my lord because the people will see me; and your slave will say, ‘Let your slave speak to the king; perhaps the king will do what his slave asks. 16 For the king will hear, and rescue his slave from the hand of the man who seeks to take me and my son away from the inheritance of God.’” 17 And the woman said, “May the word of my lord the king be for a sacrifice; for as a messenger of God, so is my lord the king, to hear what is good and what is evil. And the Lord your God will be with you.” [d]

18 And the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me the thing I am going to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 And the king said, “Is not the hand of Joab with you in all of this?” And the woman answered the king, “As your soul lives, my lord king, there is nothing to the right or to the left of all that my lord the king has said. For your slave Joab himself gave me my orders, and he himself put all these words in the mouth of your slave. 20 It was to give this matter another face that your slave Joab did it. And my lord is wise, as wise as a messenger of God, to know all that is on the earth.”

21 And the king said to Joab, “See now, I have done for you as you asked. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and bowed down and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your slave knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord king, in that my lord the king has done what his slave asked.” 23 And Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, “Let him go back to his own house; he is not to see my face.” And Absalom went back to his own house, and did not see the king’s face.

25 And there was no man in all Israel so highly praised as Absalom: from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. [f] 26 And when he cut the hair of his head — year after year he cut it, because it grew heavy on him — when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head: about five pounds by the royal weight. [g] 27 And three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, and her name was Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman, and she became the wife of Rehoboam son of Solomon, and she bore him Abijah. [h]

28 And Absalom lived in Jerusalem two full years, and he did not see the king’s face. 29 And Absalom sent to Joab, to have him send him in to the king, and he would not come to him. And he sent to him a second time, and he would not come. 30 And Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s piece of field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. And Joab’s slaves came to him with their clothes torn and said to him, “Absalom’s slaves have set the field on fire.”

31 And Joab got up and came to Absalom at the house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 And Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, and I will send you to the king to ask why I came from Geshur — it would have been better for me to be there still.’ And now, see, I have not seen the king’s face. And if there is wrong in me, then put me to death.” 33 And Joab went in to the king and told him. And he called Absalom, and he came in to the king and bowed down to him and fell on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.