Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 14"

2 Samuel 14

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah perceived that the king missed Avshalom;

2 so Yo'av sent to T'koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, "Please, pretend you're a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

3 Go in to the king and speak to him in this fashion -" and then Yo'av told her just what to say.

4 When the woman of T'koa spoke to the king, she fell down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself, and said, "King, help!"

5 The king said to her, "What's the trouble?"She answered, "I'm a widow. After my husband died,

6 my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him.

7 Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they're saying, 'Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.'They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth."

8 The king said to the woman, "Go back home; I myself will decide what to do about you."

9 The woman of T'koa said to the king, "My lord, king, let the guilt be on me and my father's family; the king and his throne be guiltless."

10 The king answered, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me; and he won't bother you any more."

11 "Please," she said, "let the king swear by ADONAI your God that the blood avengers won't do any more destroying, so they won't destroy my son." He said, "As ADONAI lives, not one of your son's hairs will fall to the ground."

12 Then the woman said, "Please allow your servant to say something else to my lord the king.""Go on," he replied.

13 The woman said, "Why is it, then, that you have produced a situation exactly like this against God's people? By saying what you have said, the king has virtually incriminated himself - in that the king does not bring home again the son he banished.

14 For we will all die someday; we'll be like water spilled on the ground that can't be gathered up again; and God makes no exception for anyone. The king should think of some way to keep the son he banished from being forever an outcast.

15 Now the reason I came to speak about this matter to my lord the king is that the people were intimidating me; so your servant said, 'I will speak now to the king; maybe the king will do what his servant is asking.

16 For the king will listen and rescue his servant from the hands of those who would destroy me and my son together from our share of God's inheritance.'

17 Then your servant said, 'Please let my lord the king say something that will give me relief; for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good from bad - and may ADONAI your God be with you.'"

18 The king then answered the woman: "I'm going to ask you a question, and please don't hide anything from me."The woman said, "Let my lord the king now speak."

19 The king asked, "Did Yo'av put you up to this?"The woman answered, "As you live, my lord the king, when my lord the king speaks, no one can avoid the issue by turning either right or left. Yes, it was your servant Yo'av who had me do this, and he put in my mouth every word you have heard your servant say.

20 Your servant Yo'av did this in order to bring about some change in the situation. But my lord is wise, he has the wisdom of an angel of God when it comes to understanding anything going on in the land."

21 The king said to Yo'av, "All right, I am granting this request. Go, and bring back young Avshalom."

22 Yo'av fell to the ground on his face, prostrating himself, and blessed the king; Yo'av said, "Today your servant knows that I have won your favor, my lord, king, because the king has done what your servant requested."

23 Then Yo'av got up, went to G'shur and brought Avshalom to Yerushalayim.

24 However, the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but he is not to appear in my presence."So Avshalom returned to his own house and did not appear before the king.

25 Now in all Isra'el there was no one more praised for his beauty than Avshalom -there was no defect on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

26 He would cut his hair only once a year, at the end of the year; and the only reason he cut it then was because it weighed him down. He weighed the hair from his head at 200 shekels (using the royal weight) [about five pounds].

27 To Avshalom were born three sons and one daughter, whose name was Tamar; she was a beautiful woman.

28 Avshalom lived two years in Yerushalayim without appearing before the king.

29 Then Avshalom summoned Yo'av, planning to send him to the king; but he refused to come to him. He summoned him a second time, but he still wouldn't come.

30 So he said to his servants, "See, Yo'av's field is close to mine, and he has barley there; go, and set it on fire." Avshalom's servants set the field on fire.

31 Then Yo'av got up, went to Avshalom at his house and asked him, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"

32 Avshalom answered Yo'av, "Look, I sent a message to you to come here, so that I could send you to the king to ask, 'Why did I come from G'shur? It would have been better for me if I had stayed there. So now, let me appear before the king; and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.'"

33 Yo'av went to the king and told him; and when he had called for Avshalom, he went to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Avshalom.

New Living Translation NLT

1 Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom.

2 So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don’t put on lotions. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.

3 Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you.” Then Joab told her what to say.

4 When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, “O king! Help me!”

5 “What’s the trouble?” the king asked. “Alas, I am a widow!” she replied. “My husband is dead.

6 My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.

7 Now the rest of the family is demanding, ‘Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn’t deserve to inherit his family’s property.’ They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband’s name and family will disappear from the face of the earth.”

8 “Leave it to me,” the king told her. “Go home, and I’ll see to it that no one touches him.”

9 “Oh, thank you, my lord the king,” the woman from Tekoa replied. “If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.”

10 “If anyone objects,” the king said, “bring him to me. I can assure you he will never harm you again!”

11 Then she said, “Please swear to me by the LORD your God that you won’t let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed.” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he replied, “not a hair on your son’s head will be disturbed!”

12 “Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king,” she said. “Go ahead and speak,” he responded.

13 She replied, “Why don’t you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.

14 All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.

15 “I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, ‘Perhaps the king will listen to me

16 and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.

17 Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.’ I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you.”

18 “I must know one thing,” the king replied, “and tell me the truth.” “Yes, my lord the king,” she responded.

19 “Did Joab put you up to this?” And the woman replied, “My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.

20 He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!”

21 So the king sent for Joab and told him, “All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom.”

22 Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, “At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!”

23 Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

24 But the king gave this order: “Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence.” So Absalom did not see the king.

25 Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.

26 He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!

27 He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful.

28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never got to see the king.

29 Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come.

30 So Absalom said to his servants, “Go and set fire to Joab’s barley field, the field next to mine.” So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded.

31 Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32 And Absalom replied, “Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn’t intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me.”

33 So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him.