1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 Samuel 14

1 Joab, suborning a widow of Tekoah, by a parable to incline the king's heart to fetch home Absalom, bringeth him to Jerusalem. 25 Absalom's beauty, hair, and children. 28 After two years, Absalom by Joab is brought before the king's presence.

 14:1 Now Joab 3097 the son 1121 of Zeruiah 6870 perceived 3045 that the king’s 4428 heart 3820 [was inclined] toward 5921 Absalom 53.

 14:2 So Joab 3097 sent 7971 to Tekoa 8620 and brought 3947 a wise 2450 woman 802 from there 8033 and said 559 to her, “Please 4994 pretend 56 to be a mourner 56, and put 3847 on mourning 60 garments 899b now 4994, and do not anoint 5480a yourself with oil 8081, but be like a woman 802 who has been mourning 56 for the dead 4191 many 7227a days 3117;

 14:3 then go 935 to the king 4428 and speak 1696 to him in this 2088 manner 1697.” So Joab 3097 put 7760 the words 1697 in her mouth 6310.

 14:4 ¶ Now when the woman 802 of Tekoa 8621 spoke 559 to the king 4428, she fell 5307 on her face 639 to the ground 776 and prostrated 7812 herself and said 559, “Help 3467, O king 4428.”

 14:5 The king 4428 said 559 to her, “What 4100 is your trouble?” And she answered 559, “Truly 61 I am a widow 490, for my husband 376 is dead 4191.

 14:6 “Your maidservant 8198 had two 8147 sons 1121, but the two 8147 of them struggled 5327b together 5327b in the field 7704, and there 369 was no 369 one 369 to separate 5337 them, so one 259 struck 5221 the other 259 and killed 4191 him.

 14:7 “Now behold 2009, the whole 3605 family 4940 has risen 6965 against 5921 your maidservant 8198, and they say 559, ‘Hand 5414 over 5414 the one who struck 5221 his brother 251, that we may put 4191 him to death 4191 for the life 5315 of his brother 251 whom 834 he killed 2026, and destroy 8045 the heir 3423 also 1571.’ Thus they will extinguish 3518 my coal 1513 which 834 is left 7604, so as to leave 7760 my husband 376 neither 1115 name 8034 nor 1115 remnant 7611 on the face 6440 of the earth 127.”

 14:8 ¶ Then the king 4428 said 559 to the woman 802, “Go 1980 to your house 1004, and I will give 6680 orders 6680 concerning 5921 you.”

 14:9 The woman 802 of Tekoa 8621 said 559 to the king 4428, “O my lord 113, the king 4428, the iniquity 5771 is on me and my father’s 1 house 1004, but the king 4428 and his throne 3678 are guiltless 5355a.”

 14:10 So the king 4428 said 559, “Whoever speaks 1696 to you, bring 935 him to me, and he will not touch 5060 you anymore 3254 5750.”

 14:11 Then she said 559, “Please 4994 let the king 4428 remember 2142 the LORD 3068 your God 430, [so that] the avenger 1350 of blood 1818 will not continue 7235a to destroy 7843, otherwise 3808 they will destroy 8045 my son 1121.” And he said 559, “As the LORD 3068 lives 2416a, not one hair 8185 of your son 1121 shall fall 5307 to the ground 776.”

 14:12 ¶ Then the woman 802 said 559, “Please 4994 let your maidservant 8198 speak 1696 a word 1697 to my lord 113 the king 4428.” And he said 559, “Speak 1696.”

 14:13 The woman 802 said 559, “Why 4100 then have you planned 2803 such 2088 a thing 2088 against 5921 the people 5971a of God 430? For in speaking 1696 this 2088 word 1697 the king 4428 is as one 818 who 818 is guilty 818, [in that] the king 4428 does not bring 7725 back 7725 his banished 5080 one 5080.

 14:14 “For we will surely 4191 die 4191 and are like water 4325 spilled 5064 on the ground 776 which 834 cannot 3808 be gathered 622 up again. Yet God 430 does not take 5375 away life 5315, but plans 2803 ways 4284 so that the banished 5080 one 5080 will not be cast 5080 out from him.

 14:15 “Now 6258 the reason 834 I have come 935 to speak 1696 this 2088 word 1697 to my lord 113 the king 4428 is that the people 5971a have made 3372a me afraid 3372a; so your maidservant 8198 said 559, ‘Let me now 4994 speak 1696 to the king 4428, perhaps 194 the king 4428 will perform 6213a the request 1697 of his maidservant 519.

 14:16 ‘For the king 4428 will hear 8085 and deliver 5337 his maidservant 519 from the hand 3709 of the man 376 who would destroy 8045 both 3162 me and my son 1121 from the inheritance 5159 of God 430.’

