Now Joab{H3097} the son{H1121} of Zeruiah{H6870} perceived{H3045} that the king's{H4428} heart{H3820} was toward Absalom.{H53}

And Joab{H3097} sent{H7971} to Tekoa,{H8620} and fetched{H3947} thence a wise{H2450} woman,{H802} and said{H559} unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner,{H56} and put on{H3847} mourning{H60} apparel,{H899} I pray thee, and anoint{H5480} not thyself with oil,{H8081} but be as a woman{H802} that hath a long{H7227} time{H3117} mourned{H56} for the dead:{H4191}

and go{H935} in to the king,{H4428} and speak{H1696} on this manner{H1697} unto him. So Joab{H3097} put{H7760} the words{H1697} in her mouth.{H6310}

And when the woman{H802} of Tekoa{H8621} spake{H559} to the king,{H4428} she fell{H5307} on her face{H639} to the ground,{H776} and did obeisance,{H7812} and said,{H559} Help,{H3467} O king.{H4428}

And the king{H4428} said{H559} unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered,{H559} Of a truth{H61} I{H802} am a widow,{H490} and my husband{H376} is dead.{H4191}

And thy handmaid{H8198} had two{H8147} sons,{H1121} and they two{H8147} strove together{H5327} in the field,{H7704} and there was none to part{H5337} them, but the one{H259} smote{H5221} the other,{H259} and killed{H4191} him.

And, behold, the whole family{H4940} is risen{H6965} against thy handmaid,{H8198} and they say,{H559} Deliver{H5414} him that smote{H5221} his brother,{H251} that we may kill{H4191} him for the life{H5315} of his brother{H251} whom he slew,{H2026} and so destroy{H8045} the heir{H3423} also. Thus will they quench{H3518} my coal{H1513} which is left,{H7760} and will leave{H7760} to my husband{H376} neither name{H8034} nor remainder{H7611} upon{H6440} the face of the earth.{H127}

And the king{H4428} said{H559} unto the woman,{H802} Go{H3212} to thy house,{H1004} and I will give charge{H6680} concerning thee.

And the woman{H802} of Tekoa{H8621} said{H559} unto the king,{H4428} My lord,{H113} O king,{H4428} the iniquity{H5771} be on me, and on my father's{H1} house;{H1004} and the king{H4428} and his throne{H3678} be guiltless.{H5355}

And the king{H4428} said,{H559} Whosoever saith{H1696} aught unto thee, bring{H935} him to me, and he shall not touch{H5060} thee any more.{H3254}

Then said{H559} she, I pray thee, let the king{H4428} remember{H2142} Jehovah{H3068} thy God,{H430} that the avenger{H1350} of blood{H1818} destroy{H7843} not any more,{H7235} lest they destroy{H8045} my son.{H1121} And he said,{H559} As Jehovah{H3068} liveth,{H2416} there shall not one hair{H8185} of thy son{H1121} fall{H5307} to the earth.{H776}

Then the woman{H802} said,{H559} Let thy handmaid,{H8198} I pray thee, speak{H1696} a word{H1697} unto my lord{H113} the king.{H4428} And he said,{H559} Say on.{H1696}

And the woman{H802} said,{H559} Wherefore then hast thou devised{H2803} such a thing against the people{H5971} of God?{H430} for in speaking{H1696} this word{H1697} the king{H4428} is as one that is guilty,{H818} in that the king{H4428} doth not fetch home again{H7725} his banished{H5080} one.

For we must needs{H4191} die,{H4191} and are as water{H4325} spilt{H5064} on the ground,{H776} which cannot be gathered up again;{H622} neither doth God{H430} take away{H5375} life,{H5315} but deviseth{H2803} means,{H4284} that he that is banished{H5080} be not an outcast{H5080} from him.

Now therefore seeing that I am come{H935} to speak{H1696} this word{H1697} unto my lord{H113} the king,{H4428} it is because the people{H5971} have made me afraid:{H3372} and thy handmaid{H8198} said,{H559} I will now speak{H1696} unto the king;{H4428} it may be that the king{H4428} will perform{H6213} the request{H1697} of his servant.{H519}

For the king{H4428} will hear,{H8085} to deliver{H5337} his servant{H519} out of the hand{H3709} of the man{H376} that would destroy{H8045} me and my son{H1121} together{H3162} out of the inheritance{H5159} of God.{H430}

Then thy handmaid{H8198} said,{H559} Let, I pray thee, the word{H1697} of my lord{H113} the king{H4428} be comfortable;{H4496} for as an angel{H4397} of God,{H430} so is my lord{H113} the king{H4428} to discern{H8085} good{H2896} and bad:{H7451} and Jehovah{H3068} thy God{H430} be with thee.

