| New King James Version | NET Bible |
| 1So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned about 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, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time 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 to him in this manner.” 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. |
| 4And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself, and said, “Help, 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!" |
| 5Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, “Indeed 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. |
| 6Now your maidservant had two sons; and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the 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 family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also.’ So they would extinguish my ember that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on 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, “My lord, O king, let the iniquity be on me and on my father’s house, and 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!" |
| 10So the king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.” | 10The king said, "Bring to me whoever speaks to you, and he won't bother you again!" |
| 11Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, and do not permit the avenger of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.” And 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." |
| 12Therefore the woman said, “Please, let your maidservant speak another word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Say on.” | 12Then the woman said, "Please permit your servant to speak to my lord the king about another matter." He replied, "Tell me." |
| 13So the woman said: “Why then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that 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. |
| 14For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life; but He devises means, so that His banished ones are not expelled from Him. | 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 therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. And your maidservant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his maidservant. | 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 maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the inheritance 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!' |
| 17Your maidservant said, ‘The word of my lord the king will now be comforting; for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may 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 and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I ask you.” And the woman said, “Please, 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!" |
| 19So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As you live, 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 commanded me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant. | 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. |
| 20To bring about this change of affairs your servant Joab has done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in 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." |
| 21And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have granted this thing. Go therefore, 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! |
| 22Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and thanked the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled 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 return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king’s face. | 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 who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. 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—at the end of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—when he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king’s standard. | 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. |
| 27To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance. | 27Absalom had three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a very attractive woman. |
| 28And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king’s face. | 28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without seeing the king's face. |
| 29Therefore 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. | 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. |
| 30So he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And 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 came to Absalom’s 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?" |
| 32And Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, so 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; but if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.” | 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!" |
| 33So Joab went 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. Then 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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