1	Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived# that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
			2	And Joab sent# to Tekoah, and fetched# thence a wise woman, and said# unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner# , and put on# now mourning apparel, and anoint# not thyself 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 Joab 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. [Help: Heb. Save]
			5	And the king said# unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered# , I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead# .
			6	And thy 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. [none...: Heb. no deliverer between them]
			7	And, behold, the whole family is risen# against thine 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. [upon...: Heb. upon the face of the earth]
			8	And the king said# unto the woman, Go# to thine house, and I will give charge# concerning thee.
			9	And the woman of Tekoah said# unto the king, My lord, 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 thee, bring# him to me, and he shall not touch# thee any more# .
			11	Then said# she, I pray thee, let the king remember# the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers# of blood to destroy# any more# , lest they destroy# my son. And he said# , As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall# to the earth. [that...: Heb. that the revenger of blood do not multiply to destroy]
			12	Then the woman said# , Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak# one word unto my lord the king. And he said# , Say on# .
			13	And the woman said# , Wherefore then hast thou thought# such a thing against the people of God? 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 respect# any person: yet doth he devise# means, that his banished# be not expelled# from him. [neither...: or, because God hath not taken away his life, he hath also devised means, etc]
			15	Now therefore that I am come# to speak# of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid# : and thy 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.
			17	Then thine handmaid said# , The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern# good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee. [comfortable: Heb. for rest] [to discern: Heb. to hear]
			18	Then the king answered# and said# unto the woman, Hide# not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask# thee. And the woman said# , Let my lord the king now speak# .
			19	And the king said# , Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered# and said# , As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand# or to the left# from ought that my lord the king hath spoken# : for thy servant Joab, he bade# me, and he put# all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid:
			20	To fetch about# this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done# this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know# all things that are in the earth.
			21	And the king said# unto Joab, Behold now, I have done# this thing: go# therefore, bring# the young man Absalom again# .
			22	And Joab fell# to the ground on his face, and bowed# himself, and thanked# the king: and Joab said# , To day thy servant knoweth# that I have found# grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled# the request of his servant. [thanked: Heb. blessed] [his servant: or, thy servant]
			23	So Joab arose# and went# to Geshur, and brought# Absalom to Jerusalem.
			24	And the king said# , Let him turn# to his own house, and let him not see# my face. So Absalom returned# to his own house, and saw# not the king's face.
			25	But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised# as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. [But...: Heb. And as Absalom there was not a beautiful man in all Israel to praise greatly]
			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 Absalom there were born# three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
			28	So Absalom dwelt# two full years in Jerusalem, and saw# not the king's face.
			29	Therefore Absalom sent# for Joab, 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# , Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go# and set# it on fire. And Absalom's servants set# the field on fire. [near...: Heb. near my place]
			31	Then Joab arose# , and came# to Absalom unto his house, and said# unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set# my field on fire?
			32	And Absalom answered# Joab, Behold, I sent# unto thee, saying# , Come# hither, that I may send# thee to the king, to say# , Wherefore 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 Joab came# to the king, and told# him: and when he had called# for Absalom, he came# to the king, and bowed# himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed# Absalom.