2 Samuel 14 Parallel Bible

swipe to see more →

	BLB Berean Literal Bible	ESV English Standard Version	NIV New International Version
1	And Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the heart of the king was on Absalom.	Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom.	Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom.
2	And Joab sent to Tekoa, and he brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner, please, and put on now mourning apparel, and do not anoint yourself with oil, and act like a woman these many days mourning for the dead.	And 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.	So Joab sent someone to Tekoa and had a wise woman brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions. Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead.
3	And go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.	Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.	Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth.
4	And the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, and she fell on her nose to the ground, and bowed low, and said, “Save me, O king.”	When 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.”	When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!”
5	And the king said to her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, “Truly I am a woman, a widow, and my husband is dead.	And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.	The king asked her, “What is troubling you?” She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead.
6	And your maidservant had two sons, and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, and the one struck the one and killed him.	And 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.	I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him.
7	And behold, the whole family has risen up against your maidservant, and they said, ‘Give up him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he has slain. And we will destroy also the heir.’ And they would extinguish my ember that is left, and not leave to my husband a name and remnant on the face of the earth.”	And 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.”	Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”
8	And the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”	Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”	The king said to the woman, “Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf.”
9	And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me, My lord the king, is the iniquity, and on the house of my father. And the king and his throne be guiltless.”	And 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.”	But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “Let my lord the king pardon me and my family, and let the king and his throne be without guilt.”
10	And the king said, “He who speaks to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you anymore.”	The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.”	The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.”
11	And she said, “Please let the king remember YHWH your God, and do not let add the avenger of blood to destroy. And they do not destroy my son.” And he said, “As YHWH lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”	Then 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.”	She said, “Then let the king invoke the LORD his God to prevent the avenger of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he said, “not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12	And the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak to my lord the king a word.” And he said, “Speak.”	Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.”	Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” “Speak,” he replied.
13	And the woman said, “And why have you schemed such as this against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.	And 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.	The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, for the king has not brought back his banished son?
14	For we will surely die and be like the water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. And God does not take away a life, and He devises means that His banished ones are not expelled from Him.	We 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.	Like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die. But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him.
15	And now that I have come to speak to the king my lord of this thing, because the people have made me afraid, and your maidservant said, ‘I will speak now to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant.	Now 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.	“And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant’s request.
16	For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man destroying me and my son together from the inheritance of God.’	For 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.’	Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’
17	And Your maidservant said, ‘Now the word of my lord the king will be comforting, for like the angel of God, so is my lord the king in discerning good and evil. And may YHWH your God be with you.’”	And 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!”	“And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil. May the LORD your God be with you.’”
18	And the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide from me anything that I am asking you.” And the woman said, “Please let my lord the king speak.”	Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.”	Then the king said to the woman, “Don’t keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.” “Let my lord the king speak,” the woman said.
19	And 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, there is no one turning to the right or turning to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. For your servant Joab, he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of your maidservant all these words.	The 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.	The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant.
20	In order to bring about the change of this thing, your servant Joab has done this thing. And my lord is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the land.”	In 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.”	Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.”
21	And the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have granted this thing. Go and bring back the young man Absalom.”	Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.”	The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22	And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and bowed low, and blessed the king, and Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.”	And 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.”	Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”
23	And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and he brought Absalom to Jerusalem.	So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.	Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24	And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, and do not let him see my face.” And Absalom returned to his own house, and the face of the king he did not see.	And 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.	But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.
25	And there was no handsome man in all Israel who was praised as much as Absalom. From the sole of his foot and to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.	Now 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.	In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.
26	And he cut the hair of his head, and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, because it was heavy on him; and he cut it, and he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, according to the standard of the king.	And 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.	Whenever he cut the hair of his head—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels by the royal standard.
27	And were born to Absalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.	There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.	Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman.
28	And Absalom dwelt in Jerusalem two full years, and the face of the king he did not see.	So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king’s presence.	Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face.
29	And Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king. And he would not come to him. And he sent again the second time, and he would not come.	Then 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.	Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come.
30	And he said to his servants, “See, the portion of Joab is near mine, and he has barley there; go and burn it with the fire.” And the servants of Absalom burned the portion with the fire.	Then 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.	Then he said to his servants, “Look, 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.
31	And Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants burned the portion that is to me with the fire?”	Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”	Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32	And Absalom answered unto Joab, “Behold, 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 if I were still there.’ And now let me see the face of the king. But if there is in me iniquity, let him kill me.”	Absalom 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.’”	Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!\|’ Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”
33	And Joab went to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom, and he came to the king and bowed himself on his nose to the ground before the face of the king. And the king kissed Absalom.	Then 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.	So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed Absalom.
	Read Berean Literal Bible Public domain.	Read English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.	Read New International Version Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.

2 Samuel 14 Parallel Bible Translations