1 Now Joab3097 the son1121 of Zeruiah6870 perceived3045 that3588 the king's4428 heart3820 was toward5921 Absalom.53

2 And Joab3097 sent7971 to Tekoah,8620 and fetched3947 thence4480 8033 a wise2450 woman,802 and said559 unto413 her, I pray thee,4994 feign thyself to be a mourner,56 and put on3847 now4994 mourning60 apparel,899 and anoint5480 not408 thyself with oil,8081 but be1961 as a woman802 that2088 had a long7227 time3117 mourned56 for5921 the dead: 4191

3 And come935 to413 the king,4428 and speak1696 on413 this2088 manner1697 unto413 him. So Joab3097 put7760 853 the words1697 in her mouth.6310

4 And when the woman802 of Tekoah8621 spoke559 to413 the king,4428 she fell5307 on5921 her face639 to the ground,776 and did obeisance,7812 and said,559 Help,3467 O king.4428

5 And the king4428 said559 unto her, What4100 aileth thee? And she answered,559 I589 am indeed61 a widow490 woman,802 and mine husband376 is dead.4191

6 And thy handmaid8198 had two8147 sons,1121 and they two8147 strove together5327 in the field,7704 and there was none369 to part5337 996 them, but the one259 smote5221 853 the other,259 and slew4191 him.

7 And, behold,2009 the whole3605 family4940 is risen6965 against5921 thine handmaid,8198 and they said,559 Deliver5414 853 him that smote5221 his brother,251 that we may kill4191 him, for the life5315 of his brother251 whom834 he slew;2026 and we will destroy8045 853 the heir3423 also:1571 and so they shall quench3518 853 my coal1513 which834 is left,7604 and shall not1115 leave7604 to my husband376 neither name8034 nor remainder7611 upon5921 6440 the earth.127

8 And the king4428 said559 unto413 the woman,802 Go1980 to thine house,1004 and I589 will give charge6680 concerning5921 thee.

9 And the woman802 of Tekoah8621 said559 unto413 the king,4428 My lord,113 O king,4428 the iniquity5771 be on5921 me, and on5921 my father's1 house:1004 and the king4428 and his throne3678 be guiltless.5355

10 And the king4428 said,559 Whosoever saith1696 aught unto413 thee, bring935 him to413 me, and he shall not3808 touch5060 thee any3254 more.5750

11 Then said559 she, I pray thee,4994 let the king4428 remember2142 853 the LORD3068 thy God,430 that thou wouldest not3808 suffer the revengers1350 of blood1818 to destroy7843 any more,7235 lest they destroy8045 853 my son.1121 And he said,559 As the LORD3068 liveth,2416 there shall not518 one hair4480 8185 of thy son1121 fall5307 to the earth.776

12 Then the woman802 said,559 Let thine handmaid,8198 I pray thee,4994 speak1696 one word1697 unto413 my lord113 the king.4428 And he said,559 Say on.1696

13 And the woman802 said,559 Wherefore4100 then hast thou thought2803 such2063 a thing against5921 the people5971 of God?430 for the king4428 doth speak4480 1696 this2088 thing1697 as one which is faulty,818 in that the king4428 doth not1115 fetch home again7725 853 his banished.5080

14 For3588 we must needs die,4191 4191 and are as water4325 spilt5064 on the ground,776 which834 cannot3808 be gathered up622 again; neither3808 doth God430 respect5375 any person:5315 yet doth he devise2803 means,4284 that his banished5080 be not expelled5080 from4480 him.

15 Now6258 therefore that834 I am come935 to speak1696 of853 this2088 thing1697 unto413 my lord113 the king,4428 it is because3588 the people5971 have made me afraid:3372 and thy handmaid8198 said,559 I will now4994 speak1696 unto413 the king;4428 it may be194 that the king4428 will perform6213 853 the request1697 of his handmaid.519

16 For3588 the king4428 will hear,8085 to deliver5337 853 his handmaid519 out of the hand4480 3709 of the man376 that would destroy8045 me and my son1121 together3162 out of the inheritance4480 5159 of God.430

17 Then thine handmaid8198 said,559 The word1697 of my lord113 the king4428 shall now4994 be1961 comfortable:4496 for3588 as an angel4397 of God,430 so3651 is my lord113 the king4428 to discern8085 good2896 and bad:7451 therefore the LORD3068 thy God430 will be1961 with5973 thee.

