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

2 And Joab3097 sent7971 to Tekoah,8620 and fetched3947 there8033 a wise2450 woman,802 and said559 to her, I pray4994 you, feign yourself to be a mourner,56 and put3847 on now4994 mourning60 apparel,899 and anoint5480 not yourself with oil,8081 but be as a woman802 that had a long7227 time3117 mourned56 for the dead:4191

3 And come935 to the king,4428 and speak1696 on this2088 manner1697 to him. So Joab3097 put7760 the words1697 in her mouth.6310

4 And when the woman802 of Tekoah8621 spoke559 to 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 to her, What4100 ails you? And she answered,559 I am indeed61 a widow490 woman,802 and my husband376 is dead.4191

6 And your handmaid8198 had two8147 sons,1121 and they two8147 strove5327 together in the field,7704 and there was none369 to part5337 them, but the one259 smote5221 the other,259 and slew4191 him.

7 And, behold,2009 the whole3605 family4940 is risen6965 against5921 your handmaid,8198 and they said,559 Deliver5414 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 the heir3423 also:1571 and so they shall quench3518 my coal1513 which834 is left,7604 and shall not leave7604 to my husband376 neither1115 name8034 nor remainder7611 on the earth.127

8 And the king4428 said559 to the woman,802 Go3212 to your house,1004 and I will give charge6680 concerning5921 you.

9 And the woman802 of Tekoah8621 said559 to 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 Whoever said1696 ought to you, bring935 him to me, and he shall not touch5060 you any more.3254 5750

11 Then said559 she, I pray4994 you, let the king4428 remember2142 the LORD3068 your God,430 that you would not suffer the revengers1350 of blood1818 to destroy7843 any more,7235 lest they destroy8045 my son.1121 And he said,559 As the LORD3068 lives,2416 there shall not one hair8185 of your son1121 fall5307 to the earth.776

12 Then the woman802 said,559 Let your handmaid,8198 I pray4994 you, speak1696 one word1697 to my lord113 the king.4428 And he said,559 Say1696 on.

13 And the woman802 said,559 Why4100 then have you thought2803 such2063 a thing against5921 the people5971 of God?430 for the king4428 does speak1696 this2088 thing1697 as one which is faulty,818 in that the king4428 does not fetch7725 home7725 again7725 his banished.5080

14 For we must needs die,4191 and are as water4325 spilt5064 on the ground,776 which834 cannot3808 be gathered622 up again; neither3808 does God430 respect5375 any person:5315 yet does he devise2803 means,4284 that his banished5080 be not expelled5080 from him.

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

16 For the king4428 will hear,8085 to deliver5337 his handmaid519 out of the hand3709 of the man376 that would destroy8045 me and my son1121 together3162 out of the inheritance5159 of God.430

17 Then your handmaid8198 said,559 The word1697 of my lord113 the king4428 shall now4994 be comfortable:4496 for as an angel4397 of God,430 so3651 is my lord113 the king4428 to discern8085 good2896 and bad:7451 therefore the LORD3068 your God430 will be with you.

18 Then the king4428 answered6030 and said559 to the woman,802 Hide3582 not from me, I pray4994 you, the thing1697 that I shall ask7592 you. 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 with you in all3605 this?2063 And the woman802 answered6030 and said,559 As your soul5315 lives,2416 my lord113 the king,4428 none376 can turn to the right3231 hand3231 or to the left8041 from ought that my lord113 the king4428 has spoken:1696 for your servant5650 Joab,3097 he bade6680 me, and he put7760 all3605 these428 words1697 in the mouth6310 of your handmaid:8198

20 To fetch5437 about5437 this form6440 of speech1697 has your servant5650 Joab3097 done6213 this2088 thing:1697 and my lord113 is wise,2450 according to the wisdom2451 of an angel4397 of God,430 to know3045 all3605 things that are in the earth.776

21 And the king4428 said559 to Joab,3097 Behold2009 now,4994 I have done6213 this2088 thing:1697 go3212 therefore, bring7725 the young5288 man Absalom53 again.7725

22 And Joab3097 fell5307 to the ground776 on413 his face,6440 and bowed7812 himself, and thanked1288 the king:4428 and Joab3097 said,559 To day3117 your servant5650 knows3045 that I have found4672 grace2580 in your sight,5869 my lord,113 O king,4428 in that the king4428 has fulfilled6213 the request1697 of his servant.5650

23 So Joab3097 arose6965 and went3212 to Geshur,1650 and brought935 Absalom53 to Jerusalem.3389

24 And the king4428 said,559 Let him turn5437 to his own house,1004 and let him not see7200 my face.6440 So Absalom53 returned5437 to his own house,1004 and saw7200 not the king's4428 face.6440

25 But in all3605 Israel3478 there was none3808 376 to be so much3966 praised1984 as Absalom53 for his beauty:3303 from the sole3709 of his foot7272 even to the crown6936 of his head6936 there was no3808 blemish3971 in him.

26 And when he polled1548 his head,7218 (for it was at every year's3117 end7093 that he polled1548 it: because3588 the hair was heavy3513 on5921 him, therefore he polled1548 it:) he weighed8254 the hair8181 of his head7218 at two hundred3967 shekels8255 after the king's4428 weight.68

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

28 So Absalom53 dwelled3427 two full3117 years8141 in Jerusalem,3389 and saw7200 not the king's4428 face.6440

29 Therefore Absalom53 sent7971 for Joab,3097 to have sent7971 him to the king;4428 but he would14 not come935 to him: and when he sent7971 again5750 the second8145 time, he would14 not come.935

30 Therefore he said559 to his servants,5650 See,7200 Joab's3097 field2513 is near413 mine,3027 and he has barley8184 there;8033 go3212 and set it on fire.784 And Absalom's53 servants5650 set the field2513 on fire.784

31 Then Joab3097 arose,6965 and came935 to Absalom53 to his house,1004 and said559 to him, Why4100 have your servants5650 set my field2513 on fire?784

32 And Absalom53 answered559 Joab,3097 Behold,2009 I sent7971 to you, saying,559 Come935 here, that I may send7971 you to the king,4428 to say,559 Why4100 am I come935 from Geshur?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 be any iniquity5771 in me, let him kill4191 me.

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