Dual Panel1Now Joab<3097> the son<1121> of Zeruiah<6870> perceived<3045> that the king's<4428> heart<3820> was inclined toward<5921> Absalom<53>.
2So Joab<3097> sent<7971> to Tekoa<8620> and brought<3947> a wise<2450> woman<802> from there<8033> and said<559> to her, "Please<4994> pretend<56> to be a mourner<56>, and put<3847> on mourning<60> garments<899> now<4994>, and do not anoint<5480> yourself with oil<8081>, but be like a woman<802> who has been mourning<56> for the dead<4191> many<7227> days<3117>;
3then go<935> to the king<4428> and speak<1696> to him in this<2088> manner<1697>." So Joab<3097> put<7760> the words<1697> in her mouth<6310>.
4Now when the woman<802> of Tekoa<8621> spoke<559> to the king<4428>, she fell<5307> on her face<639> to the ground<776> and prostrated<7812> herself and said<559>, "Help<3467>, O king<4428>."
5The king<4428> said<559> to her, "What<4100> is your trouble?" And she answered<559>, "Truly<61> I am a widow<490>, for my husband<376> is dead<4191>.
6"Your maidservant<8198> had two<8147> sons<1121>, but the two<8147> of them struggled<5327> together<5327> in the field<7704>, and there<369> was no<369> one<369> to separate<5337> them, so one<259> struck<5221> the other<259> and killed<4191> him.
7"Now behold<2009>, the whole<3605> family<4940> has risen<6965> against<5921> your maidservant<8198>, and they say<559>, 'Hand<5414> over<5414> the one who struck<5221> his brother<251>, that we may put<4191> him to death<4191> for the life<5315> of his brother<251> whom<834> he killed<2026>, and destroy<8045> the heir<3423> also<1571>.' Thus they will extinguish<3518> my coal<1513> which<834> is left<7604>, so as to leave<7760> my husband<376> neither<1115> name<8034> nor<1115> remnant<7611> on the face<6440> of the earth<127>."
8Then the king<4428> said<559> to the woman<802>, "Go<1980> to your house<1004>, and I will give<6680> orders<6680> concerning<5921> you."
9The woman<802> of Tekoa<8621> said<559> to the king<4428>, "O my lord<113>, the king<4428>, the iniquity<5771> is on me and my father's<1> house<1004>, but the king<4428> and his throne<3678> are guiltless<5355>."
10So the king<4428> said<559>, "Whoever speaks<1696> to you, bring<935> him to me, and he will not touch<5060> you anymore<3254><5750>."
11Then she said<559>, "Please<4994> let the king<4428> remember<2142> the LORD<3068> your God<430>, so that the avenger<1350> of blood<1818> will not continue<7235> to destroy<7843>, otherwise<3808> they will destroy<8045> my son<1121>." And he said<559>, "As the LORD<3068> lives<2416>, not one hair<8185> of your son<1121> shall fall<5307> to the ground<776>."
12Then the woman<802> said<559>, "Please<4994> let your maidservant<8198> speak<1696> a word<1697> to my lord<113> the king<4428>." And he said<559>, "Speak<1696>."
13The woman<802> said<559>, "Why<4100> then have you planned<2803> such<2088> a thing<2088> against<5921> the people<5971> of God<430>? For in speaking<1696> this<2088> word<1697> the king<4428> is as one<818> who<818> is guilty<818>, in that the king<4428> does not bring<7725> back<7725> his banished<5080> one<5080>.
14"For we will surely<4191> die<4191> and are like water<4325> spilled<5064> on the ground<776> which<834> cannot<3808> be gathered<622> up again. Yet God<430> does not take<5375> away life<5315>, but plans<2803> ways<4284> so that the banished<5080> one<5080> will not be cast<5080> out from him.
15"Now<6258> the reason<834> I have come<935> to speak<1696> this<2088> word<1697> to my lord<113> the king<4428> is that the people<5971> have made<3372> me afraid<3372>; so your maidservant<8198> said<559>, 'Let me now<4994> speak<1696> to the king<4428>, perhaps<194> the king<4428> will perform<6213> the request<1697> of his maidservant<519>.
16'For the king<4428> will hear<8085> and deliver<5337> his maidservant<519> from the hand<3709> of the man<376> who would destroy<8045> both<3162> me and my son<1121> from the inheritance<5159> of God<430>.'
17"Then your maidservant<8198> said<559>, 'Please<4994> let the word<1697> of my lord<113> the king<4428> be comforting<4496>, for as the angel<4397> of God<430>, so<3651> is my lord<113> the king<4428> to discern<8085> good<2896> and evil<7451>. And may the LORD<3068> your God<430> be with you.'"
