Dual Panel1Now Joab <03097> son <01121> of Zeruiah <06870> realized <03045> that <03588> the king <04428> longed <03820> to see <05921> Absalom <053>.
2So Joab <03097> sent <07971> to Tekoa <08620> and brought from <03947> there <08033> a wise <02450> woman <0802>. He told <0559> her, “Pretend to be in mourning <056> and put on <03847> garments <0899> for mourning <060>. Don’t <0408> anoint <05480> yourself with oil <08081>. Instead, act like <01961> a woman <0802> who has been mourning <056> for the dead <04191> for <05921> some <07227> time <03117>.
3Go <0935> to <0413> the king <04428> and speak <01696> to <0413> him in the following <02088> fashion <01697>.” Then Joab <03097> told <07760> her what <01697> to say <06310>.
4So the Tekoan <08621> woman <0802> went <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>. She bowed down <05307> with her face <0639> to <05921> the ground <0776> in deference <07812> to him and said <0559>, “Please help <03467> me, O king <04428>!”
5The king <04428> replied <0559> to her, “What <04100> do you want?” She answered <0559>, “I <0589> am a widow <0490>; my husband <0376> is dead <04191>.
6Your servant <08198> has two <08147> sons <01121>. When the two <08147> of them got into a fight <05327> in the field <07704>, there was no one <0369> present who could intervene <05337>. One <0259> of them struck <05221> the other <0259> and killed <04191> him.
7Now <02009> the entire <03605> family <04940> has risen up <06965> against <05921> your servant <08198>, saying <0559>, ‘Turn over <05414> the one who struck down <05221> his brother <0251>, so that we can execute <04191> him and avenge the death of his brother <0251> whom <0834> he killed <02026>. In so doing we will also <01571> destroy <08045> the heir <03423>.’ They want to extinguish <03518> my remaining <07604> coal <01513>, leaving <07760> no one <01115> on <05921> the face <06440> of the earth <0127> to carry <07760> on the name <08034> of my husband.”
8Then the king <04428> told <0559> the woman <0802>, “Go <01980> to your home <01004>. I <0589> will give instructions <06680> concerning <05921> your situation.”
9The Tekoan <08621> woman <0802> said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “My lord <0113> the king <04428>, let any blame <05771> fall on <05921> me and on the house <01004> of my father <01>. But let the king <04428> and his throne <03678> be innocent <05355>!”
10The king <04428> said <0559>, “Bring <0935> to <0413> me whoever speaks <01696> to <0413> you, and he won’t <03808> bother <05060> you again <05750> <03254>!”
11She replied <0559>, “In that case <04994>, let the king <04428> invoke <02142> the name of the Lord <03068> your God <0430> so that the avenger <01350> of blood <01818> may not kill <07843>! Then they will not <03808> destroy <08045> my son <01121>!” He replied <0559>, “As surely <0518> as the Lord <03068> lives <02416>, not a single hair <08185> of your son’s <01121> head will fall <05307> to the ground <0776>.”
12Then the woman <0802> said <0559>, “Please <04994> permit your servant <08198> to speak <01696> to <0413> my lord <0113> the king <04428> about another matter <01697>.” He replied <0559>, “Tell <01696> me.”
13The woman <0802> said <0559>, “Why <04100> have you devised <02803> something like this <02063> against <05921> God’s <0430> people <05971>? When the king <04428> speaks <01696> in this <02088> fashion <01697>, he makes himself guilty <0818>, for the king <04428> has not <01115> brought back <07725> the one he has banished <05080>.
14Certainly <03588> we must die <04191> <04191>, and are like water <04325> spilled <05064> on the ground <0776> that <0834> cannot <03808> be gathered up <0622> again. But God <0430> does not <03808> take away <05375> life <05315>; instead <01115> he devises <02803> ways <04284> for the banished <05080> to be restored <05080>.
15I have now <06258> come <0935> to speak <01696> with <0413> my lord <0113> the king <04428> about this <02088> matter <01697>, because <03588> the people <05971> have made <03372> me fearful <03372>. But your servant <08198> said <0559>, ‘I will speak <01696> to <0413> the king <04428>! Perhaps <0194> the king <04428> will do <06213> what his female servant <0519> asks <01697>.
16Yes <03588>! The king <04428> may listen <08085> and deliver <05337> his female servant <0519> from the hand <03709> of the man <0376> who seeks to remove <08045> both <03162> me and my son <01121> from the inheritance <05159> God <0430> has given us!’
17So your servant <08198> said <0559>, ‘May <04994> the word <01697> of my lord <0113> the king <04428> be my security <04496>, for <03588> my lord <0113> the king <04428> is like <03651> the angel <04397> of God <0430> when it comes to deciding <08085> between right <02896> and wrong <07451>! May the Lord <03068> your God <0430> be <01961> with <05973> you!’”
