1
Now
Joab the
son of
Zeruiah perceived that the
king's heart was inclined
toward Absalom.
.$,l,M;h bel -yiK h'yUr.c -n,B b'aw{y [;deY;w ? ~w{l'v.b;a -l;[
2
So
Joab sent to
Tekoa and
brought a
wise woman from
there and
said to her,
"Please pretend to be a
mourner, and
put on
mourning garments now, and do not
anoint yourself with
oil, but be like a
woman who has been
mourning for the
dead many days;
h'm'k]x h'Via ~'Vim x;QiY;w h'[w{q.T b'aw{y x;l.viY;w ? a'n -yiv.bil.w a'n -yil.B;a.tih 'hy,lea r,ma{Y;w ? tyIy'h.w !,m,v yik.Ws'T -l;a.w l,bea -yed.gib ? tem -l;[ t,l,B;a.tim ~yiB;r ~yim'y h,z h'Via.K
3
then
go to the
king and
speak to him in
this manner." So
Joab put the
words in her
mouth.
h,Z;h r'b'D;K wy'lea .T.r;Bid.w .$,l,M;h -l,a ta'b.W ? 'hyip.B ~yir'b.D;h -t,a b'aw{y ~,f'Y;w
4
Now when the
woman of
Tekoa spoke to the
king, she
fell on her
face to the
ground and
prostrated herself and
said,
"Help, O
king."
l{PiT;w .$,l,M;h -l,a tyi[{q.T;h h'Via'h r,ma{T;w ? h'[ivw{h r,ma{T;w .Wx'T.viT;w h'c.r;a 'hy,P;a -l;[ ? .$,l,M;h
5
The
king said to her,
"What is your trouble?" And she
answered,
"Truly I am a
widow, for my
husband is
dead.
l'b]a r,ma{T;w .$'L -h;m .$,l,M;h H'l -r,ma{Y;w ? yivyia t'm'Y;w yin'a h'n'm.l;a -h'Via
6
"Your
maidservant had
two sons, but the
two of them
struggled together in the
field, and
there was
no one to
separate them, so
one struck the
other and
killed him.
h,d'F;B ~,hyen.v .Wc'NiY;w ~yin'b yen.v '$.t'x.piv.l.W ? d'x,a'h -t,a d'x,a'h w{K;Y;w ~,hyenyeB lyiC;m !yea.w ? w{t{a t,m'Y;w
7
"Now
behold, the
whole family has
risen against your
maidservant, and they
say,
'Hand over the one who
struck his
brother, that we may
put him to
death for the
life of his
brother whom he
killed, and
destroy the
heir also.' Thus they will
extinguish my
coal which is
left, so as to
leave my
husband neither name nor remnant on the
face of the
earth."
.Wr.ma{Y;w '$,t'x.piv -l;[ h'x'P.viM;h -l'k h'm'q heNih.w ? wyix'a v,p,n.B .Whetim.n.W wyix'a heK;m -t,a yin.T ? .WBik.w verw{Y;h -t,a ~;G h'dyim.v;n.w g'r'h r,v]a ? ~ev ~w{f yiT.lib.l h'r'a.vin r,v]a yiT.l;x;G -t,a ? h'm'd]a'h yen.P -l;[ tyirea.v.W
8
Then the
king said to the
woman,
"Go to your
house, and I will
give orders concerning you."
yin]a;w .$etyeb.l yik.l h'Via'h -l,a .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? .$Iy'l'[ h/W;c]a
9
The
woman of
Tekoa said to the
king, "O my
lord, the
king, the
iniquity is on me and my
father's house, but the
king and his
throne are
guiltless."
y;l'[ .$,l,M;h -l,a tyi[w{q.T;h h'Via'h r,ma{T;w ? .$,l,M;h.w yib'a tyeB -l;[.w !{w'[,h .$,l,M;h yin{d]a ? yiq'n w{a.sik.w
10
So the
king said, "Whoever
speaks to you,
bring him to me, and he will not
touch you
anymore *."
y;lea w{taeb]h;w .$Iy;lea reB;d.m;h .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? .$'B t;[;g'l dw{[ @yis{y -a{l.w
11
Then she
said,
"Please let the
king remember the
LORD your
God, so that the
avenger of
blood will not
continue to
destroy,
otherwise they will
destroy my
son." And he
said, "As the
LORD lives, not one
hair of your
son shall
fall to the
ground."
