2 Samuel 14 :: American Standard Version (ASV)

The Woman of Tekoa

2Sa 14:1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.

2Sa 14:2And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead:

2Sa 14:3

2Sa 14:3and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

2Sa 14:4

2Sa 14:4And when the woman of Tekoa spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

2Sa 14:5

2Sa 14:5And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, Of a truth I am a widow, and my husband is dead.

2Sa 14:6

2Sa 14:6And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and killed him.

2Sa 14:7

2Sa 14:7And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth.

2Sa 14:8

2Sa 14:8And the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.

2Sa 14:9

2Sa 14:9And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.

2Sa 14:10

2Sa 14:10And the king said, Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

2Sa 14:11

2Sa 14:11Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

2Sa 14:12

2Sa 14:12Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

2Sa 14:13

2Sa 14:13And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one.

2Sa 14:14

2Sa 14:14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him.

2Sa 14:15

2Sa 14:15Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.

2Sa 14:16

2Sa 14:16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.

2Sa 14:17

2Sa 14:17Then thy handmaid said, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and Jehovah thy God be with thee.

2Sa 14:18

2Sa 14:18Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.

2Sa 14:19

2Sa 14:19And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid;

2Sa 14:20

2Sa 14:20to change the face of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

Absalom Is Recalled

2Sa 14:21

2Sa 14:21And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom back.

2Sa 14:22

2Sa 14:22And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and did obeisance, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knoweth that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath performed the request of his servant.

2Sa 14:23

2Sa 14:23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

2Sa 14:24

2Sa 14:24And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

2Sa 14:25

2Sa 14:25Now in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

2Sa 14:26

2Sa 14:26And when he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.

2Sa 14:27

2Sa 14:27And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

2Sa 14:28

2Sa 14:28And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem; and he saw not the king’s face.

2Sa 14:29

2Sa 14:29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

2Sa 14:30

2Sa 14:30Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

2Sa 14:31

2Sa 14:31Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

2Sa 14:32

2Sa 14:32And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.

2Sa 14:33

2Sa 14:33So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.

2 Samuel 14 :: American Standard Version (ASV)

The Woman of Tekoa

Absalom Is Recalled

Pericope