2 Samuel 14
Nueva Biblia de las Américas
Joab y la mujer de Tecoa
14 Joab, hijo de Sarvia, comprendió que el corazón del rey se inclinaba hacia Absalón(A). 2 Y Joab envió a Tecoa(B) a traer[a] a una mujer sabia de allí, y le dijo: «Te ruego que finjas estar de duelo, te pongas ahora ropas de luto y no te unjas con óleo, sino pórtate como una mujer que por muchos días ha estado de duelo por un muerto(C); 3 después ve al rey y háblale de esta manera». Y Joab puso las palabras en su boca(D).
4 Cuando la mujer de Tecoa habló[b] al rey, cayó sobre su rostro en tierra, y postrándose(E), dijo: «¡Ayúdeme, oh rey(F)!». 5 «¿Qué te sucede?», le dijo el rey. Ella le respondió: «Ciertamente soy viuda, pues mi marido ha muerto. 6 Su sierva tenía dos hijos; lucharon entre sí en el campo, y no habiendo quien los apartara[c], uno hirió al otro y lo mató. 7 Y toda la familia se ha levantado contra su sierva, y dicen: “Entrega al que hirió a su hermano, para que le demos muerte por la vida de su hermano a quien mató(G), y destruyamos al heredero también(H)”. Así extinguirán el ascua que me queda, no dejando[d] a mi marido nombre ni remanente sobre la superficie de la tierra».
8 «Ve a tu casa, y daré órdenes respecto a ti», el rey respondió a la mujer. 9 Y la mujer de Tecoa dijo al rey: «Oh rey mi señor(I), la iniquidad sea sobre mí y sobre la casa de mi padre, pero el rey y su trono sean sin culpa(J)». 10 «Cualquiera que te hable, tráemelo, y no te molestará más», dijo el rey. 11 Y ella dijo: «Le ruego, oh rey, que se acuerde del Señor su Dios, para que el vengador de sangre no aumente el daño(K), no sea que destruya a mi hijo». Y él dijo: «Vive el Señor, ni un pelo de tu hijo caerá a tierra(L)».
12 Dijo entonces la mujer: «Permita que su sierva diga una palabra a mi señor el rey». «Habla», le dijo David. 13 Y la mujer dijo: «¿Por qué, pues, ha pensado tal cosa contra el pueblo de Dios(M)? Porque al decir esta palabra, el rey se hace como uno que es culpable, ya que el rey no hace volver a su desterrado(N). 14 Pues ciertamente moriremos(O); somos como el agua derramada(P) en tierra que no se vuelve a recoger. Pero Dios no quita la vida, sino designa medios para que el desterrado no sea alejado de él(Q). 15 Ahora, la razón por la cual[e] he venido a decir esta palabra a mi señor el rey, es porque el pueblo me ha atemorizado; por eso su sierva se dijo: “Hablaré ahora al rey, tal vez el rey cumpla la petición[f] de su sierva. 16 Pues el rey oirá y librará[g] a su sierva de mano[h] del hombre que destruiría a ambos[i], a mí y a mi hijo, de la heredad de Dios(R)”. 17 Se dijo además su sierva: “Sea de consuelo[j] la palabra de mi señor el rey, pues como el ángel de Dios, así es mi señor el rey para discernir el bien(S) y el mal. ¡Que el Señor su Dios sea con usted!”».
18 Respondió el rey y dijo a la mujer: «Te ruego que no me ocultes nada de lo que voy a preguntarte». «Hable mi señor el rey», le dijo la mujer. 19 Y el rey dijo: «¿Está contigo la mano de Joab en todo esto?». Y la mujer respondió: «Vive su alma, mi señor el rey, nadie puede desviarse ni a la derecha ni a la izquierda de todo lo que mi señor el rey ha hablado. En verdad fue su siervo Joab quien me mandó, y fue él quien puso todas estas palabras en boca de su sierva(T); 20 su siervo Joab ha hecho esto con el fin de cambiar el aspecto de las cosas. Pero mi señor es sabio, como con la sabiduría del ángel de Dios(U), para saber todo lo que hay en la tierra».
Regreso de Absalón
21 Entonces el rey dijo a Joab: «Mira, ciertamente ahora haré esto; ve y trae al joven Absalón(V)». 22 Joab cayó rostro en tierra, y postrándose, bendijo al rey. Entonces Joab dijo: «Oh rey mi señor, hoy su siervo sabe que he hallado gracia ante sus ojos, puesto que el rey ha concedido la petición[k] de su siervo». 23 Joab se levantó, fue a Gesur y trajo a Absalón(W) a Jerusalén. 24 Pero el rey dijo: «Que vuelva a su casa y no vea mi rostro». Y Absalón(X) volvió a su casa, y no vio el rostro del rey.
