2Samuel 14-16 - Prayer Tents

Joab Arranges for Absalom’s Return

14Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom.H3097H1121H6870H3045H4428H3820H53 2So 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. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.H3097H7971H8620H3947H2450H802H559H56H3847H60H899H5480H8081H802H7227H3117H56H4191 3Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you." Then Joab told her what to say.H935H4428H1696H1697H3097H7760H1697H6310 4When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, "O king! Help me!"H802H8621H559H4428H5307H639H776H7812H559H3467H4428 5"What's the trouble?" the king asked."Alas, I am a widow!" she replied. "My husband is dead.H4428H559H559H61H490H802H376H4191 6My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.H8198H8147H1121H8147H5327H7704H5337H259H5221H259H4191 7Now the rest of the family is demanding, 'Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn't deserve to inherit his family's property.' They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband's name and family will disappear from the face of the earth."H4940H6965H8198H559H5414H5221H251H4191H5315H251H2026H8045H3423H3518H1513H7760H7604H376H8034H7611H6440H127 8"Leave it to me," the king told her. "Go home, and I'll see to it that no one touches him."H4428H559H802H3212H1004H6680 9"Oh, thank you, my lord the king," the woman from Tekoa replied. "If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father's house, and let the king and his throne be innocent."H802H8621H559H4428H113H4428H5771H1H1004H4428H3678H5355 10"If anyone objects," the king said, "bring him to me. I can assure you he will never complain again!"H4428H559H1696H935H5060H3254 11Then she said, "Please swear to me by the LORD your God that you won't let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he replied, "not a hair on your son's head will be disturbed!"H559H4428H2142H3068H430H1350H1818H7843H7235H8045H1121H559H3068H2416H8185H1121H5307H776 12"Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king," she said."Go ahead and speak," he responded.H802H559H8198H1696H1697H113H4428H559H1696 13She replied, "Why don't you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.H802H559H2803H5971H430H4428H1696H1697H818H4428H7725H5080 14All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.H4191H4191H4325H5064H776H622H430H5375H5315H2803H4284H5080H5080 15"I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, 'Perhaps the king will listen to meH935H1696H1697H113H4428H5971H3372H8198H559H1696H4428H4428H6213H1697H519 16and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.H4428H8085H5337H519H3709H376H8045H1121H3162H5159H430 17Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.' I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you."H8198H559H1697H113H4428H4496H4397H430H113H4428H8085H2896H7451H3068H430 18"I must know one thing," the king replied, "and tell me the truth." "Yes, my lord the king," she responded.H4428H6030H559H802H3582H1697H7592H802H559H113H4428H1696 19"Did Joab put you up to this?" And the woman replied, "My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.H4428H559H3027H3097H802H6030H559H5315H2416H113H4428H376H786H3231H8041H113H4428H1696H5650H3097H6680H7760H1697H6310H8198 20He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!"H5668H5437H6440H1697H5650H3097H6213H1697H113H2450H2451H4397H430H3045H776 21So the king sent for Joab and told him, "All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom."H4428H559H3097H6213H1697H3212H7725H5288H53H7725 22Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, "At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!"H3097H5307H776H6440H7812H1288H4428H3097H559H3117H5650H3045H4672H2580H5869H113H4428H4428H6213H1697H5650 23Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.H3097H6965H3212H1650H935H53H3389 24But the king gave this order: "Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence." So Absalom did not see the king.H4428H559H5437H1004H7200H6440H53H5437H1004H7200H4428H6440

Absalom Reconciled to David

25Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.H3478H376H3966H1984H53H3303H3709H7272H6936H3971 26He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!H1548H7218H3117H3117H7093H1548H3513H1548H8254H8181H7218H3967H8255H4428H68 27He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter's name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful.H53H3205H7969H1121H259H1323H8034H8559H802H3303H4758 28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never got to see the king.H53H3427H3117H8141H3389H7200H4428H6440 29Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come.H53H7971H3097H7971H4428H14H935H7971H8145H14H935 30So Absalom said to his servants, "Go and set fire to Joab's barley field, the field next to mine." So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded.H559H5650H7200H3097H2513H413H3027H8184H3212H3341H784H53H5650H3341H2513H784 31Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"H3097H6965H935H53H1004H559H5650H3341H2513H784 32And Absalom replied, "Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn't intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me."H53H559H3097H7971H559H935H7971H4428H559H935H1650H2896H7200H4428H6440H3426H5771H4191 33So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him.H3097H935H4428H5046H7121H53H935H4428H7812H639H776H6440H4428H4428H5401H53

