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2 Samuel 14
1599 Geneva Bible

14 2 Absalom is reconciled to his father by the subtlety of Joab. 24 Absalom may not see the King’s face. 25 The beauty of Absalom. 30 He causeth Joab’s corn to be burnt, and is brought to his father’s presence.

1 Then Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived, that the king’s [a]heart was toward Absalom,

2 And Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought thence a [b]subtle woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to mourn, and now put on mourning apparel, and [c]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 on this manner unto him, (for Joab [d]taught her what she should say).

4 ¶ Then the woman of Tekoa spake unto the king, and fell down on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, [e]Help, O King.

5 Then the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a [f]widow, and mine husband is dead:

6 And thine handmaid had two [g]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 [h]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 Tekoa said unto the King, My lord, O King, this [i]trespass be on me, and on my father’s house, and the King and his throne be [j]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 [k]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 [l]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 [m]spare any person, yet doth he appoint [n]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 [o]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 [p]comfortable: for my lord the King is even as an [q]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 [r]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 [s]should change the form of speech, thy servant Joab hath done this thing: but [t]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 [u]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 [v]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 [w]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 [x]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 [y]field by my place, and hath barley therein: go, and set it [z]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 burnt 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 [aa]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.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 14:1 That the king favored him.
  2. 2 Samuel 14:2 Or, wife.
  3. 2 Samuel 14:2 In token of mourning: for they used anointing to seem cheerful.
  4. 2 Samuel 14:3 Hebrew, put words in her mouth.
  5. 2 Samuel 14:4 Hebrew, Save.
  6. 2 Samuel 14:5 Hebrew, a widow woman.
  7. 2 Samuel 14:6 Under this parable she describeth the death of Amnon by Absalom.
  8. 2 Samuel 14:7 Because he hath slain his brother he ought to be slain according to the Law, Gen. 9:6; Exod. 21:12.
  9. 2 Samuel 14:9 As touching the breach of the Law which punisheth blood, let me bear the blame.
  10. 2 Samuel 14:9 Or, innocent.
  11. 2 Samuel 14:11 Swear that they shall not revenge the blood, which are many in number.
  12. 2 Samuel 14:13 Why dost thou give contrary sentence in thy son Absalom?
  13. 2 Samuel 14:14 Or, accept.
  14. 2 Samuel 14:14 God hath provided ways (as sanctuaries) to save them oft times, whom man judgeth worthy death.
  15. 2 Samuel 14:15 For I thought they would kill this mine heir.
  16. 2 Samuel 14:17 Hebrew, rest.
  17. 2 Samuel 14:17 Is of great wisdom to discern right from wrong.
  18. 2 Samuel 14:19 Hast not thou done this by the counsel of Joab.
  19. 2 Samuel 14:20 By speaking further in a parable then plainly.
  20. 2 Samuel 14:20 Or, none can hide ought from the King.
  21. 2 Samuel 14:21 I have granted thy request.
  22. 2 Samuel 14:22 Hebrew, blessed.
  23. 2 Samuel 14:24 Covering hereby his affection, and showing some part of justice to please the people.
  24. 2 Samuel 14:26 Which weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces after half an ounce the shekel.
  25. 2 Samuel 14:30 Or, possession.
  26. 2 Samuel 14:30 The wicked are impatient in their affections, and spare no unlawful means to compass them.
  27. 2 Samuel 14:32 If I have offended by revenging my sister’s dishonor: thus the wicked justify themselves in their evil.
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2 Samuel 14
New International Version

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 Joab(A) son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa(B) and had a wise woman(C) brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions.(D) Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. 3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab(E) put the words in her mouth.

4 When the woman from Tekoa went[a] to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!”

5 The king asked her, “What is troubling you?”

She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death(F) for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir(G) as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left,(H) leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”

8 The king said to the woman, “Go home,(I) and I will issue an order in your behalf.”

9 But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “Let my lord the king pardon(J) me and my family,(K) and let the king and his throne be without guilt.(L)”

10 The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.”

11 She said, “Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger(M) of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.”

“As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “not one hair(N) of your son’s head will fall to the ground.(O)”

12 Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.”

“Speak,” he replied.

13 The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself,(P) for the king has not brought back his banished son?(Q) 14 Like water(R) spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.(S) But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person(T) does not remain banished from him.

15 “And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant’s request. 16 Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’(U)

17 “And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel(V) of God in discerning(W) good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’”

18 Then the king said to the woman, “Don’t keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.”

“Let my lord the king speak,” the woman said.

19 The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab(X) with you in all this?”

The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. 20 Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom(Y) like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.(Z)”

21 The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22 Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king.(AA) Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”

23 Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.

25 In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. 26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head(AB)—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels[b] by the royal standard.

27 Three sons(AC) and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar,(AD) and she became a beautiful woman.

28 Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley(AE) there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?(AF)”

32 Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur?(AG) It would be better for me if I were still there!”’ Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”(AH)

33 So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed(AI) Absalom.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 14:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts spoke
  2. 2 Samuel 14:26 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
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