'$y,h{l/a h'wh.y -t,a .$,l,M;h a'n -r'K.zIy r,ma{T;w ? .Wdyim.v;y a{l.w tex;v.l ~'D;h lea{G tyib.r;hem ? l{PIy -mia h'wh.y -y;x r,ma{Y;w yin.B -t,a ? h'c.r'a .$en.B t;r][;Fim
12
Then the
woman said,
"Please let your
maidservant speak a
word to my
lord the
king." And he
said,
"Speak."
yin{d]a -l,a '$.t'x.piv a'n -r,B;d.T h'Via'h r,ma{T;w ? yireB;D r,ma{Y;w r'b'D .$,l,M;h
13
The
woman said,
"Why then have you
planned such a
thing against the
people of
God? For in
speaking this word the
king is as
one who is
guilty, in that the
king does not
bring back his
banished one.
~;[ -l;[ ta{z'K h'T.b;v'x h'M'l.w h'Via'h r,ma{T;w ? ~ev'a.K h,Z;h r'b'D;h .$,l,M;h reB;Dim.W ~yih{l/a ? w{x.Din -t,a .$,l,M;h byiv'h yiT.lib.l
14
"For we will
surely die and are like
water spilled on the
ground which cannot be
gathered up again. Yet
God does not
take away
life, but
plans ways so that the
banished one will not be
cast out from him.
h'c.r;a ~yir'GiN;h ~Iy;M;k.w t.Wm'n tw{m -yiK ? v,p,n ~yih{l/a a'FIy -a{l.w .Wpes'aey a{l r,v]a ? x'Din .WN,Mim x;DIy yiT.lib.l tw{b'v]x;m b;v'x.w
15
"Now the
reason I have
come to
speak this word to my
lord the
king is that the
people have
made me
afraid; so your
maidservant said, 'Let me
now speak to the
king,
perhaps the
king will
perform the
request of his
maidservant.
yin{d]a .$,l,M;h -l,a reB;d.l yita'B -r,v]a h'T;[.w ? r,ma{T;w ~'['h yinUa.rey yiK h,Z;h r'b'D;h -t,a ? h,f][;y y;l.Wa .$,l,M;h -l,a a'N -h'r.B;d]a '$.t'x.piv ? w{t'm]a r;b.D -t,a .$,l,M;h
16
'For the
king will
hear and
deliver his
maidservant from the
hand of the
man who would
destroy both me and my
son from the
inheritance of
God.'
@;Kim w{t'm]a -t,a lyiC;h.l .$,l,M;h [;m.vIy yiK ? t;l]x;Nim d;x;y yin.B -t,a.w yit{a dyim.v;h.l vyia'h ? ~yih{l/a
17
"Then your
maidservant said,
'Please let the
word of my
lord the
king be
comforting, for as the
angel of
God,
so is my
lord the
king to
discern good and
evil. And may the
LORD your
God be with you.' "
yin{d]a -r;b.D a'N -h,y.hIy '$.t'x.piv r,ma{T;w ? !eK ~yih{l/a'h .$;a.l;m.K yiK h'x.Wn.mil .$,l,M;h ? h'why;w ['r'h.w bw{J;h ;[{m.vil .$,l,M;h yin{d]a ? .$'Mi[ yih.y '$y,h{l/a
18
Then the
king answered and
said to the
woman,
"Please do not
hide anything from me that I am about to
ask you." And the
woman said, "Let my
lord the
king please speak."