25 En todo Israel no había nadie tan bien parecido ni tan celebrado como Absalón. Desde la planta de su pie hasta su coronilla no había defecto en él(Y). 26 Cuando se cortaba el cabello(Z) (y era al final de cada año que se lo cortaba, pues le pesaba mucho y por eso se lo cortaba), el cabello pesaba 200 siclos (2.3 kilos) según el peso real. 27 A Absalón le nacieron tres hijos(AA) y una hija que se llamaba Tamar; ella era una mujer de hermosa apariencia(AB).
28 Absalón residió dos años completos en Jerusalén sin ver el rostro del rey(AC). 29 Entonces Absalón mandó a buscar a Joab para enviarlo al rey, pero él no quiso venir. Y por segunda vez envió por él, pero no quiso venir. 30 Dijo, pues, a sus siervos: «Miren, el campo[l] de Joab está junto al mío(AD), y allí tiene cebada; vayan y préndanle fuego». Y los siervos de Absalón prendieron fuego al campo[m]. 31 Entonces Joab se levantó, vino a la casa de Absalón y le dijo: «¿Por qué tus siervos han prendido fuego a mi campo[n]?». 32 Y Absalón respondió a Joab: «Mira, mandé a decirte: “Ven acá, para enviarte al rey a decirle: ‘¿Para qué vine de Gesur? Mejor me hubiera sido estar aún allá’”. Ahora pues, vea yo el rostro del rey; y si hay iniquidad en mí, que me dé muerte(AE)». 33 Cuando Joab vino al rey y le hizo saber esto, llamó a Absalón, quien vino ante el rey y se postró sobre su rostro en tierra delante del rey. Y el rey besó a Absalón(AF).
Footnotes
- 14:2 Lit. y tomó.
- 14:4 Muchos mss. y versiones antiguas dicen: vino.
- 14:6 Lit. libertador entre ellos.
- 14:7 Lit. no poniendo.
- 14:15 Lit. Y ahora que.
- 14:15 Lit. palabra.
- 14:16 Lit. para librar.
- 14:16 Lit. palma.
- 14:16 Lit. juntos.
- 14:17 Lit. para descanso.
- 14:22 Lit. palabra.
- 14:30 Lit. la porción.
- 14:30 Lit. a la porción.
- 14:31 Lit. porción.
2 Samuel 14
New King James Version
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
14 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned (A)about Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to (B)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, (C)and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab (D)put the words in her mouth.
4 And when the woman of Tekoa [a]spoke to the king, she (E)fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, (F)“Help, O king!”
5 Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?”
And she answered, (G)“Indeed I am a widow, my husband is dead. 6 Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him. 7 And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him (H)for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”
9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, let (I)the [b]iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, (J)and the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10 So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”
11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, and do not permit (K)the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.”
And he said, (L)“As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12 Therefore the woman said, “Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king.”
And he said, “Say on.”
13 So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against (M)the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring (N)his banished one home again. 14 For we (O)will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not (P)take away a life; but He (Q)devises means, so that His banished ones are not [c]expelled from Him. 15 Now therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the (R)inheritance of God.’ 17 Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for (S)as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in (T)discerning good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ ”
18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.”
And the woman said, “Please, let my lord the king speak.”
19 So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded me, and (U)he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant. 20 To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, (V)according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”
21 And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and [d]thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose (W)and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but (X)do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face.
David Forgives Absalom
25 Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. (Y)From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he cut the hair of his head—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard. 27 (Z)To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28 And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, (AA)but did not see 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 the second time, he would not come. 30 So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32 And Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face; but (AB)if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.”
33 So Joab went 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. Then the king (AC)kissed Absalom.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 14:4 Many Heb. mss., LXX, Syr., Vg. came
- 2 Samuel 14:9 guilt
- 2 Samuel 14:14 cast out
- 2 Samuel 14:22 Lit. blessed
2 Samuel 14
King James Version
14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
6 And 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 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 life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9 And the woman of Tekoah 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.
10 And the king said, Whoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the Lord liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing 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 handmaid.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God will 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 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 ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
20 To fetch about this form of speech 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.
21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.
23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25 But 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.
26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.
29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.
30 Therefore 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.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
32 And 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 had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.
33 So 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.
Nueva Biblia de las Américas™ NBLA™ Copyright © 2005 por The Lockman Foundation
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