Absalom’s Rebellion

15After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.H310H53H6213H4818H5483H2572H376H7323H6440 2He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.H53H7925H5975H3027H1870H8179H376H7379H935H4428H4941H53H7121H559H335H5892H559H5650H259H7626H3478 3Then Absalom would say, "You've really got a strong case here! It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear it.H53H559H7200H1697H2896H5228H4428H8085 4I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!"H53H559H7760H8199H776H376H7379H4941H935H6663 5When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn't let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them.H376H7126H7812H7971H3027H2388H5401 6Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.H1697H6213H53H3478H935H4428H4941H53H1589H3820H582H3478 7After four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and fulfill a vow I made to him.H7093H705H8141H53H559H4428H3212H7999H5088H5087H3068H2275 8For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the LORD in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem."H5650H5087H5088H3427H1650H758H559H3068H7725H7725H3389H5647H3068 9"All right," the king told him. "Go and fulfill your vow." So Absalom went to Hebron.H4428H559H3212H7965H6965H3212H2275 10But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. "As soon as you hear the ram's horn," his message read, "you are to say, 'Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.'"H53H7971H7270H7626H3478H559H8085H6963H7782H559H53H4427H2275 11He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions.H53H1980H3967H376H3389H7121H1980H8537H3045H1697 12While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David's counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.H53H7971H302H1526H1732H3289H5892H1542H2076H2077H7195H533H5971H7227H1980H53

David Escapes from Jerusalem

13A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, "All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!"H935H5046H1732H559H3820H376H3478H310H53 14"Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!" David urged his men. "Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster."H1732H559H5650H3389H6965H1272H6413H6440H53H4116H3212H5381H4116H5080H7451H5221H5892H6310H2719 15"We are with you," his advisers replied. "Do what you think is best."H4428H5650H559H4428H5650H113H4428H977 16So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.H4428H3318H1004H7272H4428H5800H6235H802H6370H8104H1004 17The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last houseH4428H3318H5971H7272H5975H1004H4801H1023 18to let all the king's men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king's bodyguard.H5650H5674H3027H3774H6432H1663H8337H3967H376H935H7272H1661H5674H6440H4428 19Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, "Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile.H559H4428H863H1663H3212H7725H4725H3427H4428H5237H1540 20You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don't even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the LORD show you his unfailing love and faithfulness."H935H8543H3117H3212H5128H5128H1980H7725H7725H251H2617H571 21But Ittai said to the king, "I vow by the LORD and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death."H863H6030H4428H559H3068H2416H113H4428H2416H4725H113H4428H4194H2416H5650 22David replied, "All right, come with us." So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.H1732H559H863H3212H5674H863H1663H5674H582H2945 23Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.H776H1058H1419H6963H5971H5674H4428H5674H5158H6939H5971H5674H6440H1870H4057 24Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city.H6659H3881H5375H727H1285H430H3332H727H430H54H5927H5971H8552H5674H5892 25Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. "If the LORD sees fit," David said, "he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again.H4428H559H6659H7725H727H430H5892H4672H2580H5869H3068H7725H7200H5116 26But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him."H559H2654H6213H5869H2896 27The king also told Zadok the priest, "Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan.H4428H559H6659H3548H7200H7725H5892H7965H8147H1121H290H1121H3083H1121H54 28I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you."H7200H4102H6160H5679H4057H935H1697H5046 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.H6659H54H7725H727H430H7725H3389H3427 30David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.H1732H5927H4608H2132H1058H5927H7218H2645H1980H3182H5971H2645H376H7218H5927H1058H5927 31When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!"H5046H1732H559H302H7194H53H1732H559H3068H6098H302H5528 32When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.H1732H935H7218H7812H430H2365H757H7125H3801H7167H127H7218 33But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden.H1732H559H5674H4853 34Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice.H7725H5892H559H53H5650H4428H1H5650H227H5650H6565H6098H302 35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace,H6659H54H3548H1697H8085H4428H1004H5046H6659H54H3548 36and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on."H8147H1121H290H6659H3083H54H3027H7971H1697H8085 37So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.H2365H1732H7463H935H5892H53H935H3389

