2 Samuel 14:4-11 ▼

4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she bowed with her face to the ground and lay herself down, and said, “Help, O king.”

5 The king asked her, “What is the matter?” She said, “Truly I am a widow; my husband is dead.

6 Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled and fought in the field. There was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

7 Now behold, the entire family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who killed his brother, so that we may put him to death [to pay] for the life of his brother whom he killed and destroy the heir also.’ By doing this they will extinguish my coal that is left, leaving my husband without a name or a remnant (heir) on the face of the earth.”

8 Then David said to the woman, “Go to your home, and I will give orders concerning you.”

9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, the guilt is on me and on my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.”

10 The king said, “If anyone speaks to you [about this matter], bring him to me [for judgment], and he will not touch you again.”

11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And David said, “As the LORD lives, not a single hair [from the head] of your son shall fall to the ground.”