1 Now Joab 3097 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870 perceived 3045 that the king's 4428 heart 3820 was toward Absalom 53.
2 And Joab 3097 sent 7971 to Tekoah 8620, and fetched 3947 thence a wise 2450 woman 802, and said 559 unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner 56, and put on 3847 now mourning 60 apparel 899, and anoint 5480 not thyself with oil 8081, but be as a woman 802 that had a long 7227 time 3117 mourned 56 for the dead 4191:
3 And come 935 to the king 4428, and speak 1696 on this manner 1697 unto him. So Joab 3097 put 7760 the words 1697 in her mouth 6310.
4 And when the woman 802 of Tekoah 8621 spake 559 to the king 4428, she fell 5307 on her face 639 to the ground 776, and did obeisance 7812, and said 559, Help 3467, O king 4428.
5 And the king 4428 said 559 unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered 559, I am indeed 61 a widow 490 woman 802, and mine husband 376 is dead 4191.
6 And thy handmaid 8198 had two 8147 sons 1121, and they two 8147 strove together 5327 in the field 7704, and there was none to part 5337 them, but the one 259 smote 5221 the other 259, and slew 4191 him.
7 And, behold, the whole family 4940 is risen 6965 against thine handmaid 8198, and they said 559, Deliver 5414 him that smote 5221 his brother 251, that we may kill 4191 him, for the life 5315 of his brother 251 whom he slew 2026; and we will destroy 8045 the heir 3423 also: and so they shall quench 3518 my coal 1513 which is left 7760, and shall not leave 7604 to my husband 376 neither name 8034 nor remainder 7611 upon 6440 the earth 127.
8 And the king 4428 said 559 unto the woman 802, Go 3212 to thine house 1004, and I will give charge 6680 concerning thee.
9 And the woman 802 of Tekoah 8621 said 559 unto the king 4428, My lord 113, O king 4428, the iniquity 5771 be on me, and on my father's 1 house 1004: and the king 4428 and his throne 3678 be guiltless 5355.
10 And the king 4428 said 559, Whosoever saith 1696 ought unto thee, bring 935 him to me, and he shall not touch 5060 thee any more 3254.
11 Then said 559 she, I pray thee, let the king 4428 remember 2142 the LORD 3068 thy God 430, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers 1350 of blood 1818 to destroy 7843 any more 7235, lest they destroy 8045 my son 1121. And he said 559, As the LORD 3068 liveth 2416, there shall not one hair 8185 of thy son 1121 fall 5307 to the earth 776.
12 Then the woman 802 said 559, Let thine handmaid 8198, I pray thee, speak 1696 one word 1697 unto my lord 113 the king 4428. And he said 559, Say on 1696.
13 And the woman 802 said 559, Wherefore then hast thou thought 2803 such a thing against the people 5971 of God 430? for the king 4428 doth speak 1696 this thing 1697 as one which is faulty 818, in that the king 4428 doth not fetch home again 7725 his banished 5080.
14 For we must needs 4191 die 4191, and are as water 4325 spilt 5064 on the ground 776, which cannot be gathered up again 622; neither doth God 430 respect 5375 any person 5315: yet doth he devise 2803 means 4284, that his banished 5080 be not expelled 5080 from him.
15 Now therefore that I am come 935 to speak 1696 of this thing 1697 unto my lord 113 the king 4428, it is because the people 5971 have made me afraid 3372: and thy handmaid 8198 said 559, I will now speak 1696 unto the king 4428; it may be that the king 4428 will perform 6213 the request 1697 of his handmaid 519.
16 For the king 4428 will hear 8085, to deliver 5337 his handmaid 519 out of the hand 3709 of the man 376 that would destroy 8045 me and my son 1121 together 3162 out of the inheritance 5159 of God 430.
17 Then thine handmaid 8198 said 559, The word 1697 of my lord 113 the king 4428 shall now be comfortable 4496: for as an angel 4397 of God 430, so is my lord 113 the king 4428 to discern 8085 good 2896 and bad 7451: therefore the LORD 3068 thy God 430 will be with thee.
