| English Standard Version | NET Bible |
| 1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom. | 1Now Joab son of Zeruiah realized that the king longed to see Absalom. |
| 2And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. | 2So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He told her, "Pretend to be in mourning and put on garments for mourning. Don't anoint yourself with oil. Instead, act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for some time. |
| 3Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. | 3Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion." Then Joab told her what to say. |
| 4When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king.” | 4So the Tekoan woman went to the king. She bowed down with her face to the ground in deference to him and said, "Please help me, O king!" |
| 5And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. | 5The king replied to her, "What do you want?" She answered, "I am a widow; my husband is dead. |
| 6And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. | 6Your servant has two sons. When the two of them got into a fight in the field, there was no one present who could intervene. One of them struck the other and killed him. |
| 7And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.” | 7Now the entire family has risen up against your servant, saying, 'Turn over the one who struck down his brother, so that we can execute him and avenge the death of his brother whom he killed. In so doing we will also destroy the heir.' They want to extinguish my remaining coal, leaving no one on the face of the earth to carry on the name of my husband." |
| 8Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” | 8Then the king told the woman, "Go to your home. I will give instructions concerning your situation." |
| 9And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” | 9The Tekoan woman said to the king, "My lord the king, let any blame fall on me and on the house of my father. But let the king and his throne be innocent!" |
| 10The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” | 10The king said, "Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won't bother you again!" |
| 11Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” | 11She replied, "In that case, let the king invoke the name of the LORD your God so that the avenger of blood may not kill! Then they will not destroy my son!" He replied, "As surely as the LORD lives, not a single hair of your son's head will fall to the ground." |
| 12Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” | 12Then the woman said, "Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter." He replied, "Tell me." |
| 13And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again. | 13The woman said, "Why have you devised something like this against God's people? When the king speaks in this fashion, he makes himself guilty, for the king has not brought back the one he has banished. |
| 14We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. | 14Certainly we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground that cannot be gathered up again. But God does not take away life; instead he devises ways for the banished to be restored. |
| 15Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant. | 15I have now come to speak with my lord the king about this matter, because the people have made me fearful. But your servant said, 'I will speak to the king! Perhaps the king will do what his female servant asks. |
| 16For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God.’ | 16Yes! The king may listen and deliver his female servant from the hand of the man who seeks to remove both me and my son from the inheritance God has given us!' |
| 17And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest,’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The LORD your God be with you!” | 17So your servant said, 'May the word of my lord the king be my security, for my lord the king is like the angel of God when it comes to deciding between right and wrong! May the LORD your God be with you!'" |
| 18Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” | 18Then the king replied to the woman, "Don't hide any information from me when I question you." The woman said, "Let my lord the king speak!" |
| 19The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. | 19The king said, "Did Joab put you up to all of this?" The woman answered, "As surely as you live, my lord the king, there is no deviation to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has said. For your servant Joab gave me instructions. He has put all these words in your servant's mouth. |
| 20In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.” | 20Your servant Joab did this so as to change this situation. But my lord has wisdom like that of the angel of God, and knows everything that is happening in the land." |
| 21Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” | 21Then the king said to Joab, "All right! I will do this thing! Go and bring back the young man Absalom! |
| 22And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” | 22Then Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground and thanked the king. Joab said, "Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant!" |
| 23So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. | 23So Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. |
| 24And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king’s presence. | 24But the king said, "Let him go over to his own house. He may not see my face." So Absalom went over to his own house; he did not see the king's face. |
| 25Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. | 25Now in all Israel everyone acknowledged that there was no man as handsome as Absalom. From the sole of his feet to the top of his head he was perfect in appearance. |
| 26And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight. | 26When he would shave his head--at the end of every year he used to shave his head, for it grew too long and he would shave it--he used to weigh the hair of his head at three pounds according to the king's weight. |
| 27There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman. | 27Absalom had three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman. |
| 28So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king’s presence. | 28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king's face. |
| 29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come. | 29Then Absalom sent a message to Joab asking him to send him to the king, but Joab was not willing to come to him. So he sent a second message to him, but he still was not willing to come. |
| 30Then he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. | 30So he said to his servants, "Look, Joab has a portion of field adjacent to mine and he has some barley there. Go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set Joab's portion of the field on fire. |
| 31Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” | 31Then Joab got up and came to Absalom's house. He said to him, "Why did your servants set my portion of field on fire?" |
| 32Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’” | 32Absalom said to Joab, "Look, I sent a message to you saying, 'Come here so that I can send you to the king with this message: "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there."' Let me now see the face of the king. If I am at fault, let him put me to death!" |
| 33Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. | 33So Joab went to the king and informed him. The king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king. Absalom bowed down before the king with his face toward the ground and the king kissed him. |
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