2 Samuel 14

1Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

2So Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman, and he said to her, “Please pretend to be mourning, and please put on mourning clothes, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days.”

3Then go to the king and speak to him in this way. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

4Then the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king. She fell with her face to the ground and bowed down, and she said, “Save me, O king!”

5The king said to her, “What is the matter?” She said, “Indeed, I am a widow, and my husband has died.”

6And your servant had two sons, and the two of them fought in the field, and there was no one to separate them; then the one struck the other and killed him.

7And look, the whole family has risen up against your servant and said, ‘Give up the one who struck his brother, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my remaining ember, leaving my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.

8Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

9Then the woman from Tekoa said to the king, “On me, my lord the king, be the guilt, and on my father’s house; but the king and his throne are innocent.”

10And the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will never touch you again.”

11Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood may not continue to destroy, and they may not destroy my son.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”

13Then the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word, the king is like one who is guilty, because the king has not brought back his banished one.”

14For we must surely die and are like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but devises plans so that the banished one will not remain banished from him.

15And now I have come to speak this matter to my lord the king, because the people have frightened me. And your servant said, ‘Please let me speak to the king; perhaps the king will do the word of his servant.’

16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God.

17Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest, for my lord the king is like the angel of God, to hear the good and the evil. And may Yahweh your God be with you.’

18Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.” And the woman said, “Please speak, my lord the king.”

19Then the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken, for your servant Joab himself commanded me, and he himself put all these words into the mouth of your female servant.”

20In order to change the course of the matter, your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord is wise, with the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the land.

21Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22Then Joab fell with his face to the ground, bowed down, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has done the word of his servant.”

23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24But the king said, “Let him turn aside to his own house, and let him not see my face.” So Absalom turned aside to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

25In all Israel there was not a man as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26Whenever he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he would cut it, because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head: two hundred shekels by the king’s stone.

27Three sons and one daughter were born to Absalom, and her name was Tamar. She was a woman beautiful in appearance.

28So Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, and he did not see the king's face.

29So Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he was not willing to come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he was not willing to come.

30Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31Then Joab arose and went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”

32Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.”’ Now then, let me see the king’s face; and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.”

33Then Joab came to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself with his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.