³ and come to the king and speak in this manner unto him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa spoke 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 the 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 has 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 leave to my husband neither name nor remnant 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 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.”

¹⁰ And the king said, “Whosoever saith aught 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 avengers 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, “Why then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king doth speak this thing as one who is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

¹⁴ For we must needs die, and are as water spilled 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, why I have 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 who 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 comforting; 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 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 thine handmaid.

²⁰ To bring about this manner 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, “Today 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 cut his hair (for it was at every year’s end that he cut it, because the hair was heavy on him; therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to 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 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 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, “Why 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, “Why have 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.

15 And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

² And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate; and it was so that, when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him and said, “Of what city art thou?” And he said, “Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.”

³ And Absalom said unto him, “See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed by the king to hear thee.”

⁴ Absalom said moreover, “Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that every man who hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!”

⁵ And it was so that, when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

⁶ And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷ And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, “I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the Lord in Hebron.

⁸ For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, ‘If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’”

⁹ And the king said unto him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, ‘Absalom reigneth in Hebron.’”

¹¹ And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem who were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

¹² And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

¹³ And there came a messenger to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.”

¹⁴ And David said unto all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.”

¹⁵ And the king’s servants said unto the king, “Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.”

¹⁶ And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.

¹⁷ And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

¹⁸ And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

¹⁹ Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, “Why goest thou also with us? Return to thy place and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and also an exile.

²⁰ Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go whither I may, return thou and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee.”

²¹ And Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord liveth and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.”

²² And David said to Ittai, “Go, and pass over.” And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

²³ And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness.

²⁴ And lo, Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had passed out of the city.

²⁵ And the king said unto Zadok, “Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will bring me back, and show me both it and His habitation.

²⁶ But if He thus say, ‘I have no delight in thee,’ behold, here am I. Let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him.”

²⁷ The king said also unto Zadok the priest, “Art not thou a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

²⁸ See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness until there come word from you to assure me.”

²⁹ Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and they tarried there.

³⁰ And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

³¹ And one told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

³² And it came to pass, when David had come to the top of the mount where he worshiped God, that, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head;

³³ unto whom David said, “If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me;

³⁴ but if thou return to the city and say unto Absalom, ‘I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant,’ then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

³⁵ And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶ Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye can hear.”

³⁷ So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

17 Then said He unto His disciples, “It is impossible but that offenses will come, but woe unto him through whom they come!

² It were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to fall.

³ “Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

⁴ And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, ‘I repent,’ thou shalt forgive him.”

⁵ And the apostles said unto the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

⁶ And the Lord said, “If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, ‘Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea,’ and it should obey you.

⁷ But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field, ‘Go and sit down to meat’?

⁸ But will you not rather say unto him, ‘Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself and serve me until I have eaten and drunk, and afterward thou shalt eat and drink’?

⁹ Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not!

¹⁰ So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our duty to do.’”

¹¹ And it came to pass as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

¹² And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

¹³ And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴ And when He saw them, He said unto them, “Go, show yourselves unto the priests.” And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵ And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God,

¹⁶ and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ And Jesus answering said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

¹⁸ There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.”

¹⁹ And He said unto him, “Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole.”

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