2 Samuel 14 Parallel Bible

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	SLT Smith's Literal Translation	ESV English Standard Version	NIV New International Version
1	And Joab son of Zeruiah, knew that the king's heart was 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	And Joab will send to Tekoah and take from thence a wise woman, and he will say to her, Thou shalt mourn, and put on now garments of mourning, and thou shalt not be anointed with oil, and be thou as a woman this 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 come to the king and speak to him according to this word. And Joab will put 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, the Tekoite, will speak to the king and fall upon her face to the earth, and worship him, and say, Save, 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 will say to her, What to thee? And she will say, Truly I a widow woman, and my husband will die.	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 to thy servant two sons, and they two will strive in the field, and none delivering between them; and the one will smite the one and kill 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, all the family rose up against thy servant, and they will say, Give him striking his brother and we will kill him for the soul of his brother whom he slew; and they destroyed also the heir, and quenched my coal which was left, so that name was not set to my husband and remainder upon 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 will say to the woman, Go to thy house and I will command concerning thee.	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, the Tekoite, will say to the king, Upon me, my lord the king, the iniquity, and upon my father's house: and the king and his throne 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	And the king will say, Who speaking to thee and bring him to me and he shall not add to touch upon thee.	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 will say, The king will remember now, Jehovah thy God, the nearest relation of blood being multiplied to destroy, and they shall not destroy my son. And he will say, Jehovah living, if there shall fall from the hair of thy son to the earth.	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 will say, Shall thy servant speak now a word to my lord the king? And the king will say, 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 will say, And wherefore didst thou reckon according to this concerning the people of God? for the king speaks this word as transgressing for the king not to turn back his fugitive.	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 dying, we shall die, and as waters poured out on the earth, which will not be gathered; and God will not lift up the soul: and reckoning, he reckons that the fugitive shall not be driven 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	And now that I came to speak to the king my lord, this word, for the people will see me, and thy servant will say, I will speak now to the king, perhaps the king will do the word 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 will hear to deliver his servant from the band of the man destroying me and my son together out of 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 thy servant will say, Now will the word of my lord the king be for a sacrifice, for as a messenger of God, so my lord the king to hear the good and the evil: and Jehovah thy God will be with thee.	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 will answer and say to the woman, Now thou shalt not hide from me the word which I ask thee. And the woman will say, Now will 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 will say, The hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman will answer and say, Thy soul living, my lord the king, if there is to the right or to the left from all which my lord the king spake: for thy servant Joab he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of thy servant 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	For the sake of turning about the face of the word, thy servant Joab did this word: and my lord was wise according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all which is upon the 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	And the king will say to Joab, Behold now, I did this word: and go and turn back the boy 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 will fall upon his face to the earth, and worship him, and bless the king: and Joab will say, This day thy servant knew that I found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, for that the king did the word 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 will rise and go to Geshur and bring 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 will say, He shall turn about to his house and not see my face. And Absalom will turn to his house and 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	And as Absalom there was not a fair man in all Israel to praise greatly: from the sole of his foot and even to his crown, there was not a 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 in his shaving his head (and it was from the end of days to days that he will shave, for it was heavy upon him;) and he shaved and weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the stone 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 there will be born to Absalom three sons and one daughter, and her name Tamar: she was a woman of fair aspect.	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 years of days, and saw not the king's face.	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 will send to Joab to send him to the king, and he would not come to him: and he will send yet 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 will say to his servants, See, Joab's portion to my hand, and barley to him there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the portion 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	And Joab will rise and come to Absalom to the house, and say to him, Wherefore did thy servants set on fire the portion which is to me?	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 will say to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, and I will send thee to the king, saying, Wherefore came I from Geshur? Good to me even I was there: and now I will see the king's face; and if there is iniquity in me, and 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 will come to the king and announce to him: and he will call for Absalom, and he will come to the king and worship to him upon his face to the earth before the king: and the king will kiss 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 Smith's Literal Translation 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