| New International Version | New American Standard Bible 1995 |
| 1Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom. | 1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was inclined toward Absalom. |
| 2So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don't use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. | 2So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, "Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days; |
| 3Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth. | 3then go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth. |
| 4When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, "Help me, Your Majesty!" | 4Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, "Help, O king." |
| 5The king asked her, "What is troubling you?" She said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead. | 5The king said to her, "What is your trouble?" And she answered, "Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead. |
| 6I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. | 6"Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him. |
| 7Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.' They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth." | 7"Now behold, the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.' Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth." |
| 8The king said to the woman, "Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf." | 8Then the king said to the woman, "Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you." |
| 9But the woman from Tekoa said to him, "Let my lord the king pardon me and my family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt." | 9The woman of Tekoa said to the king, "O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father's house, but the king and his throne are guiltless." |
| 10The king replied, "If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again." | 10So the king said, "Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore." |
| 11She said, "Then let the king invoke the LORD his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he said, "not one hair of your son's head will fall to the ground." | 11Then she said, "Please let the king remember the LORD your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son." And he said, "As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground." |
| 12Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied. | 12Then the woman said, "Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king." And he said, "Speak." |
| 13The woman said, "Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son? | 13The woman said, "Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one. |
| 14Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him. | 14"For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him. |
| 15"And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, 'I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant's request. | 15"Now the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, 'Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant. |
| 16Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God's inheritance.' | 16'For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.' |
| 17"And now your servant says, 'May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.'" | 17"Then your maidservant said, 'Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.'" |
| 18Then the king said to the woman, "Don't keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you." "Let my lord the king speak," the woman said. | 18Then the king answered and said to the woman, "Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king please speak." |
| 19The king asked, "Isn't the hand of Joab with you in all this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. | 19So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?" And the woman replied, "As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant; |
| 20Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God--he knows everything that happens in the land." | 20in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth." |
| 21The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom." | 21Then the king said to Joab, "Behold now, I will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom." |
| 22Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant's request." | 22Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant." |
| 23Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. | 23So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. |
| 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 face of the king. | 24However the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face. |
| 25In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. | 25Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. |
| 26Whenever he cut the hair of his head--he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him--he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard. | 26When he cut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king's weight. |
| 27Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter's name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman. | 27To Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance. |
| 28Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face. | 28Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face. |
| 29Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. | 29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come. |
| 30Then he 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. | 30Therefore 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. |
| 31Then Joab did go to Absalom's house, and he said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" | 31Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?" |
| 32Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent word to you and said, 'Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!"' Now then, I want to see the king's face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death." | 32Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent for you, saying, 'Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there."' Now therefore, let me see the king's face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death." |
| 33So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom. | 33So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. |
| New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org |
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