2 Samuel 14
Young's Literal Translation
1And Joab son of Zeruial knoweth that the heart of the king [is] on Absalom,
2and Joab sendeth to Tekoah, and taketh thence a wise woman, and saith unto her, 'Feign thyself a mourner, I pray thee, and put on, I pray thee, garments of mourning, and anoint not thyself with oil, and thou hast been as a woman these many days mourning for the dead,
3and thou hast gone unto the king, and spoken unto him, according to this word;' and Joab putteth the words into her mouth.
4And the woman of Tekoah speaketh unto the king, and falleth on her face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and saith, 'Save, O king.'
5And the king saith to her, 'What — to thee?' and she saith, 'Truly a widow woman [am] I, and my husband dieth,
6and thy maid-servant hath two sons; and they strive both of them in a field, and there is no deliverer between them, and the one smiteth the other, and putteth him to death;
7and lo, the whole family hath risen against thy maid-servant, and say, Give up him who smiteth his brother, and we put him to death for the life of his brother whom he hath slain, and we destroy also the heir; and they have quenched my coal which is left — so as not to set to my husband a name and remnant on the face of the ground.'
8And the king saith unto the woman, 'Go to thine house, and I give charge concerning thee.'
9And the woman of Tekoah saith unto the king, 'On me, my lord, O king, [is] the iniquity, and on the house of my father; and the king and his throne [are] innocent.'
10And the king saith, 'He who speaketh [aught] unto thee, and thou hast brought him unto me, then he doth not add any more to come against thee.'
11And she saith, 'Let, I pray thee, the king remember by Jehovah thy God, that the redeemer of blood add not to destroy, and they destroy not my son;' and he saith, 'Jehovah liveth; if there doth fall of the hair of thy son to the earth.'
12And the woman saith, 'Let, I pray thee, thy maid-servant speak unto my lord the king a word;' and he saith, 'Speak.'
13And the woman saith, 'And why hast thou thought thus concerning the people of God? yea, the king is speaking this thing as a guilty one, in that the king hath not brought back his outcast;
14for we do surely die, and [are] as water which is running down to the earth, which is not gathered, and God doth not accept a person, and hath devised devices in that the outcast is not outcast by Him.
15'And now that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, [it is] because the people made me afraid, and thy maid-servant saith, Let me speak, I pray thee, unto the king; it may be the king doth do the word of his handmaid,
16for the king doth hearken to deliver his handmaid out of the paw of the man [seeking] to destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God,
17and thy maid-servant saith, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for ease; for as a messenger of God so [is] my lord the king, to understand the good and the evil; and Jehovah thy God is with thee.'
18And the king answereth and saith unto the woman, 'Do not, I pray thee, hide from me the thing that I am asking thee;' and the woman saith, 'Let, I pray thee, my lord the king speak.'
19And the king saith, 'Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this?' And the woman answereth and saith, 'Thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, none [doth turn] to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of thy maid-servant all these words;
20in order to bring round the appearance of the thing hath thy servant Joab done this thing, and my lord [is] wise, according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all that [is] in the land.'
21And the king saith unto Joab, 'Lo, I pray thee, thou hast done this thing; and go, bring back the young man Absalom.'
22And Joab falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and blesseth the king, and Joab saith, 'To-day hath thy servant known that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, in that the king hath done the word of his servant.'
23And Joab riseth and goeth to Geshur, and bringeth in Absalom to Jerusalem,
24and the king saith, 'Let him turn round unto his house, and my face he doth not see.' And Absalom turneth round unto his house, and the face of the king he hath not seen.
25And like Absalom there was no man [so] fair in all Israel, to praise greatly; from the sole of his foot even unto his crown there was no blemish in him;
26and in his polling his head — and it hath been at the end of year by year that he polleth [it], for it [is] heavy on him, and he hath polled it — he hath even weighed out the hair of his head — two hundred shekels by the king's weight.
27And there are born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter, and her name [is] Tamar; she was a woman of a fair appearance.