David and Ziba

16When David had gone a little beyond the summit of the Mount of Olives, Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, was waiting there for him. He had two donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 bunches of summer fruit, and a wineskin full of wine.H1732H4592H5674H7218H6717H5288H4648H7125H6776H2543H2280H3967H3899H3967H6778H3967H7019H5035H3196 2"What are these for?" the king asked Ziba. Ziba replied, "The donkeys are for the king's people to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit are for the young men to eat. The wine is for those who become exhausted in the wilderness."H4428H559H6717H6717H559H2543H4428H1004H7392H3899H7019H5288H398H3196H3287H4057H8354 3"And where is Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson?" the king asked him."He stayed in Jerusalem," Ziba replied. "He said, 'Today I will get back the kingdom of my grandfather Saul.'"H4428H559H113H1121H6717H559H4428H3427H3389H559H3117H1004H3478H7725H4468H1 4"In that case," the king told Ziba, "I give you everything Mephibosheth owns." "I bow before you," Ziba replied. "May I always be pleasing to you, my lord the king."H559H4428H6717H4648H6717H559H7812H4672H2580H5869H113H4428

Shimei Curses David

5As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul's family.H4428H1732H935H980H3318H376H4940H1004H7586H8034H8096H1121H1617H3318H7043H3318 6He threw stones at the king and the king's officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him.H5619H68H1732H5650H4428H1732H5971H1368H3225H8040 7"Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!" he shouted at David.H559H8096H7043H3318H3318H1818H376H376H1100 8"The LORD is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul's clan. You stole his throne, and now the LORD has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!"H3068H7725H1818H1004H7586H4427H3068H5414H4410H3027H53H1121H7451H1818H376 9"Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?" Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. "Let me go over and cut off his head!"H559H52H1121H6870H4428H4191H3611H7043H113H4428H5674H5493H7218 10"No!" the king said. "Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the LORD has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?"H4428H559H1121H6870H7043H3068H559H7043H1732H559H6213 11Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn't this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to do it.H1732H559H52H5650H1121H3318H4578H1245H5315H1145H3240H7043H3068H559 12And perhaps the LORD will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today."H3068H7200H5869H6040H3068H7725H2896H7045H3117 13So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing as he went and throwing stones at David and tossing dust into the air.H1732H582H3212H1870H8096H1980H2022H6763H5980H7043H1980H5619H68H5980H6080H6083 14The king and all who were with him grew weary along the way, so they rested when they reached the Jordan River.H4428H5971H935H5889H5314

Ahithophel Advises Absalom

15Meanwhile, Absalom and all the army of Israel arrived at Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel.H53H5971H376H3478H935H3389H302 16When David's friend Hushai the Arkite arrived, he went immediately to see Absalom. "Long live the king!" he exclaimed. "Long live the king!"H2365H757H1732H7463H935H53H2365H559H53H2421H4428H2421H4428 17"Is this the way you treat your friend David?" Absalom asked him. "Why aren't you with him?"H53H559H2365H2617H7453H1980H7453 18"I'm here because I belong to the man who is chosen by the LORD and by all the men of Israel," Hushai replied.H2365H559H53H3068H5971H376H3478H977H3427 19"And anyway, why shouldn't I serve you? Just as I was your father's adviser, now I will be your adviser!"H8145H5647H6440H1121H5647H1H6440H6440 20Then Absalom turned to Ahithophel and asked him, "What should I do next?"H559H53H302H3051H6098H6213 21Ahithophel told him, "Go and sleep with your father's concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you."H302H559H53H935H1H6370H3240H8104H1004H3478H8085H887H1H3027H2388 22So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father's concubines.H5186H53H168H1406H53H935H1H6370H5869H3478 23Absalom followed Ahithophel's advice, just as David had done. For every word Ahithophel spoke seemed as wise as though it had come directly from the mouth of God.H6098H302H3289H3117H376H7592H1697H430H6098H302H1732H53