14 2 Absalom is reconciled to his father by the subtlety of Joab. 24 Absalom may not see the King’s face. 25 The beauty of Absalom. 30 He causeth Joab’s corn to be burnt, and is brought to his father’s presence.

¹ Then Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived, that the king’s ^[a]heart was toward Absalom,

² And Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought thence a ^[b]subtle woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to mourn, and now put on mourning apparel, and ^[c]anoint not thyself with oil: but be as a woman that had now long time mourned for the dead.

³ And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him, (for Joab ^[d]taught her what she should say).

⁴ ¶ Then the woman of Tekoa spake unto the king, and fell down on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, ^[e]Help, O King.

⁵ Then the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a ^[f]widow, and mine husband is dead:

⁶ And thine handmaid had two ^[g]sons, and they two strove together in the field, (and there was none to part them) so the one smote the other, and slew him.

⁷ And behold the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the ^[h]soul of his brother whom he slew, that we may destroy the heir also: so they shall quench my sparkle which is left, and shall not leave to mine husband neither name nor posterity upon the earth.

⁸ And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give a charge for thee.

⁹ Then the woman of Tekoa said unto the King, My lord, O King, this ^[i]trespass be on me, and on my father’s house, and the King and his throne be ^[j]guiltless.

¹⁰ And the King said, Bring him to me that speaketh against thee, and he shall touch thee no more.

¹¹ Then said she, I pray thee, let the king ^[k]remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer many revengers of blood to destroy, lest they slay my son. And he answered, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

¹² Then the woman said, I pray thee, let thine handmaid speak a word to my lord the King. And he said, Say on.

¹³ Then the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou ^[l]thought such a thing against the people of God? or why doth the King, as one which is faulty, speak this thing, that he will not bring again his banished?

¹⁴ For we must needs die, and we are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again: neither doth God ^[m]spare any person, yet doth he appoint ^[n]means, not to cast out from him, him that is expelled.

¹⁵ Now therefore, that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the King, the cause is that the people ^[o]have made me afraid: therefore thine handmaid said, Now will I speak unto the King: it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

¹⁶ For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me, and also my son from the inheritance of God.

¹⁷ Therefore thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be ^[p]comfortable: for my lord the King is even as an ^[q]Angel of God in hearing of good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God be with thee.

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

¹⁹ And the king said, Is not ^[r]the hand of Joab with thee in all this? Then the woman answered, and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the King, I will not turn to the right hand nor to the left, from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for even thy servant Joab bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid.

²⁰ For to the intent that I ^[s]should change the form of speech, thy servant Joab hath done this thing: but ^[t]my lord is wise according to the wisdom of an Angel of God, to understand all things that are in the earth.

²¹ ¶ And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have ^[u]done this thing: go then, and bring the young man Absalom again.

²² And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself and ^[v]thanked the King. Then Joab said, This day thy servant knoweth, that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord the king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.

²³ ¶ And Joab arose, and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

²⁴ And the King said, Let him ^[w]turn to his own house, and not see my face. So Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

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

²⁶ And when he polled his head, (for at every year’s end he polled it: because it was too heavy for him, therefore he polled it) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred ^[x]shekels by the king’s weight.

²⁷ And Absalom had three sons, and one daughter named Tamar, which was a fair woman to look upon.

²⁸ ¶ So Absalom dwelt the space of two years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.

²⁹ Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the King, but he would not come to him: and when he sent again, he would not come.

³⁰ Therefore he said unto his servants, Behold, Joab hath a ^[y]field by my place, and hath barley therein: go, and set it ^[z]on fire: and Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹ Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants burnt my field with fire?

³² And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent for thee, saying, Come thou hither, and I will send thee to the king for to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It had been better for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face: and ^[aa]if there be any trespass in me, let him kill me.

³³ Then Joab came to the king, and told him: and he called for Absalom, who came to the king, and bowed himself to the ground on his face before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.