14Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king's heart longed for Absalom.H3097H1121H6870H3045H4428H3820H532So 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.H3097H7971H8620H3947H2450H802H559H56H3847H60H899H5480H8081H802H7227H3117H56H41913Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth.H935H4428H1696H1697H3097H7760H1697H63104When 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!"H802H8621H559H4428H5307H639H776H7812H559H3467H44285The king asked her, "What is troubling you?" She said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.H4428H559H559H61H490H802H376H41916I 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.H8198H8147H1121H8147H5327H7704H5337H259H5221H259H41917Now 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."H4940H6965H8198H559H5414H5221H251H4191H5315H251H2026H8045H3423H3518H1513H7760H7604H376H8034H7611H6440H1278The king said to the woman, "Go home, and I will issue an order in your behalf."H4428H559H802H3212H1004H66809But 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."H802H8621H559H4428H113H4428H5771H1H1004H4428H3678H535510The king replied, "If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again."H4428H559H1696H935H5060H325411She 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."H559H4428H2142H3068H430H1350H1818H7843H7235H8045H1121H559H3068H2416H8185H1121H5307H77612Then the woman said, "Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king." "Speak," he replied.H802H559H8198H1696H1697H113H4428H559H169613The 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?H802H559H2803H5971H430H4428H1696H1697H818H4428H7725H508014Like 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.H4191H4191H4325H5064H776H622H430H5375H5315H2803H4284H5080H508015"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.H935H1696H1697H113H4428H5971H3372H8198H559H1696H4428H4428H6213H1697H51916Perhaps 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.'H4428H8085H5337H519H3709H376H8045H1121H3162H5159H43017"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.' "H8198H559H1697H113H4428H4496H4397H430H113H4428H8085H2896H7451H3068H43018Then 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.H4428H6030H559H802H3582H1697H7592H802H559H113H4428H169619The 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.H4428H559H3027H3097H802H6030H559H5315H2416H113H4428H376H786H3231H8041H113H4428H1696H5650H3097H6680H7760H1697H6310H819820Your 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."H5668H5437H6440H1697H5650H3097H6213H1697H113H2450H2451H4397H430H3045H77621The king said to Joab, "Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."H4428H559H3097H6213H1697H3212H7725H5288H53H772522Joab 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."H3097H5307H776H6440H7812H1288H4428H3097H559H3117H5650H3045H4672H2580H5869H113H4428H4428H6213H1697H565023Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.H3097H6965H3212H1650H935H53H338924But 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.H4428H559H5437H1004H7200H6440H53H5437H1004H7200H4428H644025In 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.H3478H376H3966H1984H53H3303H3709H7272H6936H397126Whenever 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.H1548H7218H3117H3117H7093H1548H3513H1548H8254H8181H7218H3967H8255H4428H6827Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter's name was Tamar, and she became a beautiful woman.H53H3205H7969H1121H259H1323H8034H8559H802H3303H475828Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king's face.H53H3427H3117H8141H3389H7200H4428H644029Then 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.H53H7971H3097H7971H4428H14H935H7971H8145H14H93530Then 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.H559H5650H7200H3097H2513H413H3027H8184H3212H3341H784H53H5650H3341H2513H78431Then Joab did go to Absalom's house, and he said to him, "Why have your servants set my field on fire?"H3097H6965H935H53H1004H559H5650H3341H2513H78432Absalom 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."H53H559H3097H7971H559H935H7971H4428H559H935H1650H2896H7200H4428H6440H3426H5771H419133So 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.H3097H935H4428H5046H7121H53H935H4428H7812H639H776H6440H4428H4428H5401H53