2 Samuel 14 Parallel Bible

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	NABRE New American Bible Revised	ESV English Standard Version	NIV New International Version
1	Now Joab, son of Zeruiah, knew how the king felt toward 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	Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, to whom he said: “Pretend to be in mourning. Put on mourning apparel and do not anoint yourself with oil, that you may appear to be a woman who has long been mourning someone 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	Then go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” And Joab told her what to say.	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	So the woman of Tekoa went to the king and fell to the ground in homage, saying, “Help, 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	The king said to her, “What do you want?” She replied: “Alas, I am a widow; 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	Your servant had two sons, who quarreled in the field, with no one to part them, and one of them struck his brother 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	Then the whole clan confronted your servant and demanded: ‘Give up the one who struck down his brother. We must put him to death for the life of his brother whom he has killed; we must do away with the heir also.’ Thus they will quench my remaining hope and leave my husband neither name nor posterity upon 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	The king then said to the woman: “Go home. I will issue a command 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	The woman of Tekoa answered him, “Upon me and my family be the blame, my lord king; the king and his throne are innocent.”	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	Then the king said, “If anyone says a word to you, have him brought to me, and he shall not touch 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	But she said, “Please, let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood may not go too far in destruction and that my son may not be done away with.” He replied, “As the LORD lives, not a 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	But the woman continued, “Please let your servant say still another word to my lord the king.” He replied, “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	So the woman said: “Why, then, do you think the way you do against the people of God? In pronouncing as he has, the king shows himself guilty, in not bringing 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	We must indeed die; we are then like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. Yet, though God does not bring back to life, he does devise means so as not to banish anyone 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, if I have presumed to speak to the king of this matter, it is because the people have given me cause to fear. And so your servant thought: ‘Let me speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the petition of his servant.	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 must surely listen and rescue his servant from the grasp of one who would destroy both me and my son from the heritage 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 servant says, ‘Let the word of my lord the king lead to rest; indeed, my lord the king is like an angel of God, discerning good and evil. 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	The king answered the woman, “Now do not conceal from me anything I may ask you!” The woman said, “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	So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered: “As you live, my lord the king, it is just as my lord has said, and not otherwise. It was your servant Joab who instructed me and told your servant all these things she was 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	Your servant Joab did this in order to approach the matter in a roundabout way. But my lord is wise with the wisdom of an angel of God, knowing all things on earth.”	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 am granting this request. Go and bring back young 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	Falling to the ground in homage and blessing the king, Joab said, “This day your servant knows that I am in good favor with you, my lord king, since the king has granted the request of your 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	Joab then went off 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 said, “Let him go off to his own house; he shall not appear before me.” So Absalom went off to his house and did not appear before 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	In all Israel there was no man more praised for his beauty than Absalom, flawless from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.	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	When he shaved his head—as he used to do at the end of every year, because his hair became too heavy for him—the hair weighed 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	Absalom had three sons born to him, besides 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	Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without appearing before 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 a message asking Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. Although he asked him a second time, Joab 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	He therefore instructed his servants: “You see Joab’s field that borders mine, where he has barley. Go, set it on fire.” And so Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. Joab’s farmhands came to him with torn garments and told him, “Absalom’s servants set your 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	Joab went to Absalom in his house and asked him, “Why have 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	Absalom answered Joab: “I sent you a message: Come here, that I may send you to the king to say: ‘Why did I come back from Geshur? I would be better off if I were still there!’ Now, let me appear before the king. If I am guilty, let him put me to death.”	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	Joab went to the king and reported this. The king then called Absalom; he came to him and in homage fell on his face to the ground before the king. 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.
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2 Samuel 14 Parallel Bible Translations