2 Samuel 14 Parallel Bible

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	MSB Majority Standard Bible	ESV English Standard Version	NIV New International Version
1	Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for 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	So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.	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	Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” 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	When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help 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	“What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for 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 who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other 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	Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on 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	“Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.”	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	But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may 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	“If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!”	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	“Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will 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	Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied.	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	The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son?	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 water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life, but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out 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	Now therefore, I have come to present this matter 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 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 who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’	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 now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD 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	Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied.	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	So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind 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 that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say.	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	Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens 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	Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, 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	Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. “Today,” said Joab, “your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request.”	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	So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and 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	But the king added, “He may return to his house, but he must not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the face of the king.	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	Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.	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 when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.	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	Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.	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	Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.	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	Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still 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	Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!” And Absalom’s servants set the field on 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	Then Joab came to Absalom’s house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on 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	“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, 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	So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then 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 Majority Standard 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