28And Absalom dwelleth in Jerusalem two years of days, and the face of the king he hath not seen;
29and Absalom sendeth unto Joab, to send him unto the king, and he hath not been willing to come unto him; and he sendeth again a second time, and he hath not been willing to come.
30And he saith unto his servants, 'See, the portion of Joab [is] by the side of mine, and he hath barley there; go, and burn it with fire;' and the servants of Absalom burn the portion with fire.
31And Joab riseth and cometh unto Absalom in the house, and saith unto him, 'Why have thy servants burned the portion that I have with fire?'
32And Absalom saith unto Joab, 'Lo, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, and I send thee unto the king to say, Why have I come in from Geshur? — good for me while I [am] there — and now, let me see the king's face, and if there is in me iniquity then thou hast put me to death.'
33And Joab cometh unto the king, and declareth [it] to him, and he calleth unto Absalom, and he cometh unto the king, and boweth himself to him, on his face, to the earth, before the king, and the king giveth a kiss to Absalom.
Reina-Valera 1909
1Y CONOCIENDO Joab hijo de Sarvia, que el corazón del rey estaba por Absalom,
2Envió Joab á Tecoa, y tomó de allá una mujer astuta, y díjole: Yo te ruego que te enlutes, y te vistas de ropas de luto, y no te unjas con óleo, antes sé como mujer que ha mucho tiempo que trae luto por algún muerto;
3Y entrando al rey, habla con él de esta manera. Y puso Joab las palabras en su boca.
4Entró pues aquella mujer de Tecoa al rey, y postrándose en tierra sobre su rostro hizo reverencia, y dijo: Oh rey, salva.
5Y el rey le dijo: ¿Qué tienes? Y ella respondió: Yo á la verdad soy una mujer viuda y mi marido es muerto.
6Y tu sierva tenía dos hijos y los dos riñeron en el campo; y no habiendo quien los despartiese, hirió el uno al otro, y matólo.
7Y he aquí toda la parentela se ha levantado contra tu sierva, diciendo: Entrega al que mató á su hermano, para que le hagamos morir por la vida de su hermano á quien él mató, y quitemos también el heredero. Así apagarán el ascua que me ha quedado, no dejando á mi marido nombre ni reliquia sobre la tierra.
8Entonces el rey dijo á la mujer: Vete á tu casa, que yo mandaré acerca de ti.
9Y la mujer de Tecoa dijo al rey: Rey señor mío, la maldad sea sobre mí y sobre la casa de mi padre; mas el rey y su trono sin culpa.
10Y el rey dijo: Al que hablare contra ti, tráelo á mí, que no te tocará más.
11Dijo ella entonces: Ruégote, oh rey, que te acuerdes de Jehová tu Dios, que no dejes á los cercanos de la sangre aumentar el daño con destruir á mi hijo. Y él respondió: Vive Jehová, que no caerá ni un cabello de la cabeza de tu hijo en tierra.
12Y la mujer dijo: Ruégote que hable tu criada una palabra á mi señor el rey. Y él dijo: Habla.
13Entonces la mujer dijo: ¿Por qué pues piensas tú otro tanto contra el pueblo de Dios? que hablando el rey esta palabra, es como culpado, por cuanto el rey no hace volver á su fugitivo.
14Porque de cierto morimos, y somos como aguas derramadas por tierra, que no pueden volver á recogerse: ni Dios quita la vida, sino que arbitra medio para que su desviado no sea de él excluído.
15Y que yo he venido ahora para decir esto al rey mi señor, es porque el pueblo me ha puesto miedo. Mas tu sierva dijo: Hablaré ahora al rey: quizá él hará lo que su sierva diga.
16Pues el rey oirá, para librar á su sierva de mano del hombre que me quiere raer á mí, y á mi hijo juntamente, de la heredad de Dios.
17Tu sierva pues dice: Que sea ahora la respuesta de mi señor el rey para descanso; pues que mi señor el rey es como un ángel de Dios para escuchar lo bueno y lo malo. Así Jehová tu Dios sea contigo.
