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2 Samuel 14
Expanded Bible
2 Samuel 14
Expanded Bible
Joab Sends a Wise Woman to David
14 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that ·King David missed Absalom very much [L David’s heart longed for/mind was on Absalom]. 2 So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He said to her, “Pretend ·to be very sad [L you are in mourning]. Put on ·funeral [mourning] clothes and don’t put ·lotion [perfume; anointing oil] on yourself. Act like a woman who has been ·crying [mourning] many days for someone who died. 3 Then go to the king and say these words.” Then Joab ·told her what to say [L put the words in her mouth].
4 ·So [When…] the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king. She bowed facedown on the ground ·to show respect [L and prostrated herself] and said, “My king, help me!”
5 King David asked her, “What is ·the matter [troubling you]?”
The woman said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting, and no one was there to ·stop [separate] them. So one ·son [L struck and] killed the other son. 7 Now ·all the family group [the whole family/clan] ·is [L has risen] against me. They said to me, ‘·Bring [Hand over; Give up] the son who ·killed [L struck] his brother so we may ·kill [execute] him for ·killing [murdering; taking the life of] his brother. That way we will ·also get rid of the one who would receive what belonged to his father [destroy the heir as well; C so he doesn’t profit from his crime].’ ·My son is like the last spark of a fire. He is all [L They want to extinguish/quench the only coal/ember] I have left. ·If they kill him, my [L My] husband’s name and ·property [or family; descendents; L remnant] will be gone from the ·earth [L face of the earth].”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go home. I will ·take care of this for [L give orders concerning] you.”
9 The woman of Tekoa said to him, “Let the ·blame [guilt] be on me and my father’s family. My ·master and [lord the] king, you and your throne are ·innocent [guiltless].”
10 King David said, “Bring me anyone who ·says anything bad to [threatens; criticizes] you. Then he won’t ·bother [L touch] you again.”
11 The woman said, “Please ·promise in the name of [swear by; remember; keep in mind] the Lord your God. Then ·my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer [my near-relative; L the avenger of blood; C a relative obligated to execute the murderer; Num. 35:12, 19–21] won’t ·add to [continue] the destruction by killing my son.”
David said, “As surely as the Lord lives, ·no one will hurt your son [L not one hair from his head will fall to the ground].”
12 The woman said, “Let me say something to you, my ·master and [lord the] king.”
The king said, “Speak.”
13 Then the woman said, “Why have you ·decided this way against [acted/L planned to the harm/detriment of] the people of God? When you ·judge [decide; L speak] this way, you ·show that you are guilty [convict yourself] for not bringing back your son who was ·forced to leave home [banished]. 14 We will all die someday. We’re like water spilled on the ground; no one can ·gather it back [collect it together]. But God doesn’t ·take away [discard] life. Instead, he plans ways that ·those who have been sent away will not have to stay away from him [will bring back/home the banished]! 15 My ·master and [lord the] king, I came to say this to you because the people have ·made me afraid [threatened/intimidated me]! I thought, ‘Let me talk to the king. Maybe he will ·do [grant] what I ask. 16 Maybe he will listen. Perhaps he will ·save [rescue; deliver] me from ·those who want to keep both me and my son from getting what God gave us [L the hand of the man who would cut me and my son from God’s inheritance/heritage].’
17 “Now I say, ‘May the words of my ·master [lord] the king give me ·rest [comfort; peace]. Like an angel of God, you ·know [discern; understand] what is good and what is ·bad [evil]. May the Lord your God be with you!’”
18 Then King David said, “Do not ·hide [evade] the truth. Answer me one question.”
The woman said, “My ·master [lord] the king, please ·ask your question [speak].”
19 The king said, “·Did Joab tell you to say [L Is Joab’s hand with you in] all these things?”
The woman answered, “As you live, my ·master [lord] the king, no one ·could avoid that question [can fool/mislead you; L turn to the right or left concerning what you’ve said]. You are right. Your servant Joab ·did tell me to say these things [L commanded me and put all these words in my mouth]. 20 Joab did it ·so you would see things differently [to change the look of things]. My ·master [lord], you are wise like an angel of God who knows ·everything that happens [all things] on earth.”
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
21 The king said to Joab, “Look, I ·will do what I promised [grant this request]. Bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Joab bowed facedown on the ground [L and prostrated himself] and blessed the king. Then he said, “Today I know ·you are pleased with me [L I have found favor in your sight/eyes], because you have done what I asked.”
23 Then Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But King David said, “Absalom must go to his own house. He may not ·come to see me [L see my face].” So Absalom went to his own house and did not ·go to see the king [L see the king’s face].
25 Absalom was greatly praised for his ·handsome appearance [beauty]. No man in Israel was as handsome as he. No ·blemish [flaw; defect] was on him from his head to his foot. 26 At the end of every year, Absalom would cut his hair, because it became too heavy. When he weighed it, it would weigh ·about five pounds by the royal measure [L 200 shekels by the king’s standard].
27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was also Tamar, and she was a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing ·King David [L the king’s face]. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab so he could send him to the king [C to intercede for him], but Joab would not come. Absalom sent a message a second time, but Joab still refused to come. 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go burn it.” So Absalom’s servants set fire to Joab’s field.
31 Then Joab went to Absalom’s house and said to him, “Why did your servants burn my field?”
32 Absalom said to Joab, “I sent a message to you, asking you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why ·he brought me home [L I have come] from Geshur. It would have been better for me to stay there! Now let me see the ·king [L king’s face]. If I have ·sinned [guilt/iniquity in me], he can put me to death!”
33 So Joab went to the king and told him Absalom’s words. Then the king called for Absalom. Absalom came and ·bowed facedown [prostrated himself] on the ground before the king, and the king kissed him.
2 Samuel 14
New International Version
2 Samuel 14
New International Version
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
14 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 a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. 3 Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab(E) put the words in her mouth.
4 When the woman from Tekoa went[a] to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!”
5 The king asked her, “What is troubling you?”
She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. 6 I 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. 7 Now 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(F) for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir(G) as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left,(H) leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”
8 The king said to the woman, “Go home,(I) and I will issue an order in your behalf.”
9 But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “Let my lord the king pardon(J) me and my family,(K) and let the king and his throne be without guilt.(L)”
10 The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.”
11 She said, “Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger(M) 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(N) of your son’s head will fall to the ground.(O)”
12 Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.”
“Speak,” he replied.
13 The 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,(P) for the king has not brought back his banished son?(Q) 14 Like water(R) spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.(S) But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person(T) does not remain banished from him.
15 “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. 16 Perhaps 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.’(U)
17 “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(V) of God in discerning(W) good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’”
18 Then 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.
19 The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab(X) 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. 20 Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom(Y) like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.(Z)”
21 The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king.(AA) 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.”
23 Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But 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.
25 In 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. 26 Whenever he cut the hair of his head(AB)—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[b] by the royal standard.
27 Three sons(AC) and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar,(AD) and she became a beautiful woman.
28 Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face. 29 Then 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. 30 Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley(AE) there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31 Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?(AF)”
32 Absalom 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?(AG) 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.”(AH)
33 So 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(AI) Absalom.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 14:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Septuagint, Vulgate and Syriac; most Hebrew manuscripts spoke
- 2 Samuel 14:26 That is, about 5 pounds or about 2.3 kilograms
Expanded Bible (EXB)
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