a'n -l;a h'Via'h -l,a r,ma{Y;w .$,l,M;h !;[;Y;w ? .$'t{a lea{v yik{n'a r,v]a r'b'D yiN,Mim yid]x;k.t ? .$,l,M;h yin{d]a a'n -r,B;d.y h'Via'h r,ma{T;w
19
So the
king said, "Is the
hand of
Joab with you in
all this?" And the
woman replied, "As your
soul lives, my
lord the
king,
no one can
turn to the
right or to the
left from
anything that my
lord the
king has
spoken.
Indeed, it was your
servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who
put all these words in the
mouth of your
maidservant;
ta{z -l'k.B .$'Tia b'aw{y d;y]h .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? .$,l,M;h yin{d]a '$.v.p;n -yex r,ma{T;w h'Via'h !;[;T;w ? r,BiD -r,v]a l{Kim lyim.f;h.l.W !yimeh.l via -mia ? yin\Wic a.Wh b'aw{y '$.D.b;[ -yiK .$,l,M;h yin{d]a ? ~yir'b.D;h -l'K tea '$.t'x.piv yip.B ~'f a.Wh.w ? h,Lea'h
20
in
order to
change the
appearance of
things your
servant Joab has
done this thing. But my
lord is
wise, like the
wisdom of the
angel of
God, to
know all that is in the
earth."
'$.D.b;[ h'f'[ r'b'D;h yen.P -t,a beB;s r.Wb][;b.l ? t;m.k'x.K ~'k'x yin{da;w h,Z;h r'b'D;h -t,a b'aw{y ? #,r'a'B r,v]a -l'K -t,a t;[;d'l ~yih{l/a'h .$;a.l;m
21
Then the
king said to
Joab,
"Behold now, I will surely
do this thing;
go therefore,
bring back the
young man Absalom."
a'n -heNih b'aw{y -l,a .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? ~w{l'v.b;a -t,a r;[;N;h -t,a bev'h .$el.w h,Z;h r'b'D;h -t,a yityif'[
22
Joab fell on his
face to the
ground,
prostrated himself and
blessed the
king; then
Joab said,
"Today your
servant knows that I have
found favor in your
sight, O my
lord, the
king, in that the
king has
performed the
request of his
servant."
.Wx;T.viY;w h'c.r;a wy'n'P -l,a b'aw{y l{PiY;w ? ~w{Y;h b'aw{y r,ma{Y;w .$,l,M;h -t,a .$,r'b.y;w ? yin{d]a '$y,nye[.B !ex yita'c'm -yiK '$.D.b;[ [;d'y ? w{D.b;[ r;b.D -t,a .$,l,M;h h'f'[ -r,v]a .$,l,M;h
23
So
Joab arose and
went to
Geshur and
brought Absalom to
Jerusalem.
~w{l'v.b;a -t,a aeb'Y;w h'r.Wv.G .$,leY;w b'aw{y ~'q'Y;w ? ~i'l'v.Wr.y
24
However the
king said, "Let him
turn to his own
house, and let him not
see my
face." So
Absalom turned to his own
house and did not
see the
king's face.
a{l y;n'p.W w{tyeB -l,a b{SIy .$,l,M;h r,ma{Y;w ? yen.p.W w{tyeB -l,a ~w{l'v.b;a b{SiY;w h,a.rIy ? h'a'r a{l .$,l,M;h
25
Now in
all Israel was
no one as
handsome as
Absalom, so
highly praised; from the
sole of his
foot to the
crown of his
head there was
no defect in him.
lea'r.fIy -l'k.B h,p'y -vyia h'y'h -a{l ~w{l'v.b;a.k.W ? h'y'h -a{l w{d\q.d'q d;[.w w{l.g;r @;Kim d{a.m leL;h.l ? ~.Wm w{b
26
When he
cut the hair of his
head (and it was at the
end of every
year that he
cut it, for it was
heavy on him so he
cut it), he
weighed the
hair of his
head at
200 shekels by the
king's weight.
