2 Samuel 14 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

The Woman of Tekoa

Now Joab^H3097 the son^H1121 of Zeruiah^H6870 knew^H3045 that the king’s^H4428 heart^H3820 was inclined toward^H5921 Absalom^H53.

2Sa 14:2

2Sa 14:2So Joab sent to Tekoa and [fn]brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;

2Sa 14:3

2Sa 14:3then you shall go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

2Sa 14:4

So the woman^H802 of Tekoa^H8621 [fn]spoke^H559 to the king^H4428, and she fell^H5307 on her [fn]face^H639 to the ground^H776 and prostrated^H2331 herself and said^H559, “Save^H3467, O king^H4428.”

2Sa 14:5

2Sa 14:5And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she [fn]answered, “Truly I am a widow; my husband has died.

2Sa 14:6

2Sa 14:6“And your servant-woman had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to deliver between them, so one struck the other and put him to death.

2Sa 14:7

2Sa 14:7“And behold, the whole family has risen against your servant-woman, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which remains, so as to [fn]leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

2Sa 14:8

Then the king^H4428 said^H559 to the woman^H802, “Go^H1980 to your house^H1004, and I will give^H6680 a command^H6680 concerning^H5921 you.”

2Sa 14:9

2Sa 14:9And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.”

2Sa 14:10

2Sa 14:10So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”

2Sa 14:11

2Sa 14:11Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to bring about ruin, so that they would not destroy my son.” And he said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

2Sa 14:12

Then the woman^H802 said^H559, “Please^H4994 let your servant-woman^H8198 speak^H1696 a word^H1697 to my lord^H113 the king^H4428.” And he said^H559, “Speak^H1696.”

2Sa 14:13

2Sa 14:13Then the woman said, “Why then have you thought up such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.

2Sa 14:14

2Sa 14:14“For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but thinks up [fn]ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.

2Sa 14:15

2Sa 14:15“So now, [fn]the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant-woman said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the word of his maidservant.

2Sa 14:16

2Sa 14:16‘For the king will listen [fn]and deliver his maidservant from the [fn]hand of the man who would destroy [fn]both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’

2Sa 14:17

2Sa 14:17“Then your servant-woman said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be a resting place, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to listen with discernment through the good and evil. And may Yahweh your God be with you.’”

2Sa 14:18

Then the king^H4428 answered^H6030 and said^H559 to the woman^H802, “Please^H4994 do not hide^H3582 anything^H1697 from me that I am about to ask^H7592 you.” And the woman^H802 said^H559, “Let my lord^H113 the king^H4428 please^H4994 speak^H1696.”

2Sa 14:19

2Sa 14:19So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant-woman;

2Sa 14:20

2Sa 14:20in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”

David Brings Back Absalom

2Sa 14:21

Then the king^H4428 said^H559 to Joab^H3097, “Behold^H2009 now^H4994, I have done^H6213 this^H2088 thing^H1697; go^H1980 therefore, bring^H7725 back^H7725 the young^H5288 man^H5288 Absalom^H53.”

2Sa 14:22

2Sa 14:22And Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the word of his servant.”

2Sa 14:23

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

2Sa 14:24

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

2Sa 14:25

Now in all^H3605 Israel^H3478 was no^H3808 one^H376 as handsome^H3303 as Absalom^H53, so highly^H3966 praised^H1984; from the sole^H3709 of his foot^H7272 to the top^H6936 of^H6936 his head^H6936 there was no^H3808 defect^H3971 in him.

2Sa 14:26

2Sa 14:26When he shaved the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he shaved it, for it was heavy on him so he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at [fn]200 shekels by the king’s weight.

2Sa 14:27

2Sa 14:27And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.

2Sa 14:28

Now Absalom^H53 lived^H3427 two full^H3117 years^H8141 in Jerusalem^H3389, and did not see^H7200 the king’s^H4428 face^H6440.

2Sa 14:29

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

2Sa 14:30

2Sa 14:30Therefore he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s portion of land is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the portion of land on fire.

2Sa 14:31

2Sa 14:31Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my portion of land on fire?”

2Sa 14:32

2Sa 14:32And Absalom [fn]answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.”’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.”

2Sa 14:33

2Sa 14:33So Joab came to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his [fn]face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.