18 Then the king 4428 answered 6030 and said 559 unto the woman 802, Hide 3582 not from me, I pray thee, the thing 1697 that I shall ask 7592 thee. And the woman 802 said 559, Let my lord 113 the king 4428 now speak 1696.
19 And the king 4428 said 559, Is not the hand 3027 of Joab 3097 with thee in all this? And the woman 802 answered 6030 and said 559, As thy soul 5315 liveth 2416, my lord 113 the king 4428, none 376 can 786 turn to the right hand 3231 or to the left 8041 from ought that my lord 113 the king 4428 hath spoken 1696: for thy servant 5650 Joab 3097, he bade 6680 me, and he put 7760 all these words 1697 in the mouth 6310 of thine handmaid 8198:
20 To 5668 fetch about 5437 this form 6440 of speech 1697 hath thy servant 5650 Joab 3097 done 6213 this thing 1697: and my lord 113 is wise 2450, according to the wisdom 2451 of an angel 4397 of God 430, to know 3045 all things that are in the earth 776.
21 And the king 4428 said 559 unto Joab 3097, Behold now, I have done 6213 this thing 1697: go 3212 therefore, bring 7725 0 the young man 5288 Absalom 53 again 7725.
22 And Joab 3097 fell 5307 to the ground 776 on his face 6440, and bowed 7812 himself, and thanked 1288 the king 4428: and Joab 3097 said 559, To day 3117 thy servant 5650 knoweth 3045 that I have found 4672 grace 2580 in thy sight 5869, my lord 113, O king 4428, in that the king 4428 hath fulfilled 6213 the request 1697 of his servant 5650.
23 So Joab 3097 arose 6965 and went 3212 to Geshur 1650, and brought 935 Absalom 53 to Jerusalem 3389.
24 And 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 returned 5437 to his own house 1004, and saw 7200 not the king's 4428 face 6440.
25 But in all Israel 3478 there was none 376 to be so much 3966 praised 1984 as Absalom 53 for his beauty 3303: from the sole 3709 of his foot 7272 even to the crown of his head 6936 there was no blemish 3971 in him.
26 And when he polled 1548 his head 7218, (for it was at every year's 3117 3117 end 7093 that he polled 1548 it: because the hair was heavy 3513 on him, therefore he polled 1548 it:) he weighed 8254 the hair 8181 of his head 7218 at two hundred 3967 shekels 8255 after the king's 4428 weight 68.
27 And unto 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 a fair 3303 countenance 4758.
28 So Absalom 53 dwelt 3427 two full 3117 years 8141 in Jerusalem 3389, and saw 7200 not the king's 4428 face 6440.
29 Therefore Absalom 53 sent 7971 for Joab 3097, to have sent 7971 him to the king 4428; but he would 14 not come 935 to him: and when he sent again 7971 the second time 8145, he would 14 not come 935.
30 Therefore he said 559 unto his servants 5650, See 7200, Joab's 3097 field 2513 is near 413 mine 3027, and he hath barley 8184 there; go 3212 and set 3341 it on fire 784. And Absalom's 53 servants 5650 set 3341 the field 2513 on fire 784.
31 Then Joab 3097 arose 6965, and came 935 to Absalom 53 unto his house 1004, and said 559 unto him, Wherefore have thy servants 5650 set 3341 my field 2513 on fire 784?
32 And Absalom 53 answered 559 Joab 3097, Behold, I sent 7971 unto thee, saying 559, Come 935 hither, that I may send 7971 thee to the king 4428, to say 559, Wherefore am I come 935 from Geshur 1650? it had been good 2896 for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see 7200 the king's 4428 face 6440; and if there be 3426 any iniquity 5771 in me, let him kill 4191 me.
33 So Joab 3097 came 935 to the king 4428, and told 5046 him: and when he had called 7121 for Absalom 53, he came 935 to the king 4428, and bowed 7812 himself on his face 639 to the ground 776 before 6440 the king 4428: and the king 4428 kissed 5401 Absalom 53.