wy'l'[ deb'k -yiK ;xeL;g.y r,v]a(for ~yim'Y;l ~yim'y #eQim h'y'h.w w{va{r -t,a w{x.L;g.b.W ? -t,a l;q'v.w w{x.Lig.w ? .$,l,M;h !,b,a.B ~yil'q.v ~Iy;ta'm w{va{r(for r;[.f
27
To
Absalom there were
born three sons, and
one daughter whose
name was
Tamar; she was a
woman of
beautiful appearance.
t;x;a t;b.W ~yin'b h'vw{l.v ~w{l'v.b;a.l .Wd.l\WiY;w ? h,a.r;m t;p.y h'Via h't.y'h ayih r'm'T H'm.v.W
28
Now
Absalom lived two
full years in
Jerusalem, and did not
see the
king's face.
~yim'y ~Iy;t'n.v ~i;l'v.WryiB ~w{l'v.b;a b,veY;w ? h'a'r a{l .$,l,M;h yen.p.W
29
Then
Absalom sent for
Joab, to
send him to the
king, but he
would not
come to him. So he
sent again a
second time, but he
would not
come.
w{t{a ;x{l.vil b'aw{y -l,a ~w{l'v.b;a x;l.viY;w ? x;l.viY;w wy'lea aw{b'l h'b'a a{l.w .$,l,M;h -l,a ? aw{b'l h'b'a a{l.w tyinev dw{[
30
Therefore he
said to his
servants,
"See,
Joab's field is
next to mine, and he has
barley there;
go and
set it on
fire." So
Absalom's servants set the
field on
fire.
yid'y -l,a b'aw{y t;q.l,x .Wa.r wy'd'b][ -l,a r,ma{Y;w ? .WtiC;Y;w vea'b 'hyetiCw{h.w .Wk.l ~yir{[.f ~'v -w{l.w ? vea'B h'q.l,x;h -t,a ~w{l'v.b;a yed.b;[
31
Then
Joab arose,
came to
Absalom at his
house and
said to him,
"Why have your
servants set my
field on
fire?"
h't.y'B;h ~w{l'v.b;a -l,a a{b'Y;w b'aw{y ~'q'Y;w ? h'q.l,x;h -t,a '$,d'b][ .WtyiCih h'M'l wy'lea r,ma{Y;w ? vea'B yil -r,v]a
32
Absalom answered Joab,
"Behold, I
sent for you,
saying,
'Come here, that I may
send you to the
king, to
say,
"Why have I
come from
Geshur? It would be
better for me
still to be
there."'
Now therefore, let me
see the
king's face, and
if there is
iniquity in me, let him
put me to
death."
yiT.x;l'v heNih b'aw{y -l,a ~w{l'v.b;a r,ma{Y;w ? .$,l,M;h -l,a '$.t{a h'x.l.v,a.w h'Neh a{B r{mael '$y,lea ? ~'v -yin]a d{[ yil bw{j r.Wv.Gim yita'B h'M'l r{mael ? yiB -v,y -mia.w .$,l,M;h yen.P h,a.r,a h'T;[.w ? yin'tim/h,w !{w'[
33
So when
Joab came to the
king and
told him, he
called for
Absalom. Thus he
came to the
king and
prostrated himself on his
face to the
ground before the
king, and the
king kissed Absalom.
a'r.qiY;w w{l -d,G;Y;w .$,l,M;h -l,a b'aw{y a{b'Y;w ? .Wx;T.viY;w .$,l,M;h -l,a a{b'Y;w ~w{l'v.b;a -l,a ? q;ViY;w .$,l,M;h yen.pil h'c.r;a wy'P;a -l;[ w{l ? ~w{l'v.b;a.l .$,l,M;h