2 Samuel 14 CSB NLT Parallel

◄ 2 Samuel 14 ►

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1Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king's mind was on Absalom.

1Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom.

2So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, "Pretend to be in mourning: dress in mourning clothes and don't put on any oil. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.

2So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don’t put on lotions. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.

3Go to the king and speak these words to him." Then Joab told her exactly what to say.

3Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you.” Then Joab told her what to say.

4When the woman from Tekoa came to the king, she fell facedown to the ground, paid homage, and said, "Help me, Your Majesty!"

4When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, “O king! Help me!”

5"What's the matter?" the king asked her. "Sadly, I am a widow; my husband died," she said.

5“What’s the trouble?” the king asked. “Alas, I am a widow!” she replied. “My husband is dead.

6"Your servant had two sons. They were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.

6My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.

7Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant and said, 'Hand over the one who killed his brother so we may put him to death for the life of the brother he murdered. We will eliminate the heir!' They would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband's name or posterity on earth."

7Now the rest of the family is demanding, ‘Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn’t deserve to inherit his family’s property.’ They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband’s name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.”

8The king told the woman, "Go home. I will issue a command on your behalf."

8“Leave it to me,” the king told her. “Go home, and I’ll see to it that no one touches him.”

9Then the woman of Tekoa said to the king, "My lord the king, may any blame be on me and my father's family, and may the king and his throne be innocent."

9“Oh, thank you, my lord the king,” the woman from Tekoa replied. “If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.”

10"Whoever speaks to you," the king said, "bring him to me. He will not trouble you again!"

10“If anyone objects,” the king said, “bring him to me. I can assure you he will never harm you again!”

11She replied, "Please, may the king invoke the LORD your God, so that the avenger of blood will not increase the loss, and they will not eliminate my son!" "As the LORD lives," he vowed, "not a hair of your son will fall to the ground."

11Then she said, “Please swear to me by the LORD your God that you won’t let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed.” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he replied, “not a hair on your son’s head will be disturbed!”

12Then the woman said, "Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?" "Speak," he replied.

12“Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said. “Go ahead and speak,” he responded.

13The woman asked, "Why have you devised something similar against the people of God? When the king spoke as he did about this matter, he has pronounced his own guilt. The king has not brought back his own banished one.

13She replied, “Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.

14We will certainly die and be like water poured out on the ground, which can't be recovered. But God would not take away a life; he would devise plans so that the one banished from him does not remain banished.

14All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

15"Now therefore, I've come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought: I must speak to the king. Perhaps the king will grant his servant's request.

15“I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps the king will listen to me

16The king will surely listen in order to keep his servant from the grasp of this man who would eliminate both me and my son from God's inheritance.

16and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.

17Your servant thought: May the word of my lord the king bring relief, for my lord the king is able to discern the good and the bad like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you."

17Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.’ I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you.”

18Then the king answered the woman, "I'm going to ask you something; don't conceal it from me!" "Let my lord the king speak," the woman replied.

18“I must know one thing,” the king replied, “and tell me the truth.” “Yes, my lord the king,” she responded.

19The king asked, "Did Joab put you up to all this?" The woman answered. "As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or left from all my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave orders to me; he told your servant exactly what to say.

19“Did Joab put you up to this?” And the woman replied, “My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.

20Joab your servant has done this to address the issue indirectly, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, knowing everything on earth."

20He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!”

21Then the king said to Joab, "I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."

21So the king sent for Joab and told him, “All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom.”

22Joab fell with his face to the ground in homage and blessed the king. "Today," Joab said, "your servant knows I have found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant."

22Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, “At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!”

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

23Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

24However, the king added, "He may return to his house, but he may not see my face." So Absalom returned to his house, but he did not see the king.

24But the king gave this order: “Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence.” So Absalom did not see the king. Absalom Reconciled to David

25No man in all Israel was as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.

25Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.

26When he shaved his head--he shaved it at the end of every year because his hair got so heavy for him that he had to shave it off--he would weigh the hair from his head and it would be five pounds according to the royal standard.

26He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!

27Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.

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

28Absalom resided in Jerusalem two years but never saw the king.

28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never got to see the king.

29Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab was unwilling to come to him. So he sent again, a second time, but he still would not come.

29Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come.

30Then Absalom said to his servants, "See, Joab has a field right next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set fire to it!" So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

30So Absalom said to his servants, “Go and set fire to Joab’s barley field, the field next to mine.” So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded.

31Then Joab came to Absalom's house and demanded, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"

31Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32"Look," Absalom explained to Joab, "I sent for you and said, 'Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? I'd be better off if I were still there.' So now, let me see the king. If I am guilty, let him kill me."

32And Absalom replied, “Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn’t intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me.”

33Joab went to the king and told him. So David summoned Absalom, who came to the king and paid homage with his face to the ground before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.

33So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him.

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