2 so he ^{b14:2 Lit. Joab} sent messengers ^{c14:2 The Heb. lacks messengers} to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please play the role of a mourner, wear the clothes of a mourner, and refrain from using makeup. ^{d14:2 Lit. using anointing oil} Act like a woman who’s been in mourning for the dead for many days.ISV — 2Samuel 14:2

3 Then go to the king and speak to him like this…” Then Joab told her what to say.ISV — 2Samuel 14:3

4 When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, prostrating herself to address him, “Help, your majesty!”ISV — 2Samuel 14:4

5 The king asked her, “What’s your problem?” ^{e14:5 The Heb. lacks problem} “I’ve been a widowed woman ^{f14:5 i.e. a widow of meager resources, low social status, and limited circumstances, therefore eligible to receive special assistance from Israel’s society.} ever since my husband died,” she answered.ISV — 2Samuel 14:5

6 “Your humble servant used to have two sons, but they got into a fight out in the field. Because there was no one to keep them apart, one of them attacked the other and killed him.ISV — 2Samuel 14:6

7 Now please pay attention closely! My ^{g14:7 Lit. The} whole family is attacking your humble servant! They’re saying, ‘Turn over the one who attacked his brother and we’ll put him to death in retribution for his brother, whose life he took. That way, we’ll kill the heir also!’ They’re going to extinguish the only light ^{h14:7 Lit. the coal that is; i.e. the only remaining heir} left in my family, leaving my late husband neither an ongoing name nor a survivor on the face of the earth!”ISV — 2Samuel 14:7

8 Then the king replied to the woman, “Go home and I’ll issue a special order just for you.”ISV — 2Samuel 14:8

9 But the woman from Tekoa told the king, “Your majesty, let any guilt for this be on me and on my ancestors’ household, and not on my king or his throne!”ISV — 2Samuel 14:9

10 The king replied, “Bring anyone who talks to you about this to me, and he certainly won’t be bothering ^{i14:10 Lit. touching} you anymore!”ISV — 2Samuel 14:10

11 Then she said, “Your majesty, please remember the LORD your God, so that blood avengers don’t do any more damage! Otherwise, they’ll destroy my son!” So he promised, “As the LORD lives, not even a single hair from your son’s head ^{j14:11 The Heb. lacks head} will fall to the ground!”ISV — 2Samuel 14:11

12 At this, the woman responded, “Would your majesty the king please allow your humble servant to say one more thing?” “Say it…” ^{k14:12 The Heb. lacks it} he replied.ISV — 2Samuel 14:12

13 “Why, then,” the woman asked, “are you planning to act just like this against God’s people? Based on what your majesty has said, you’re acting like one who is guilty himself, because you’re not bringing back the one whom you’ve banished!ISV — 2Samuel 14:13

14 After all, even though we all die, ^{l14:14 Lit. though to death we all die} and we’re ^{m14:14 The Heb. lacks we’re} all like water being spilled on the ground that cannot be recovered, nevertheless God doesn’t take away life, but carries out his plans so as not to cast away permanently from him those who are presently estranged. ^{n14:14 MT verb for cast away permanently is an intensive form of the verb estranged}ISV — 2Samuel 14:14

15 “Now as to why I’ve come to speak with your majesty the king, it’s because the people have made me afraid, so your humble servant told herself, ^{o14:15 The Heb. lacks to herself} ‘I’ll go speak to the king, so perhaps the king will do what his humble servant has requested.ISV — 2Samuel 14:15

16 Perhaps the king will listen and deliver his humble servant from the oppression ^{p14:16 Lit. palm} of the man who intends to eliminate both me and my son from what God has apportioned to us!’ ^{q14:16 The Heb. lacks to us}ISV — 2Samuel 14:16

17 “So your humble servant is saying, ‘Please, your majesty, let what the king has to say be of comfort, because just as the angel of God is, so also is your majesty the king to discern both good and evil. And may the LORD your God remain present with you.’”ISV — 2Samuel 14:17

18 In reply, the king asked the woman, “Please don’t conceal anything about which I’m going to be asking you now.” So the woman replied, “Please, your majesty, let the king speak.”ISV — 2Samuel 14:18

19 Then the king asked, “Is Joab behind all of this with you?” ^{r14:19 Lit. Is the hand of Joab with you in} “As your soul lives, your majesty, the king,” the woman answered, “no one can divert anything left or right from what your majesty the king has spoken! As a matter of fact, it was your servant Joab! He was there, giving me precise orders about everything that your humble servant was to say. Your servant Joab did this,ISV — 2Samuel 14:19

20 intending to change the outcome of this matter. Nevertheless, your majesty is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to be aware of everything that’s going on throughout the earth.” ^{s14:20 Or land; or going on in the land}ISV — 2Samuel 14:20

21 Then the king addressed Joab, “Look! I’ll do this thing that you’ve requested. ^{t14:21 The Heb. lacks that you’ve requested} Go bring back the young man Absalom.”ISV — 2Samuel 14:21

22 At this, Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrating himself to bless the king, and then ^{u14:22 Lit. Joab} said, “Today your servant realizes that he’s found favor with you, your majesty, in that the king has acted on the request of his servant.”ISV — 2Samuel 14:22

23 Then Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.ISV — 2Samuel 14:23

24 Nevertheless, the king said, “Let him return to his own home and not show his face to me.” So Absalom returned to his own home and did not show his face to the king.ISV — 2Samuel 14:24

25 Now throughout all of Israel no one was as handsome as Absalom or so highly praised, from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there wasn’t a single thing wrong about him.ISV — 2Samuel 14:25

26 Whenever he cut his hair —he cut it at the end of every year, because it grew thick on his head, ^{v14:26 Lit. grew heavy on him} which is why he cut it—his hair weighed in at 200 shekels ^{w14:26 i.e. about five pounds at 0.4 shekels per ounce} measured by the royal standard. ^{x14:26 Lit. the king’s weight}ISV — 2Samuel 14:26

27 Absalom fathered three sons and one daughter, whom he named Tamar. She was a beautiful woman, both in form and appearance.ISV — 2Samuel 14:27

28 Meanwhile, Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but never saw the king’s face.ISV — 2Samuel 14:28

29 After this, Absalom sent for Joab, intending to send him to the king, but Joab ^{y14:29 Lit. he} would not come. Absalom ^{z14:29 Lit. he} sent for him a second time, but he still ^{aa14:29 The Heb. lacks still} would not come.ISV — 2Samuel 14:29

30 So Absalom ^{bb14:30 Lit. he} told his servants, “Observe that Joab’s grain field lies next to mine. He has barley planted there. Go set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.ISV — 2Samuel 14:30

31 At this, Joab got up, went to Absalom’s home, and demanded of him, “Why did your servants set fire to my grain field?”ISV — 2Samuel 14:31

32 In answer to Joab, Absalom replied, “Look, I sent for you, telling you ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask him “What’s the point in moving here from Geshur? I would have been better off to have remained there!”’ So let me see the king’s face, and if I’m guilty of anything, let him execute me!”ISV — 2Samuel 14:32

33 So when Joab approached the king and told him what Absalom had said, ^{cc14:33 The Heb. lacks what Absalom had said} he summoned Absalom, who then came to the king and fell to the ground on his face in front of him. ^{dd14:33 Lit. of the king} Then the king kissed Absalom.ISV — 2Samuel 14:33

2Samuel 13

2Samuel 15