Absalom Comes Back to Jerusalem
2 Kingdoms 14, verse 1. Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was inclined toward Absalom. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 2. So Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman. He said to her, “Now mourn and put on apparel for mourning. Do not anoint yourself with olive oil, and be like a woman who is mourning for the dead a long time. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 3. Then go to the king and repeat the words I give you.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 4. And as the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she put her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, “Help me, O king, help me!” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 5. Then the king said to her, “What troubles you?” And she answered, “Indeed I am a widow. My husband is dead. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 6. Now your handmaid had two sons, and the two fought with each other in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck his brother and killed him. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 7. And now the whole family has risen up against your handmaid and said, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, so we may execute him for the life of his brother whom he killed. We will destroy your heir as well.’ So they will extinguish my ember that is left, and leave neither name nor remnant on the earth to my husband.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 8. Then the king said, “Go in peace to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 9. And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord king, let the iniquity be on me and on my father's house. Let the king and his throne be guiltless.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 10. So the king said, “Who said this to you? Bring him to me, and he will no longer have influence over you.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 11. Then she said, “Indeed, remember, O king, let the Lord God prevail lest the blood of my kinsmen be utterly destroyed. Let not one of them by any means take away my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 12. Therefore the woman said, “May your handmaid speak another word to my lord the king?” And he said, “Speak.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 13. So the woman responded, “Why do you sometimes consider such a thing against the people of God? Truly, this message comes from the mouth of the king as an error, for the king does not bring back his son from being banished. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 14. For as we will surely die and be spilled on the ground like water that cannot be gathered together on its own, so too God shall take away life, even as He is taking into account the ones being banished from Him. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 15. Now I come to speak this message to my lord the king, so the people may see me and say that your handmaid indeed spoke to the king—if somehow the king will fulfill the request of his handmaid. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 16. For the king will hear and deliver his handmaid from the hand of the man who seeks to cast me and my son from the inheritance of God.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 17. And the woman said, “May the word of my lord the king be as an offering. For as an angel of the Lord, thus does my lord and king hear the good and the evil; and the Lord your God will be with you.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 18. Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Hide nothing from me that I ask of you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 19. So the king said, “Is not the hand of Joab in all this with you?” And the woman said to the king, “O my lord the king, as your soul lives, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from any of the words my lord the king speaks. Your servant Joab commanded me, putting all these words in the mouth of your handmaid. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 20. Your servant Joab did this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord is wise according to the wisdom of an angel of God, and knows everything on the earth.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 21. And the king said to Joab, “All right, I have done this request of yours for you. Go and bring back the young man Absalom.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 22. Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord king, because the king has fulfilled his servant's request.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 23. So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 24. And the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but do not let him see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house but did not see the king's face.
Absalom Reconciles with His Father
2 Kingdoms 14, verse 25. Now in all Israel there was no one praised as much as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 26. And when he cut the hair of his head—at the beginning of every year he cut it because it was heavy on him—he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's standard. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 27. To Absalom were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance, and she became the wife of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and she bore to him Abijah. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 28. Absalom dwelt for two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 29. Therefore Absalom requested that Joab send him to the king, but he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 30. So Absalom said to his servants, “See, a portion of Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom's servants set it on fire. Then Joab's servants went to him with their clothes torn and said, “Absalom's servants set your portion on fire.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 31. Then Joab arose and came to Absalom's house and said to him, “Why did your servants set my portion on fire?” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 32. And Absalom answered Joab, “Look, I sent to you saying, ‘Come here,’ so I may send you to the king to say, ‘Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still.’ Now therefore, I have not seen the king's face; but if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.” 2 Kingdoms 14, verse 33. So Joab went to the king and told him. And he called for Absalom, and he came to the king and bowed and fell on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.