18Entonces él respondió, y dijo á la mujer: Yo te ruego que no me encubras nada de lo que yo te preguntare. Y la mujer dijo: Hable mi señor el rey.
19Y el rey dijo: ¿No ha sido la mano de Joab contigo en todas estas cosas? Y la mujer respondió y dijo: Vive tu alma, rey señor mío, que no hay que apartarse á derecha ni á izquierda de todo lo que mi señor el rey ha hablado: porque tu siervo Joab, él me mandó, y él puso en boca de tu sierva todas estas palabras;
20Y que trocara la forma de las palabras, Joab tu siervo lo ha hecho: mas mi señor es sabio, conforme á la sabiduría de un ángel de Dios, para conocer lo que hay en la tierra.
21Entonces el rey dijo á Joab: He aquí yo hago esto: ve, y haz volver al mozo Absalom.
22Y Joab se postró en tierra sobre su rostro, é hizo reverencia, y después que bendijo al rey, dijo: Hoy ha entendido tu siervo que he hallado gracia en tus ojos, rey señor mío; pues que ha hecho el rey lo que su siervo ha dicho.
23Levantóse luego Joab, y fué á Gessur, y volvió á Absalom á Jerusalem.
24Mas el rey dijo: Váyase á su casa, y no vea mi rostro. Y volvióse Absalom á su casa, y no vió el rostro del rey.
25Y no había en todo Israel hombre tan hermoso como Absalom, de alabar en gran manera: desde la planta de su pie hasta la mollera no había en él defecto.
26Y cuando se cortaba el cabello, (lo cual hacía al fin de cada año, pues le causaba molestia, y por eso se lo cortaba), pesaba el cabello de su cabeza doscientos siclos de peso real.
27Y Naciéronle á Absalom tres hijos, y una hija que se llamó Thamar, la cual era hermosa de ver.
28Y estuvo Absalom por espacio de dos años en Jerusalem, y no vió la cara del rey.
29Y mandó Absalom por Joab, para enviarlo al rey; mas no quiso venir á él; ni aunque envió por segunda vez, quiso él venir.
30Entonces dijo á sus siervos: Bien sabéis las tierras de Joab junto á mi lugar, donde tiene sus cebadas; id, y pegadles fuego; y los siervos de Absalom pegaron fuego á las tierras.
31Levantóse por tanto Joab, y vino á Absalom á su casa, y díjole: ¿Por qué han puesto fuego tus siervos á mis tierras?
32Y Absalom respondió á Joab: He aquí, yo he enviado por ti, diciendo que vinieses acá, á fin de enviarte yo al rey á que le dijeses: ¿Para qué vine de Gessur? mejor me fuera estar aún allá. Vea yo ahora la cara del rey; y si hay en mí pecado, máteme.
33Vino pues Joab al rey, é hízoselo saber. Entonces llamó á Absalom, el cual vino al rey, é inclinó su rostro á tierra delante del rey: y el rey besó á Absalom.
King James Version
1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
2And 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:
3And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4And 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.
5And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
6And 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.
7And, 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.
8And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9And 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.
10And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11Then 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.
12Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13And 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.
14For 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.
15Now 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.
16For 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.
17Then 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.
18Then 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.
19And 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:
20To 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.
21And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
22And 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.
23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24And 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.
25But 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.
26And 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.
27And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
28So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face.
29Therefore 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.
30Therefore 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.
31Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?
32And 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.
33So 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.
World English Bible
1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
2Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil; but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
3Go in to the king and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
5The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
6Your servant had two sons; and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other and killed him.
7Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”
8The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”
9The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”
11Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
12Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”
13The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.
14For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.
15Now therefore, seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’
16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
17Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May the LORD, your God, be with you.’”
18Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.”
19The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, 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 urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
20Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”
21The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.”
22Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.”
23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face.
25Now in all Israel there was no one 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 defect in him.
26When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.
27Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face.
28Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face.
29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. Then he sent again a second time, but he would not come.
30Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31Then Joab arose and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, 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; and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’”
33So 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.