2 Samuel 14:18-33 ▼

18 Then the king aunswered, and sayde vnto the woman: Hyde not from me I pray thee ye thing that I shall aske thee. And the woman sayde: Let my lord the king nowe speake.

19 And the king sayd: Is not the hand of Ioab with thee in all this matter? The woman aunswered, and sayde: As thy soule liueth my lorde the king, I wil not turne to the right hande nor to the left from ought that my lorde the king hath spoke: for euen thy seruaunt Ioab bad me, and he put all these wordes in the mouth of thyne handmayde:

20 For to the intent that I shoulde chaunge the fourme of speach, hath thy seruaunt Ioab done this thing: And my lorde is wyse, according to the wisdome of an angel of God, to vnderstande all thinges that are in the earth.

21 And the king sayd vnto Ioab: Behold, I haue done this thing: Go & bring the young man Absalom againe.

22 And Ioab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed him selfe, and thanked the king: And Ioab sayd, Now thy seruaunt knoweth, that I haue founde grace in thy sight my lorde O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his seruaunt.

23 And so Ioab arose, and went to Gesur, and brought Absalom to Hierusalem.

24 And the king sayde: Let him turne to his owne house, & not see my face. And so Absalo returned to his owne house, and sawe not the kinges face.

25 But in al Israel there was none to be so muche praysed as Absalom for beautie: from ye sole of his foote to the toppe of his head, there was no blemishe in him.

26 And when he polled his head (for at euery yeres ende he polled it, because the heere was heauy on him therfore he polled it) he weighed the heere of his head at two hundreth sicles, after the kinges wayght.

27 And Absalom had three sonnes borne him, and one daughter named Thamar, whiche was a fayre woman to loke vpon.

28 So Absalom dwelt two yeres in Hierusalem, and sawe not the kinges face.

29 Therfore Absalom sent for Ioab to haue sent him to the king, but he would not come to him: And when he sent againe, he would not come.

30 Therfore he sayde vnto his seruauntes: Behold, Ioab hath a field by my place, & he hath barlye therin: Go, & set it on fyre. And Absaloms seruauntes set it on fire.

31 Then Ioab arose, and came to Absalom vnto his house, and sayd vnto him: Wherfore haue thy seruauntes burnt my fielde with fire?

32 And Absalo aunswered Ioab: Behold, I sent for thee, desiring thee to come, because I woulde haue sent thee to the king, for to say, Wherfore am I come from Gesur? It had ben better for me to haue ben there still: Nowe therfore would I see the kinges face: And if ther be any trespasse in me, let hym kil me.

33 And so Ioab came to the king, and tolde him: Which when he had sent for Absalom, he came to the king, and fel to the ground on his face before him, and the king kissed Absalom.