 14:17 “Then your maidservant 8198 said 559, ‘Please 4994 let the word 1697 of my lord 113 the king 4428 be comforting 4496, for as the angel 4397 of God 430, so 3651 is my lord 113 the king 4428 to discern 8085 good 2896b and evil 7451b. And may the LORD 3068 your God 430 be with you.’”

 14:18 ¶ Then the king 4428 answered 6030a and said 559 to the woman 802, “Please 4994 do not hide 3582 anything 1697 from me that I am about to ask 7592 you.” And the woman 802 said 559, “Let my lord 113 the king 4428 please 4994 speak 1696.”

 14:19 So the king 4428 said 559, “Is the hand 3027 of Joab 3097 with you in all 3605 this 2088?” And the woman 802 replied 6030a, “As your soul 5315 lives 2416a, my lord 113 the king 4428, no 518 one can turn 3231 to the right 3231 or to the left 8041 from anything 3605 that my lord 113 the king 4428 has spoken 1696. Indeed 3588, it was your servant 5650 Joab 3097 who 1931 commanded 6680 me, and it was he who put 7760 all 3605 these 428 words 1697 in the mouth 6310 of your maidservant 8198;

 14:20 in order 5668 to change 5437 the appearance 6440 of things 1697 your servant 5650 Joab 3097 has done 6213a this 2088 thing 1697. But my lord 113 is wise 2450, like the wisdom 2451 of the angel 4397 of God 430, to know 3045 all 3605 that is in the earth 776.”

 14:21 ¶ Then the king 4428 said 559 to Joab 3097, “Behold 2009 now 4994, I will surely do 6213a this 2088 thing 1697; go 1980 therefore, bring 7725 back 7725 the young 5288 man 5288 Absalom 53.”

 14:22 Joab 3097 fell 5307 on his face 6440 to the ground 776, prostrated 7812 himself and blessed 1288 the king 4428; then Joab 3097 said 559, “Today 3117 your servant 5650 knows 3045 that I have found 4672 favor 2580 in your sight 5869, O my lord 113, the king 4428, in that the king 4428 has performed 6213a the request 1697 of his servant 5650.”

 14:23 So Joab 3097 arose 6965 and went 1980 to Geshur 1650 and brought 935 Absalom 53 to Jerusalem 3389.

 14:24 However the king 4428 said 559, “Let him turn 5437 to his own house 1004, and let him not see 7200 my face 6440.” So Absalom 53 turned 5437 to his own house 1004 and did not see 7200 the king’s 4428 face 6440.

 14:25 ¶ Now in all 3605 Israel 3478 was no 3808 one 376 as handsome 3303 as Absalom 53, so highly 3966 praised 1984b; from the sole 3709 of his foot 7272 to the crown 6936 of his head 6936 there was no 3808 defect 4140b in him.

 14:26 When he cut 1548 the hair of his head 7218 (and it was at the end 7093 of every year 3117 that he cut 1548 [it], for it was heavy 3515 on him so he cut 1548 it), he weighed 8254 the hair 8181 of his head 7218 at 200 3967 shekels 8255 by the king’s 4428 weight 68.

 14:27 To Absalom 53 there were born 3205 three 7969 sons 1121, and one 259 daughter 1323 whose name 8034 was Tamar 8559; she was a woman 802 of beautiful 3303 appearance 4758.

 14:28 ¶ Now Absalom 53 lived 3427 two full 3117 years 8141 in Jerusalem 3389, and did not see 7200 the king’s 4428 face 6440.

 14:29 Then Absalom 53 sent 7971 for Joab 3097, to send 7971 him to the king 4428, but he would 14 not come 935 to him. So he sent 7971 again 5750 a second 8145 time 8145, but he would 14 not come 935.

 14:30 Therefore he said 559 to his servants 5650, “See 7200, Joab’s 3097 field 2513a is next 413 to mine, and he has barley 8184 there 8033; go 1980 and set 3341 it on fire 784.” So Absalom’s 53 servants 5650 set 3341 the field 2513a on fire 784.

 14:31 Then Joab 3097 arose 6965, came 935 to Absalom 53 at his house 1004 and said 559 to him, “Why 4100 have your servants 5650 set 3341 my field 2513a on fire 784?”

 14:32 Absalom 53 answered 559 Joab 3097, “Behold 2009, I sent 7971 for you, saying 559, ‘Come 935 here 2008, that I may send 7971 you to the king 4428, to say 559, “Why 4100 have I come 935 from Geshur 1650? It would be better 2896a for me still 5750 to be there 8033.”’ Now 6258 therefore, let me see 7200 the king’s 4428 face 6440, and if 518 there 3426 is iniquity 5771 in me, let him put 4191 me to death 4191.”

 14:33 So when Joab 3097 came 935 to the king 4428 and told 5046 him, he called 7121 for Absalom 53. Thus he came 935 to the king 4428 and prostrated 7812 himself on his face 639 to the ground 776 before 6440 the king 4428, and the king 4428 kissed 5401a Absalom 53.