18Then the king <04428> replied <06030> to <0413> the woman <0802>, “Don’t <0408> hide <03582> any information <01697> from <04480> me when <0834> I <0595> question <07592> you.” The woman <0802> said <0559>, “Let <04994> my lord <0113> the king <04428> speak <01696>!”
19The king <04428> said <0559>, “Did Joab <03097> put you up to <0854> all <03605> of this <02063>?” The woman <0802> answered <06030>, “As surely <02416> as you live <05315>, my lord <0113> the king <04428>, there is no <0518> deviation to the right <03231> or to the left <08041> from all <03605> that <0834> my lord <0113> the king <04428> has said <01696>. For <03588> your servant <05650> Joab <03097> gave <06680> me instructions <06680>. He <01931> has put <07760> all <03605> these <0428> words <01697> in your servant’s <08198> mouth <06310>.
20Your servant <05650> Joab <03097> did <06213> this <02088> so as to <05668> change <05437> this situation <06440>. But my lord <0113> has wisdom <02451> like that of the angel <04397> of God <0430>, and knows <03045> everything <03605> that <0834> is happening in the land <0776>.”
21Then the king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “All right! I will do <06213> this <02088> thing <01697>! Go <01980> and bring back <07725> the young man <05288> Absalom <053>!
22Then Joab <03097> bowed down <05307> with <0413> his face <06440> toward the ground <0776> and thanked <01288> the king <04428>. Joab <03097> said <0559>, “Today <03117> your servant <05650> knows <03045> that <03588> I have found <04672> favor <02580> in your sight <05869>, my lord <0113> the king <04428>, because <0834> the king <04428> has granted <06213> the request <01697> of your servant <05650>!”
23So Joab <03097> got up <06965> and went <01980> to Geshur <01650> and brought <0935> Absalom <053> back to Jerusalem <03389>.
24But the king <04428> said <0559>, “Let him go over <05437> to <0413> his own house <01004>. He may not <03808> see <07200> my face <06440>.” So Absalom <053> went over <05437> to <0413> his own house <01004>; he did not <03808> see <07200> the king’s <04428> face <06440>.
25Now in all <03605> Israel <03478> everyone acknowledged <03966> <01984> that there was <01961> no <03808> man <0376> as handsome <03303> as Absalom <053>. From the sole <03709> of his feet <07272> to <05704> the top of <06936> his head <06936> he was <01961> perfect <03971> <03808> in appearance.
26When he would shave <01548> his head <07218>– at the end <07093> of every year <03117> <03117> he used to shave <01548> his head, for <03588> it grew too long <03513> and he would shave <01548> it– he used to weigh <08254> the hair <08181> of his head <07218> at three pounds <08255> <03967> according to the king’s <04428> weight <068>.
27Absalom <053> had <03205> three <07969> sons <01121> and one <0259> daughter <01323>, whose name <08034> was Tamar <08559>. She <01931> was <01961> a very attractive <04758> <03303> woman <0802>.
28Absalom <053> lived <03427> in Jerusalem <03389> for two years <08141> without <03808> seeing <07200> the king’s <04428> face <06440>.
29Then Absalom <053> sent <07971> a message to <0413> Joab <03097> asking him to <0413> send <07971> him to <0413> the king <04428>, but Joab was not <03808> willing <014> to come <0935> to <0413> him. So he sent <07971> a second <08145> message to him, but he still <05750> was not <03808> willing <014> to come <0935>.
30So he said <0559> to <0413> his servants <05650>, “Look <07200>, Joab <03097> has a portion <02513> of field adjacent to <0413> mine <03027> and he has some barley <08184> there <08033>. Go <01980> and set <03341> it on fire <0784>.” So Absalom’s <053> servants <05650> set <03341> Joab’s portion <02513> of the field on fire <0784>.
31Then Joab <03097> got up <06965> and came <0935> to <0413> Absalom’s <053> house <01004>. He said <0559> to <0413> him, “Why <04100> did your servants <05650> set <03341> my portion of field <02513> on fire <0784>?”
32Absalom <053> said <0559> to <0413> Joab <03097>, “Look <02009>, I sent <07971> a message to <0413> you saying <0559>, ‘Come <0935> here <02008> so that I can send <07971> you to <0413> the king <04428> with this message: “Why have <04100> I come <0935> from Geshur <01650>? It would be better <02896> for me if I <0589> were still <05750> there <08033>.”’ Let me now <06258> see <07200> the face <06440> of the king <04428>. If <0518> I am <03426> at fault <05771> <03426>, let him put me to death <04191>!”
33So Joab <03097> went <0935> to <0413> the king <04428> and informed <05046> him. The king summoned <07121> Absalom <053>, and he came <0935> to <0413> the king <04428>. Absalom <053> bowed down <07812> before <06440> the king <04428> with his face <0639> toward the ground <0776> and the king <04428> kissed <05401> him.