English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom.

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

2And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead.

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 thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

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 of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.”

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!”

5And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.

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

6And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was 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.

7And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the 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.”

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

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

9And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.”

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.”

10The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.”

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

11Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall 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 let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.”

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

13And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.

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 must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.

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.

15Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

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

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

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

17And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. 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, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.”

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

19The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant.

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.

20In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the 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, “Behold now, I grant this; 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.”

22And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his 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 arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

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

24And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king’s presence.

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

25Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

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

26And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.

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!

27There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

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

28So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king’s presence.

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

29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab 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 he said to his servants, “See, 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.

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 arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have 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?”

32Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’”

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.”

33Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and 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.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.