2 Samuel 14 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Woman of Tekoa

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

2 So Joab ^H3097 sent ^H7971 a messenger to Tekoa ^H8620 and [fn]brought ^H3947 a wise ^H2450 woman ^H802 from there ^H8033, and said ^H559 to her, “Please ^H4994 follow ^H56 mourning ^H56 rites ^H56, and put ^H3847 on ^H3847 mourning ^H60 garments ^H899 now ^H4994, and do not anoint ^H5480 yourself with oil ^H8081 but be like a woman ^H802 who has been mourning ^H56 for the dead ^H4191 for many ^H7227 days ^H3117. 3 Then go ^H935 to the king ^H4428 and speak ^H1696 to him in this ^H2088 way ^H1697.” So Joab ^H3097 put ^H7760 the words ^H1697 in her mouth ^H6310.

4 Now when the woman ^H802 of Tekoa ^H8621 [fn]spoke ^H559 to the king ^H4428, she fell ^H5307 on her face ^H639 to the ground ^H776 and prostrated ^H2331 herself, and said ^H559, “Help ^H3467, O king ^H4428!” 5 And the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to her, “What ^H4100 is troubling you?” And she [fn]answered ^H559, “Truly ^H61 I am a widow ^H802 H490, for my husband ^H376 is dead ^H4191. 6 And your servant ^H8198 had two ^H8147 sons ^H1121, but the two ^H8147 of them fought ^H5327 in the field ^H7704, and there ^H369 was ^H369 no ^H369 [fn]one ^H369 to save ^H5337 [fn]them from ^H996 each ^H996 other ^H996, so one ^H259 struck ^H5221 the other ^H259 and killed ^H4191 him. 7 Now behold ^H2009, the entire ^H3605 family ^H4940 has risen ^H6965 against ^H5921 your servant ^H8198, and they have said ^H559, ‘Hand ^H5414 over ^H5414 the one who struck ^H5221 his brother ^H251, so that we may put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191 for the life ^H5315 of his brother ^H251 whom ^H834 he killed ^H2026, and eliminate ^H8045 the heir ^H3423 as ^H1571 well ^H1571.’ So they will extinguish ^H3518 my coal ^H1513 which ^H834 is left ^H7604, so as to [fn]leave ^H7760 my husband ^H376 neither ^H1115 name ^H8034 nor ^H1115 remnant ^H7611 on the face ^H6440 of the earth ^H127.”

8 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to the woman ^H802, “Go ^H1980 to your home ^H1004, and I will issue ^H6680 orders ^H6680 concerning ^H5921 you.” 9 The woman ^H802 of Tekoa ^H8621 said ^H559 to the king ^H4428, “My lord ^H113, the king ^H4428, the guilt ^H5771 is on me and my father’s ^H1 house ^H1004, but the king ^H4428 and his throne ^H3678 are guiltless ^H5355.” 10 So the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “Whoever speaks ^H1696 to you, bring ^H935 him to me, and he will not touch ^H5060 you anymore ^H3254 H5750.” 11 Then she said ^H559, “May the king ^H4428 please ^H4994 remember ^H2142 the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430, so that the avenger ^H1350 of blood ^H1818 will not continue ^H7235 to destroy ^H7843, otherwise ^H3808 they will destroy ^H8045 my son ^H1121.” And he said ^H559, “As the LORD ^H3068 lives ^H2416, not one hair ^H8185 of your son ^H1121 shall fall ^H5307 to the ground ^H776.”

12 Then the woman ^H802 said ^H559, “Please ^H4994 let your servant ^H8198 speak ^H1696 a word ^H1697 to my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428.” And he said ^H559, “Speak ^H1696.” 13 The woman ^H802 said ^H559, “Why ^H4100 then have you planned ^H2803 such ^H2088 a thing ^H2088 against ^H5921 the people ^H5971 of God ^H430? For in speaking ^H1696 this ^H2088 word ^H1697 the king ^H4428 is like one ^H818 who is guilty ^H818, in that the king ^H4428 does not bring ^H7725 back ^H7725 his banished ^H5080 one ^H5080. 14 For we will surely ^H4191 die ^H4191 and are like water ^H4325 spilled ^H5064 on the ground ^H776, which ^H834 cannot ^H3808 be gathered ^H622 up ^H622. Yet God ^H430 does not take ^H5375 away life ^H5315, but makes ^H2803 plans ^H4284 so that the banished ^H5080 one ^H5080 will not be cast ^H5080 out ^H5080 from Him. 15 Now ^H6258 then, [fn]the reason ^H834 I have come ^H935 to speak ^H1696 this ^H2088 word ^H1697 to my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 is that the people ^H5971 have made ^H3372 me afraid ^H3372; so your servant ^H8198 said ^H559, ‘Let me now ^H4994 speak ^H1696 to the king ^H4428, perhaps ^H194 the king ^H4428 will perform ^H6213 the [fn]request ^H1697 of his slave ^H519. 16 For the king ^H4428 will listen ^H8085, to save ^H5337 his slave ^H519 from the [fn]hand ^H3709 of the man ^H376 who would eliminate ^H8045 [fn]both ^H3162 me and my son ^H1121 from the inheritance ^H5159 of God ^H430.’ 17 Then your servant ^H8198 said ^H559, ‘Please ^H4994 let the word ^H1697 of my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 be [fn]comforting ^H4496, for as the angel ^H4397 of God ^H430, so ^H3651 is my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 to discern ^H8085 good ^H2896 and evil ^H7451. And may the LORD ^H3068 your God ^H430 be with you.’”

