1
Now JoabH3097 the sonH1121 of ZeruiahH6870 perceivedH3045 that the king'sH4428 heartH3820 was towardH5921 Absalom.H53
2
And JoabH3097 sentH7971 to Tekoah,H8620 and fetchedH3947 thereH8033 a wiseH2450 woman,H802 and saidH559 to her, I prayH4994 you, feign yourself to be a mourner,H56 and putH3847 on nowH4994 mourningH60 apparel,H899 and anointH5480 not yourself with oil,H8081 but be as a womanH802 that had a longH7227 timeH3117 mournedH56 for the dead:H4191
3
And comeH935 to the king,H4428 and speakH1696 on thisH2088 mannerH1697 to him. So JoabH3097 putH7760 the wordsH1697 in her mouth.H6310
4
And when the womanH802 of TekoahH8621 spokeH559 to the king,H4428 she fellH5307 onH5921 her faceH639 to the ground,H776 and did obeisance,H7812 and said,H559 Help,H3467 O king.H4428
5
And the kingH4428 saidH559 to her, WhatH4100 ails you? And she answered,H559 I am indeedH61 a widowH490 woman,H802 and my husbandH376 is dead.H4191
6
And your handmaidH8198 had twoH8147 sons,H1121 and they twoH8147 stroveH5327 together in the field,H7704 and there was noneH369 to partH5337 them, but the oneH259 smoteH5221 the other,H259 and slewH4191 him.
7
And, behold,H2009 the wholeH3605 familyH4940 is risenH6965 againstH5921 your handmaid,H8198 and they said,H559 DeliverH5414 him that smoteH5221 his brother,H251 that we may killH4191 him, for the lifeH5315 of his brotherH251 whomH834 he slew;H2026 and we will destroyH8045 the heirH3423 also:H1571 and so they shall quenchH3518 my coalH1513 whichH834 is left,H7604 and shall not leaveH7604 to my husbandH376 neitherH1115 nameH8034 nor remainderH7611 on the earth.H127
8
And the kingH4428 saidH559 to the woman,H802 GoH3212 to your house,H1004 and I will give chargeH6680 concerningH5921 you.
9
And the womanH802 of TekoahH8621 saidH559 to the king,H4428 My lord,H113 O king,H4428 the iniquityH5771 be onH5921 me, and onH5921 my father'sH1 house:H1004 and the kingH4428 and his throneH3678 be guiltless.H5355
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And the kingH4428 said,H559 Whoever saidH1696 ought to you, bringH935 him to me, and he shall not touchH5060 you any more.H3254 H5750
11
Then saidH559 she, I prayH4994 you, let the kingH4428 rememberH2142 the LORDH3068 your God,H430 that you would not suffer the revengersH1350 of bloodH1818 to destroyH7843 any more,H7235 lest they destroyH8045 my son.H1121 And he said,H559 As the LORDH3068 lives,H2416 there shall not one hairH8185 of your sonH1121 fallH5307 to the earth.H776
12
Then the womanH802 said,H559 Let your handmaid,H8198 I prayH4994 you, speakH1696 one wordH1697 to my lordH113 the king.H4428 And he said,H559 SayH1696 on.
13
And the womanH802 said,H559 WhyH4100 then have you thoughtH2803 suchH2063 a thing againstH5921 the peopleH5971 of God?H430 for the kingH4428 does speakH1696 thisH2088 thingH1697 as one which is faulty,H818 in that the kingH4428 does not fetchH7725 homeH7725 againH7725 his banished.H5080
14
For we must needs die,H4191 and are as waterH4325 spiltH5064 on the ground,H776 whichH834 cannotH3808 be gatheredH622 up again; neitherH3808 does GodH430 respectH5375 any person:H5315 yet does he deviseH2803 means,H4284 that his banishedH5080 be not expelledH5080 from him.
15
NowH6258 therefore that I am comeH935 to speakH1696 of thisH2088 thingH1697 to my lordH113 the king,H4428 it is becauseH3588 the peopleH5971 have made me afraid:H3372 and your handmaidH8198 said,H559 I will nowH4994 speakH1696 to the king;H4428 it may be that the kingH4428 will performH6213 the requestH1697 of his handmaid.H519
16
For the kingH4428 will hear,H8085 to deliverH5337 his handmaidH519 out of the handH3709 of the manH376 that would destroyH8045 me and my sonH1121 togetherH3162 out of the inheritanceH5159 of God.H430
17
Then your handmaidH8198 said,H559 The wordH1697 of my lordH113 the kingH4428 shall nowH4994 be comfortable:H4496 for as an angelH4397 of God,H430 soH3651 is my lordH113 the kingH4428 to discernH8085 goodH2896 and bad:H7451 therefore the LORDH3068 your GodH430 will be with you.