Then the king{H4428} answered{H6030} and said{H559} unto the woman,{H802} Hide{H3582} not from me, I pray thee, aught{H1697} that I shall ask{H7592} thee. And the woman{H802} said,{H559} Let my lord{H113} the king{H4428} now speak.{H1696}

And the king{H4428} said,{H559} Is the hand{H3027} of Joab{H3097} with thee in all this? And the woman{H802} answered{H6030} and said,{H6030} As thy soul{H5315} liveth,{H2416} my lord{H113} the king,{H4428} none{H376} can{H786} turn to the right hand{H3231} or to the left{H8041} from aught that my lord{H113} the king{H4428} hath spoken;{H1696} for thy servant{H5650} Joab,{H3097} he bade{H6680} me, and he put{H7760} all these words{H1697} in the mouth{H6310} of thy handmaid;{H8198}

to{H5668} change{H5437} the face{H6440} of the matter{H1697} hath thy servant{H5650} Joab{H3097} done{H6213} this thing:{H1697} and my lord{H113} is wise,{H2450} according to the wisdom{H2451} of an angel{H4397} of God,{H430} to know{H3045} all things that are in the earth.{H776}

And the king{H4428} said{H559} unto Joab,{H3097} Behold now, I have done{H6213} this thing:{H1697} go{H3212} therefore, bring{H7725} the young man{H5288} Absalom{H53} back.{H7725}

And Joab{H3097} fell{H5307} to the ground{H776} on his face,{H6440} and did obeisance,{H7812} and blessed{H1288} the king:{H4428} and Joab{H3097} said,{H559} To-day{H3117} thy servant{H5650} knoweth{H3045} that I have found{H4672} favor{H2580} in thy sight,{H5869} my lord,{H113} O king,{H4428} in that the king{H4428} hath performed{H6213} the request{H1697} of his servant.{H5650}

So Joab{H3097} arose{H6965} and went{H3212} to Geshur,{H1650} and brought{H935} Absalom{H53} to Jerusalem.{H3389}

And the king{H4428} said,{H559} Let him turn{H5437} to his own house,{H1004} but let him not see{H7200} my face.{H6440} So Absalom{H53} turned{H5437} to his own house,{H1004} and saw{H7200} not the king's{H4428} face.{H6440}

Now in all Israel{H3478} there was none{H376} to be so much{H3966} praised{H1984} as Absalom{H53} for his beauty:{H3303} from the sole{H3709} of his foot{H7272} even to the crown of his head{H6936} there was no blemish{H3971} in him.

And when he cut{H1548} the hair of his head{H7218} (now it was at every year's{H3117} end{H7093} that he cut{H1548} it; because it was heavy{H3513} on him, therefore he cut{H1548} it); he weighed{H8254} the hair{H8181} of his head{H7218} at two hundred{H3967} shekels,{H8255} after the king's{H4428} weight.{H68}

And unto Absalom{H53} there were born{H3205} three{H7969} sons,{H1121} and one{H259} daughter,{H1323} whose name{H8034} was Tamar:{H8559} she was a woman{H802} of a fair{H3303} countenance.{H4758}

And Absalom{H53} dwelt{H3427} two full{H3117} years{H8141} in Jerusalem;{H3389} and he saw{H7200} not the king's{H4428} face.{H6440}

Then Absalom{H53} sent{H7971} for Joab,{H3097} to send{H7971} him to the king;{H4428} but he would{H14} not come{H935} to him: and he sent again{H7971} a second time,{H8145} but he would{H14} not come.{H935}

Therefore he said{H559} unto his servants,{H5650} See,{H7200} Joab's{H3097} field{H2513} is near{H413} mine,{H3027} and he hath barley{H8184} there; go{H3212} and set{H3341} it on fire.{H784} And Absalom's{H53} servants{H5650} set{H3341} the field{H2513} on fire.{H784}

Then Joab{H3097} arose,{H6965} and came{H935} to Absalom{H53} unto his house,{H1004} and said{H559} unto him, Wherefore have thy servants{H5650} set{H3341} my field{H2513} on fire?{H784}

And Absalom{H53} answered{H559} Joab,{H3097} Behold, I sent{H7971} unto thee, saying,{H559} Come{H935} hither, that I may send{H7971} thee to the king,{H4428} to say,{H559} Wherefore am I come{H935} from Geshur?{H1650} it were better{H2896} for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see{H7200} the king's{H4428} face;{H6440} and if there be{H3426} iniquity{H5771} in me, let him kill{H4191} me.

So Joab{H3097} came{H935} to the king,{H4428} and told{H5046} him; and when he had called{H7121} for Absalom,{H53} he came{H935} to the king,{H4428} and bowed{H7812} himself on his face{H639} to the ground{H776} before{H6440} the king:{H4428} and the king{H4428} kissed{H5401} Absalom.{H53}