18 Then the king4428 answered6030 and said559 unto413 the woman,802 Hide3582 not408 from4480 me, I pray thee,4994 the thing1697 that834 I595 shall ask7592 thee. And the woman802 said,559 Let my lord113 the king4428 now4994 speak.1696

19 And the king4428 said,559 Is not the hand3027 of Joab3097 with854 thee in all3605 this?2063 And the woman802 answered6030 and said,559 As thy soul5315 liveth,2416 my lord113 the king,4428 none can turn518 786 to the right3231 hand or to the left8041 from aught4480 3605 that834 my lord113 the king4428 hath spoken:1696 for3588 thy servant5650 Joab,3097 he1931 bade6680 me, and he1931 put7760 853 all3605 these428 words1697 in the mouth6310 of thine handmaid: 8198

20 To5668 fetch about5437 853 this form6440 of speech1697 hath thy servant5650 Joab3097 done6213 853 this2088 thing:1697 and my lord113 is wise,2450 according to the wisdom2451 of an angel4397 of God,430 to know3045 853 all3605 things that834 are in the earth.776

21 And the king4428 said559 unto413 Joab,3097 Behold2009 now,4994 I have done6213 853 this2088 thing:1697 go1980 therefore, bring7725 853 the young man5288 Absalom53 again.

22 And Joab3097 fell5307 to the ground776 on413 his face,6440 and bowed himself,7812 and thanked1288 853 the king:4428 and Joab3097 said,559 Today3117 thy servant5650 knoweth3045 that3588 I have found4672 grace2580 in thy sight,5869 my lord,113 O king,4428 in that834 the king4428 hath fulfilled6213 853 the request1697 of his servant.5650

23 So Joab3097 arose6965 and went1980 to Geshur,1650 and brought935 853 Absalom53 to Jerusalem.3389

24 And the king4428 said,559 Let him turn5437 to413 his own house,1004 and let him not3808 see7200 my face.6440 So Absalom53 returned5437 to413 his own house,1004 and saw7200 not3808 the king's4428 face.6440

25 But in all3605 Israel3478 there was1961 none3808 376 to be so much3966 praised1984 as Absalom53 for his beauty:3303 from the sole4480 3709 of his foot7272 even to5704 the crown of his head6936 there was1961 no3808 blemish3971 in him.

26 And when he polled1548 853 his head,7218 (for it was1961 at every year's end4480 7093 3117 3117 that834 he polled1548 it: because3588 the hair was heavy3513 on5921 him, therefore he polled1548 it: ) he weighed8254 853 the hair8181 of his head7218 at two hundred3967 shekels8255 after the king's4428 weight.68

27 And unto Absalom53 there were born3205 three7969 sons,1121 and one259 daughter,1323 whose name8034 was Tamar:8559 she1931 was1961 a woman802 of a fair3303 countenance.4758

28 So Absalom53 dwelt3427 two full years8141 3117 in Jerusalem,3389 and saw7200 not3808 the king's4428 face.6440

29 Therefore Absalom53 sent7971 for413 Joab,3097 to have sent7971 him to413 the king;4428 but he would14 not3808 come935 to413 him: and when he sent7971 again5750 the second time,8145 he would14 not3808 come.935

30 Therefore he said559 unto413 his servants,5650 See,7200 Joab's3097 field2513 is near413 mine,3027 and he hath barley8184 there;8033 go1980 and set3341 it on fire.784 And Absalom's53 servants5650 set3341 853 the field2513 on fire.784

31 Then Joab3097 arose,6965 and came935 to413 Absalom53 unto his house,1004 and said559 unto413 him, Wherefore4100 have thy servants5650 set3341 853 my field2513 on fire?784

32 And Absalom53 answered559 413 Joab,3097 Behold,2009 I sent7971 unto413 thee, saying,559 Come935 hither,2008 that I may send7971 thee to413 the king,4428 to say,559 Wherefore4100 am I589 come935 from Geshur?4480 1650 it had been good2896 for me to have been there8033 still:5750 now6258 therefore let me see7200 the king's4428 face;6440 and if518 there be3426 any iniquity5771 in me, let him kill4191 me.

33 So Joab3097 came935 to413 the king,4428 and told5046 him: and when he had called7121 for413 Absalom,53 he came935 to413 the king,4428 and bowed7812 himself on5921 his face639 to the ground776 before6440 the king:4428 and the king4428 kissed5401 Absalom.53