18Then the king<4428> answered<6030> and said<559> to the woman<802>, "Please<4994> do not hide<3582> anything<1697> from me that I am about to ask<7592> you." And the woman<802> said<559>, "Let my lord<113> the king<4428> please<4994> speak<1696>."
19So the king<4428> said<559>, "Is the hand<3027> of Joab<3097> with you in all<3605> this<2088>?" And the woman<802> replied<6030>, "As your soul<5315> lives<2416>, my lord<113> the king<4428>, no<518> one can turn<3231> to the right<3231> or to the left<8041> from anything<3605> that my lord<113> the king<4428> has spoken<1696>. Indeed<3588>, it was your servant<5650> Joab<3097> who<1931> commanded<6680> me, and it was he who put<7760> all<3605> these<428> words<1697> in the mouth<6310> of your maidservant<8198>;
20in order<5668> to change<5437> the appearance<6440> of things<1697> your servant<5650> Joab<3097> has done<6213> this<2088> thing<1697>. But my lord<113> is wise<2450>, like the wisdom<2451> of the angel<4397> of God<430>, to know<3045> all<3605> that is in the earth<776>."
21Then the king<4428> said<559> to Joab<3097>, "Behold<2009> now<4994>, I will surely do<6213> this<2088> thing<1697>; go<1980> therefore, bring<7725> back<7725> the young<5288> man<5288> Absalom<53>."
22Joab<3097> fell<5307> on his face<6440> to the ground<776>, prostrated<7812> himself and blessed<1288> the king<4428>; then Joab<3097> said<559>, "Today<3117> your servant<5650> knows<3045> that I have found<4672> favor<2580> in your sight<5869>, O my lord<113>, the king<4428>, in that the king<4428> has performed<6213> the request<1697> of his servant<5650>."
23So Joab<3097> arose<6965> and went<1980> to Geshur<1650> and brought<935> Absalom<53> to Jerusalem<3389>.
24However the king<4428> said<559>, "Let him turn<5437> to his own house<1004>, and let him not see<7200> my face<6440>." So Absalom<53> turned<5437> to his own house<1004> and did not see<7200> the king's<4428> face<6440>.
25Now in all<3605> Israel<3478> was no<3808> one<376> as handsome<3303> as Absalom<53>, so highly<3966> praised<1984>; from the sole<3709> of his foot<7272> to the crown<6936> of his head<6936> there was no<3808> defect<4140> in him.
26When he cut<1548> the hair of his head<7218> (and it was at the end<7093> of every year<3117> that he cut<1548> it, for it was heavy<3515> on him so he cut<1548> it), he weighed<8254> the hair<8181> of his head<7218> at 200 <3967> shekels<8255> by the king's<4428> weight<68>.
27To Absalom<53> there were born<3205> three<7969> sons<1121>, and one<259> daughter<1323> whose name<8034> was Tamar<8559>; she was a woman<802> of beautiful<3303> appearance<4758>.
28Now Absalom<53> lived<3427> two full<3117> years<8141> in Jerusalem<3389>, and did not see<7200> the king's<4428> face<6440>.
29Then Absalom<53> sent<7971> for Joab<3097>, to send<7971> him to the king<4428>, but he would<14> not come<935> to him. So he sent<7971> again<5750> a second<8145> time<8145>, but he would<14> not come<935>.
30Therefore he said<559> to his servants<5650>, "See<7200>, Joab's<3097> field<2513> is next<413> to mine, and he has barley<8184> there<8033>; go<1980> and set<3341> it on fire<784>." So Absalom's<53> servants<5650> set<3341> the field<2513> on fire<784>.
31Then Joab<3097> arose<6965>, came<935> to Absalom<53> at his house<1004> and said<559> to him, "Why<4100> have your servants<5650> set<3341> my field<2513> on fire<784>?"
32Absalom<53> answered<559> Joab<3097>, "Behold<2009>, I sent<7971> for you, saying<559>, 'Come<935> here<2008>, that I may send<7971> you to the king<4428>, to say<559>, "Why<4100> have I come<935> from Geshur<1650>? It would be better<2896> for me still<5750> to be there<8033>."' Now<6258> therefore, let me see<7200> the king's<4428> face<6440>, and if<518> there<3426> is iniquity<5771> in me, let him put<4191> me to death<4191>."
33So when Joab<3097> came<935> to the king<4428> and told<5046> him, he called<7121> for Absalom<53>. Thus he came<935> to the king<4428> and prostrated<7812> himself on his face<639> to the ground<776> before<6440> the king<4428>, and the king<4428> kissed<5401> Absalom<53>.