1 Now Yoav the son of Tseruyah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Avshalom.

2 And Yoav sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, “Please feign yourself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not yourself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead.

3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him.” So Yoav put the words in her mouth.

4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, “Help, O king!”

5 And the king said unto her, “What aileth you?” And she answered, “I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

6 And your handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.

7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against your handmaid, and they said, ‘Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also.’ And so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.”

8 And the king said unto the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give charge concerning you.”

9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, “My lord (Adoni), O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.”

10 And the king said, “Whosoever saith ought unto you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.”

11 Then said she, “Please let the king remember יהוה your God (Elohim), that you wouldest not allow the revengers of blood to destroy anymore, lest they destroy my son.” And he said, “As יהוה liveth, there shall not one hair of your son fall to the earth.”

12 Then the woman said, “Let your handmaid, please speak one word unto my lord (adoni) the king.” And he said, “Say on.”

13 And the woman said: “Why then have you thought such a thing against the people of God (Elohim)? For the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God (Elohim) respect any person; yet doth he devises means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord (adoni) the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and your handmaid said, ‘I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God (Elohim).’

17 Then your handmaid said, ‘The word of my lord (adoni) the king shall now be comfortable; for as an angel of God (Elohim), so is my lord (adoni) the king to discern good and bad; therefore יהוה your God (Elohim) will be with you.’”

18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, “Please hide not from me the thing that I shall ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord (adoni) the king now speaks.”

19 And the king said, “Is not the hand of Yoav with you in all this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your soul liveth, my lord (adoni) the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord (adoni) the king hath spoken; for your servant Yoav, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid.

20 To fetch about this form of speech hath your servant Yoav done this thing; and my lord (adoni) is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God (Elohim), to know all things that are in the earth.”

21 And the king said unto Yoav, “Behold now, I have done this thing; go therefore, bring the young man Avshalom again.”

22 And Yoav fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king; and Yoav said, “Today your servant knoweth that I have found grace in your sight, my lord (adoni), O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.”

23 So Yoav arose and went to Geshur, and brought Avshalom to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim).

24 And the king said, “Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face.” So Avshalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

25 But in all Yisrael there was none to be so much praised as Avshalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end that he polled it, because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it;) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight.

27 And unto Avshalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 So Avshalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem (Yerushalayim), and saw not the king’s face.

29 Therefore Avshalom sent for Yoav, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him; and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

30 Therefore he said unto his servants, “See, Yoav’s field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Avshalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Yoav arose, and came to Avshalom unto his house, and said unto him, “Wherefore have your servants set my field on fire?”

32 And Avshalom answered Yoav, “Behold, I sent unto you, saying, ‘Come hither, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still.”’ Now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.”

33 So Yoav came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Avshalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Avshalom.