2 Samuel 14

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

1Joab son of Zeruiah realized that King David’s thoughts were turning toward his son Absalom.

2And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead:

2So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there. He told her, 'Please act like you are in mourning. Put on funeral clothes and do not put on any perfume. Act like a woman who has been grieving for a long time over someone who died.'

3and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

3'Then go to the king and speak these specific words to him.' Joab told her exactly what to say.

4And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

4When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she bowed down with her face to the ground to show him respect and cried out, 'Help me, O king!'

5And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

5The king asked her, 'What is the matter?' She answered, 'I am a widow; my husband is dead.'

6And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.

6'I had two sons, but they got into a fight out in the field. There was no one there to stop them, and one son hit the other and killed him.'

7And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

7'Now the whole family has turned against me. They demand, "Hand over the son who killed his brother so we can put him to death for his brother’s life." If they do that, they will also destroy my only remaining heir. They will put out the last spark of hope I have left, and my husband will have no name or descendant left on the earth.'

8And the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

8The king said to the woman, 'Go home, and I will issue an order regarding your case.'

9And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.

9The woman of Tekoa said to the king, 'My lord the king, let any blame for this fall on me and my family. Let the king and his throne be innocent.'

10And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

10The king replied, 'If anyone says anything else to you, bring them to me, and they won’t bother you again.'

11Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

11She said, 'Please, let the king swear by the Lord your God so that the relative who wants to avenge the death cannot keep on destroying things and kill my son.' David replied, 'As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.'

12Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

12Then the woman said, 'Please let me say one more thing to my lord the king.' He said, 'Speak.'

13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

13The woman said, 'Then why have you planned something like this against God’s people? By giving this decision, the king convicts himself, because the king has not brought back his own son whom he sent away.'

14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

14'We all must die eventually; we are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just take away life; he plans ways for those who are sent away to be brought back to him.'

15Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

15'Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. I thought, "I will talk to the king; perhaps he will do what I ask."'

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

16'I believed the king would listen and save me and my son from the man who wants to cut us off from the land God gave us.'

17Then thy handmaid said, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and Jehovah thy God be with thee.

17'I also thought, "The word of my lord the king will bring me relief," because my lord the king is like an angel of God in knowing the difference between right and wrong. May the Lord your God be with you.'

18Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

18The king then said to the woman, 'Do not hide the truth from me. I am going to ask you a question.' The woman said, 'Let my lord the king speak.'

19And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;

19The king asked, 'Is Joab behind all of this?' The woman answered, 'As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can dodge the truth of what you have said. Yes, it was your servant Joab who told me to do this and put all these words into my mouth.'

20to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

20'Your servant Joab did this to change the way you look at the situation. But my lord is wise, like an angel of God, and knows everything that happens in the land.'

21And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.

21The king then said to Joab, 'All right, I will do this. Go and bring the young man Absalom back.'

22And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of his servant.

22Joab bowed down with his face to the ground to show respect and blessed the king. Joab said, 'Today I know that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because you have granted your servant’s request.'

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

23So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

24And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

24But 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 king.

25Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

25In all Israel, no man was as highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, there wasn't a flaw on him.

26And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

26Whenever he cut his hair—which he did once a year because it got too heavy for him—the hair from his head weighed about five pounds, according to the royal standard.

27And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

27Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was a very beautiful woman.

28And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king’s face.

28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing the king’s face.

29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

29Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to go to the king on his behalf, but Joab refused to come. He sent for him a second time, but Joab still would not come.

30Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

30So Absalom 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 came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

31Then Joab got up and went to Absalom’s house. He asked him, 'Why did your servants set my field on fire?'

32And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.

32Absalom said to Joab, 'Look, I sent word to you saying, "Come here so I can send you to the king to ask: Why did I come back from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there!" Now, let me see the king’s face. If I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.'

33So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

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