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.” 19 So the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “Is the hand ^H3027 of Joab ^H3097 with you in all ^H3605 this ^H2088?” And the woman ^H802 replied ^H6030, “As your soul ^H5315 lives ^H2416, my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, no ^H518 one can turn ^H3231 to the right ^H3231 or to the left ^H8041 from anything ^H3605 that my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428 has spoken ^H1696. Indeed ^H3588, it was your servant ^H5650 Joab ^H3097 who ^H1931 commanded ^H6680 me, and it was he who put ^H7760 all ^H3605 these ^H428 words ^H1697 in the mouth ^H6310 of your servant ^H8198. 20 In order ^H5668 to change ^H5437 the appearance ^H6440 of things ^H1697 your servant ^H5650 Joab ^H3097 has done ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697. But my lord ^H113 is wise ^H2450, like the wisdom ^H2451 of the angel ^H4397 of God ^H430, to know ^H3045 all ^H3605 that is on the earth ^H776.”

Absalom Returns

21 Then the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Joab ^H3097, “Behold ^H2009 now ^H4994, I [fn]will certainly do ^H6213 this ^H2088 thing ^H1697; go ^H1980 then, bring ^H7725 back ^H7725 the young ^H5288 man ^H5288 Absalom ^H53.”

22 And Joab ^H3097 fell ^H5307 on his face ^H6440 to the ground ^H776, prostrated ^H2331 himself, and blessed ^H1288 the king ^H4428; then Joab ^H3097 said ^H559, “Today ^H3117 your servant ^H5650 knows ^H3045 that I have found ^H4672 favor ^H2580 in your sight ^H5869, my lord ^H113 the king ^H4428, in that the king ^H4428 has performed ^H6213 the [fn]request ^H1697 of his servant ^H5650.” 23 So Joab ^H3097 arose ^H6965 and went ^H1980 to Geshur ^H1650, and brought ^H935 Absalom ^H53 to Jerusalem ^H3389. 24 However, the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “He shall return ^H5437 to his own house ^H1004, but he shall not see ^H7200 my face ^H6440.” So Absalom ^H53 returned ^H5437 to his own house ^H1004 and did not see ^H7200 the king’s ^H4428 face ^H6440.

25 Now in all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478 there 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 impairment ^H3971 in him. 26 And when he cut ^H1548 the hair of his head ^H7218 (and it was at the end ^H7093 of every year ^H3117 that he cut ^H1548 it, because ^H3588 it was heavy ^H3515 on him, so he cut ^H1548 it), he weighed ^H8254 the hair ^H8181 of his head ^H7218 at [fn]two ^H3967 hundred ^H3967 shekels ^H8255 by the king’s ^H4428 weight ^H68. 27 And to Absalom ^H53 there were born ^H3205 three ^H7969 sons ^H1121, and one ^H259 daughter ^H1323 whose name ^H8034 was Tamar ^H8559; she was a woman ^H802 of beautiful ^H3303 appearance ^H4758.

28 Now Absalom ^H53 lived ^H3427 two full ^H3117 years ^H8141 in Jerusalem ^H3389, yet he did not see ^H7200 the king’s ^H4428 face ^H6440. 29 Then Absalom ^H53 sent ^H7971 for Joab ^H3097, to send ^H7971 him to the king ^H4428, but he would ^H14 not come ^H935 to him. So he sent ^H7971 word again ^H5750 a second ^H8145 time ^H8145, but he would ^H14 not come ^H935. 30 Therefore he said ^H559 to his servants ^H5650, “See ^H7200, Joab’s ^H3097 plot ^H2513 is next ^H413 H3027 to mine, and he has barley ^H8184 there ^H8033; go ^H1980 and set ^H3341 it on fire ^H784.” So Absalom’s ^H53 servants ^H5650 set ^H3341 the plot ^H2513 on fire ^H784. 31 Then Joab ^H3097 got ^H6965 up ^H6965, came ^H935 to Absalom ^H53 at his house ^H1004, and said ^H559 to him, “Why ^H4100 have your servants ^H5650 set ^H3341 my plot ^H2513 on fire ^H784?” 32 Absalom ^H53 [fn]answered ^H559 Joab ^H3097, “Behold ^H2009, I sent ^H7971 for you, saying ^H559, ‘Come ^H935 here ^H2008, so that I may send ^H7971 you to the king ^H4428, to say ^H559, “Why ^H4100 have I come ^H935 from Geshur ^H1650? It would be better ^H2896 for me still ^H5750 to be there ^H8033.”’ Now ^H6258 then, let me see ^H7200 the king’s ^H4428 face ^H6440, and if ^H518 there ^H3426 is ^H3426 guilt ^H5771 in me, he can have me executed ^H4191.” 33 So when Joab ^H3097 came ^H935 to the king ^H4428 and told ^H5046 him, he summoned ^H7121 Absalom ^H53. Then Absalom came ^H935 to the king ^H4428 and prostrated ^H2331 himself [fn]with his face ^H639 to the ground ^H776 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428; and the king ^H4428 kissed ^H5401 Absalom ^H53.