English Standard Version ESV
The Latin Vulgate VUL
1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart went out to Absalom.
1
intellegens autem Ioab filius Sarviae quod cor regis versum esset ad Absalom
2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, “Pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning garments. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning many days for the dead.
2
misit Thecuam et tulit inde mulierem sapientem dixitque ad eam lugere te simula et induere veste lugubri et ne unguaris oleo ut sis quasi mulier plurimo iam tempore lugens mortuum
3 Go to the king and speak thus to him. ” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
3
et ingredieris ad regem et loqueris ad eum sermones huiuscemodi posuit autem Ioab verba in ore eius
4 When the woman of Tekoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said, “Save me, O king. ”
4
itaque cum ingressa fuisset mulier thecuites ad regem cecidit coram eo super terram et adoravit et dixit serva me rex
5 And the king said to her, “What is your trouble? ” She answered, “Alas, I am a widow; my husband is dead.
5
et ait ad eam rex quid causae habes quae respondit heu mulier vidua ego sum mortuus est enim vir meus
6 And your servant had two sons, and they quarreled with one another in the field. There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him.
6
et ancillae tuae erant duo filii qui rixati sunt adversum se in agro nullusque erat qui eos prohibere posset et percussit alter alterum et interfecit eum
7 And now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Give up the man who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed. ’ And so they would destroy the heir also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth. ”
7
et ecce consurgens universa cognatio adversum ancillam tuam dicit trade eum qui percussit fratrem suum ut occidamus eum pro anima fratris sui quem interfecit et deleamus heredem et quaerunt extinguere scintillam meam quae relicta est ut non supersit viro meo nomen et reliquiae super terram
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you. ”
8
et ait rex ad mulierem vade in domum tuam et ego iubebo pro te
9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father’s house; let the king and his throne be guiltless. ”
9
dixitque mulier thecuites ad regem in me domine mi rex iniquitas et in domum patris mei rex autem et thronus eius sit innocens
10 The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again. ”
10
et ait rex qui contradixerit tibi adduc eum ad me et ultra non addet ut tangat te
11 Then she said, “Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed. ” He said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground. ”
11
quae ait recordetur rex Domini Dei sui ut non multiplicentur proximi sanguinis ad ulciscendum et nequaquam interficient filium meum qui ait vivit Dominus quia non cadet de capillis filii tui super terram
12 Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king. ” He said, “Speak. ”
12
dixit ergo mulier loquatur ancilla tua ad dominum meum regem verbum et ait loquere
13 And the woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in giving this decision the king convicts himself, inasmuch as the king does not bring his banished one home again.
13
dixitque mulier quare cogitasti istiusmodi rem contra populum Dei et locutus est rex verbum istud ut peccet et non reducat eiectum suum
14 We must all die; we are like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God will not take away life, and he devises means so that the banished one will not remain an outcast.
14
omnes morimur et quasi aquae delabimur in terram quae non revertuntur nec vult perire Deus animam sed retractat cogitans ne penitus pereat qui abiectus est
15 Now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.
15
nunc igitur veni ut loquar ad regem dominum meum verbum hoc praesente populo et dixit ancilla tua loquar ad regem si quo modo faciat rex verbum ancillae suae
16 For the king will hear and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together from the heritage of God. ’
16
et audivit rex ut liberaret ancillam suam de manu omnium qui volebant delere me et filium meum simul de hereditate Dei
17 And your servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will set me at rest, ’ for my lord the king is like the angel of God to discern good and evil. The Lord your God be with you! ”
17
dicat ergo ancilla tua ut fiat verbum domini mei regis quasi sacrificium sicut enim angelus Dei sic est dominus meus rex ut nec benedictione nec maledictione moveatur unde et Dominus Deus tuus est tecum
18 Then the king answered the woman, “Do not hide from me anything I ask you. ” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak. ”
18
et respondens rex dixit ad mulierem ne abscondas a me verbum quod te interrogo dixitque mulier loquere domine mi rex
19 The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this? ” The woman answered and said, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, one cannot turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has said. It was your servant Joab who commanded me; it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant.
19
et ait rex numquid manus Ioab tecum est in omnibus istis respondit mulier et ait per salutem animae tuae domine mi rex nec ad dextram nec ad sinistram est ex omnibus his quae locutus est dominus meus rex servus enim tuus Ioab ipse praecepit mihi et ipse posuit in os ancillae tuae omnia verba haec
20 In order to change the course of things your servant Joab did this. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God to know all things that are on the earth. ”
20
ut verterem figuram sermonis huius servus tuus Ioab praecepit istud tu autem domine mi sapiens es sicut habet sapientiam angelus Dei ut intellegas omnia super terram
21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, I grant this; go, bring back the young man Absalom. ”
21
et ait rex ad Ioab ecce placatus feci verbum tuum vade igitur et revoca puerum Absalom
22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and paid homage and blessed the king. And Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant. ”
22
cadensque Ioab super faciem suam in terram adoravit et benedixit regi et dixit Ioab hodie intellexit servus tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis domine mi rex fecisti enim sermonem servi tui
23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
23
surrexit ergo Ioab et abiit in Gessur et adduxit Absalom in Hierusalem
24 And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence. ” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king’s presence.
24
dixit autem rex revertatur in domum suam et faciem meam non videat reversus est itaque Absalom in domum suam et faciem regis non vidit
25 Now in all Israel there was no one so much to be praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
25
porro sicut Absalom vir non erat pulcher in omni Israhel et decorus nimis a vestigio pedis usque ad verticem non erat in eo ulla macula
26 And when he cut the hair of his head (for at the end of every year he used to cut it; when it was heavy on him, he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.
26
et quando tondebatur capillum semel autem in anno tondebatur quia gravabat eum caesaries ponderabat capillos capitis sui ducentis siclis pondere publico
27 There were born to Absalom three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.
27
nati sunt autem Absalom filii tres et filia una nomine Thamar eleganti forma
28 So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, without coming into the king’s presence.
28
mansitque Absalom Hierusalem duobus annis et faciem regis non vidit
29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come.
29
misit itaque ad Ioab ut mitteret eum ad regem qui noluit venire ad eum cumque secundo misisset et ille noluisset venire
30 Then 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.
30
dixit servis suis scitis agrum Ioab iuxta agrum meum habentem messem hordei ite igitur et succendite eum igni succenderunt ergo servi Absalom segetem igni
31 Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire? ”
31
surrexitque Ioab et venit ad Absalom in domum eius et dixit quare succenderunt servi tui segetem meam igni
32 Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent word to you, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. ” Now therefore let me go into the presence of the king, and if there is guilt in me, let him put me to death. ’”
32
et respondit Absalom ad Ioab misi ad te obsecrans ut venires ad me et mitterem te ad regem ut diceres ei quare veni de Gessur melius mihi erat ibi esse obsecro ergo ut videam faciem regis quod si memor est iniquitatis meae interficiat me
33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
33
ingressus Ioab ad regem nuntiavit ei vocatusque Absalom intravit ad regem et adoravit super faciem terrae coram eo osculatusque est rex Absalom
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.