2 Samuel 14 - English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew (A)that the king's heart went out to Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to (B)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. (C)Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead. 3 Go to the king and speak thus to him.” So Joab (D)put the words in her mouth.

4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, (E)she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, (F)“Save me, O king.” 5 And the king said to her, “What is your trouble?” She answered, (G)“Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 And your servant had two sons, and they quarrelled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. 7 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 (H)destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor (I)remnant on the face of the earth.”

8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, (J)“On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's house; let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.” 11 Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that (K)the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.” He said, (L)“As the Lord lives, (M)not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.” 13 And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against (N)the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring (O)his banished one home again. 14 We must all die; we are (P)like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means (Q)so that the banished one will not remain an outcast. 15 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. 16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from (R)the heritage of God.’ 17 And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest’, for my lord the king is (S)like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you!”

18 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.” 19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered and said, (T)“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; (U)it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of (V)the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth.”

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage (W)and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favour in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.” 23 So Joab arose and went to (X)Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 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.

25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. (Y)From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 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 (Z)cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels[a] by the king's weight. 27 There were born (AA)to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

28 So Absalom lived for two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king's presence. 29 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. 30 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.[b] 31 Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 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 (AB)Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, (AC)and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.’” 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself with his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 14:26 A shekel was about 2/5 of an ounce or 11 grams
  2. 2 Samuel 14:30 Septuagint, Dead Sea Scroll add So Joab's servants came to him with their clothes torn, and they said to him, “The servants of Absalom have set your field on fire.”

Cross references

  1. 2 Samuel 14:1 : ch. 13:39
  2. 2 Samuel 14:2 : 2 Chr. 11:6; 20:20; Amos 1:1
  3. 2 Samuel 14:2 : [ch. 12:20; Ruth 3:3]
  4. 2 Samuel 14:3 : ver. 19; [Ex. 4:15]
  5. 2 Samuel 14:4 : ch. 1:2
  6. 2 Samuel 14:4 : 2 Kgs. 6:26
  7. 2 Samuel 14:5 : See ch. 12:1
  8. 2 Samuel 14:7 : [Matt. 21:38; Mark 12:7; Luke 20:14]
  9. 2 Samuel 14:7 : [Gen. 45:7]
  10. 2 Samuel 14:9 : 1 Sam. 25:24
  11. 2 Samuel 14:11 : Num. 35:19, 21; Deut. 19:12
  12. 2 Samuel 14:11 : See Ruth 3:13
  13. 2 Samuel 14:11 : 1 Sam. 14:45; Acts 27:34
  14. 2 Samuel 14:13 : Judg. 20:2
  15. 2 Samuel 14:13 : [ch. 13:37, 38]
  16. 2 Samuel 14:14 : [1 Sam. 7:6]
  17. 2 Samuel 14:14 : Num. 35:15, 25, 28
  18. 2 Samuel 14:16 : See 1 Sam. 26:19
  19. 2 Samuel 14:17 : ch. 19:27; 1 Sam. 29:9
  20. 2 Samuel 14:19 : 1 Sam. 1:26
  21. 2 Samuel 14:19 : ver. 3
  22. 2 Samuel 14:20 : [See ver. 17 above]; ch. 19:27; 1 Sam. 29:9
  23. 2 Samuel 14:22 : 1 Kgs. 8:66
  24. 2 Samuel 14:23 : ch. 13:38
  25. 2 Samuel 14:25 : Deut. 28:35; Job 2:7; Isa. 1:6
  26. 2 Samuel 14:26 : Ezek. 44:20
  27. 2 Samuel 14:27 : [ch. 18:18]
  28. 2 Samuel 14:32 : [See ver. 23 above]; ch. 13:38
  29. 2 Samuel 14:32 : 1 Sam. 20:8

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14 And Joab son of Zeruial knoweth that the heart of the king [is] on Absalom, 2 and Joab sendeth to Tekoah, and taketh thence a wise woman, and saith unto her, `Feign thyself a mourner, I pray thee, and put on, I pray thee, garments of mourning, and anoint not thyself with oil, and thou hast been a...
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2 Samuel 14 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

14 Forsooth Joab, the son of Zeruiah, understood, that the heart of the king was turned to(ward) Absalom; 2 and he sent to Tekoah, and took from thence a wise woman, and he said to her, Feign thee to mourn, and be thou clothed with a cloak of dole, and be thou not anointed with oil, that thou be as ...
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14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. 2 Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a lo...
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14 When Joab, the son of David’s sister Zeruiah, realized that David was preoccupied with Absalom, he took matters into his own hands. 2 He brought a wise woman from Tekoa and instructed her.Joab: Act like you are in mourning. Wear mourning garments, don’t anoint yourself with sweet-smelling oils, ...
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2 Samuel 14 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

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2 Samuel 14 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem14 Now Jo′ab the son of Zeru′iah perceived that the king’s heart went out to Ab′salom. 2 And Jo′ab sent to Teko′a, and fetched 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 li...
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2 Samuel 14 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem14 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s mind was on Absalom. 2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He said to her, ‘Pretend to be in mourning; put on mourning garments, do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been...
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2 Samuel 14 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem14 Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s mind was on Absalom.(A)2 Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman. He said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner; put on mourning garments, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has b...
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Joab Arranges for Absalom’s Return14 Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom. 2 So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don’t put on lotions.[a] Act like a woman who has been mourni...
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2 Samuel 14 - New Life Version (NLV)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah saw that the king missed Absalom very much. 2 So Joab sent for a wise woman from Tekoa, and said to her, “Pretend to be filled with sorrow. Dress as if you were filled with sorrow, and do not pour oil on yourself. Dress like a woman who has...
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2 Samuel 14 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem14 So Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was concerned (A)about Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to (B)Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, (C)and put on mourning apparel; do not anoint yourself with oi...
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2 Samuel 14 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Absalom returns to Jerusalem14 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 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 wh...
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2 Samuel 14 - New International Version (NIV)

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem14 Joab(A) son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. 2 So Joab sent someone to Tekoa(B) and had a wise woman(C) brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions.(D) Act like...
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2 Samuel 14 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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2 Samuel 14 - New English Translation (NET)

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