28 Absalom resided in Jerusalem two years but never saw the king. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab was unwilling to come to him. So he sent again, a second time, but he still would not come. 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “See, Joab has a field right next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set fire to it!” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.[a]

31 Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 “Look,” Absalom explained to Joab, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? I’d be better off if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king. If I am guilty, let him kill me.”

33 Joab went to the king and told him. So David summoned Absalom, who came to the king and paid homage with his face to the ground before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:30 DSS, LXX add So Joab’s servants came to him with their clothes torn and said, “Absalom’s servants have set the field on fire!”

28 Meanwhile, Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but never saw the king’s face. 29 After this, Absalom sent for Joab, intending to send him to the king, but Joab[a] would not come. Absalom[b] sent for him a second time, but he still[c] would not come. 30 So Absalom[d] told his servants, “Observe that Joab’s grain field lies next to mine. He has barley planted there. Go set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 At this, Joab got up, went to Absalom’s home, and demanded of him, “Why did your servants set fire to my grain field?”

32 In answer to Joab, Absalom replied, “Look, I sent for you, telling you ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask him “What’s the point in moving here from Geshur? I would have been better off to have remained there!”’ So let me see the king’s face, and if I’m guilty of anything, let him execute me!”

33 So when Joab approached the king and told him what Absalom had said,[e] he summoned Absalom, who then came to the king and fell to the ground on his face in front of him.[f] Then the king kissed Absalom.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 14:29 Lit. he
  2. 2 Samuel 14:29 Lit. he
  3. 2 Samuel 14:29 The Heb. lacks still
  4. 2 Samuel 14:30 Lit. he
  5. 2 Samuel 14:33 The Heb. lacks what Absalom had said
  6. 2 Samuel 14:33 Lit. of the king