18
Then the kingH4428 answeredH6030 and saidH559 to the woman,H802 HideH3582 not from me, I prayH4994 you, the thingH1697 that I shall askH7592 you. And the womanH802 said,H559 Let my lordH113 the kingH4428 nowH4994 speak.H1696
19
And the kingH4428 said,H559 Is not the handH3027 of JoabH3097 with you in allH3605 this?H2063 And the womanH802 answeredH6030 and said,H559 As your soulH5315 lives,H2416 my lordH113 the king,H4428 noneH376 can turn to the rightH3231 handH3231 or to the leftH8041 from ought that my lordH113 the kingH4428 has spoken:H1696 for your servantH5650 Joab,H3097 he badeH6680 me, and he putH7760 allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 in the mouthH6310 of your handmaid:H8198
20
To fetchH5437 aboutH5437 this formH6440 of speechH1697 has your servantH5650 JoabH3097 doneH6213 thisH2088 thing:H1697 and my lordH113 is wise,H2450 according to the wisdomH2451 of an angelH4397 of God,H430 to knowH3045 allH3605 things that are in the earth.H776
21
And the kingH4428 saidH559 to Joab,H3097 BeholdH2009 now,H4994 I have doneH6213 thisH2088 thing:H1697 goH3212 therefore, bringH7725 the youngH5288 man AbsalomH53 again.H7725
22
And JoabH3097 fellH5307 to the groundH776 onH413 his face,H6440 and bowedH7812 himself, and thankedH1288 the king:H4428 and JoabH3097 said,H559 To dayH3117 your servantH5650 knowsH3045 that I have foundH4672 graceH2580 in your sight,H5869 my lord,H113 O king,H4428 in that the kingH4428 has fulfilledH6213 the requestH1697 of his servant.H5650
23
So JoabH3097 aroseH6965 and wentH3212 to Geshur,H1650 and broughtH935 AbsalomH53 to Jerusalem.H3389
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And the kingH4428 said,H559 Let him turnH5437 to his own house,H1004 and let him not seeH7200 my face.H6440 So AbsalomH53 returnedH5437 to his own house,H1004 and sawH7200 not the king'sH4428 face.H6440
25
But in allH3605 IsraelH3478 there was noneH3808 H376 to be so muchH3966 praisedH1984 as AbsalomH53 for his beauty:H3303 from the soleH3709 of his footH7272 even to the crownH6936 of his headH6936 there was noH3808 blemishH3971 in him.
26
And when he polledH1548 his head,H7218 (for it was at every year'sH3117 endH7093 that he polledH1548 it: becauseH3588 the hair was heavyH3513 onH5921 him, therefore he polledH1548 it:) he weighedH8254 the hairH8181 of his headH7218 at two hundredH3967 shekelsH8255 after the king'sH4428 weight.H68
27
And to AbsalomH53 there were bornH3205 threeH7969 sons,H1121 and oneH259 daughter,H1323 whose nameH8034 was Tamar:H8559 she was a womanH802 of a fairH3303 countenance.H4758
28
So AbsalomH53 dwelledH3427 two fullH3117 yearsH8141 in Jerusalem,H3389 and sawH7200 not the king'sH4428 face.H6440
29
Therefore AbsalomH53 sentH7971 for Joab,H3097 to have sentH7971 him to the king;H4428 but he wouldH14 not comeH935 to him: and when he sentH7971 againH5750 the secondH8145 time, he wouldH14 not come.H935
30
Therefore he saidH559 to his servants,H5650 See,H7200 Joab'sH3097 fieldH2513 is nearH413 mine,H3027 and he has barleyH8184 there;H8033 goH3212 and set it on fire.H784 And Absalom'sH53 servantsH5650 set the fieldH2513 on fire.H784
31
Then JoabH3097 arose,H6965 and cameH935 to AbsalomH53 to his house,H1004 and saidH559 to him, WhyH4100 have your servantsH5650 set my fieldH2513 on fire?H784
32
And AbsalomH53 answeredH559 Joab,H3097 Behold,H2009 I sentH7971 to you, saying,H559 ComeH935 here, that I may sendH7971 you to the king,H4428 to say,H559 WhyH4100 am I comeH935 from Geshur?H1650 it had been goodH2896 for me to have been thereH8033 still:H5750 nowH6258 therefore let me seeH7200 the king'sH4428 face;H6440 and ifH518 there be any iniquityH5771 in me, let him killH4191 me.
33
So JoabH3097 cameH935 to the king,H4428 and toldH5046 him: and when he had calledH7121 for Absalom,H53 he cameH935 to the king,H4428 and bowedH7812 himself onH5921 his faceH639 to the groundH776 beforeH6440 the king:H4428 and the kingH4428 kissedH5401 Absalom.H53
