Parallel Bible results for "2 samuel 14"

2 Samuel 14

New Century Version NCV

1 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that King David missed Absalom very much.

2 So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He said to her, "Pretend to be very sad. Put on funeral clothes and don't put lotion on yourself. Act like a woman who has been crying many days for someone who died.

3 Then go to the king and say these words." Then Joab told her what to say.

4 So the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king. She bowed facedown on the ground to show respect and said, "My king, help me!"

5 King David asked her, "What is the matter?" The woman said, "I am a widow; my husband is dead.

6 I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting, and no one was there to stop them. So one son killed the other son.

7 Now all the family group is against me. They said to me, 'Bring the son who killed his brother so we may kill him for killing his brother. That way we will also get rid of the one who would receive what belonged to his father.' My son is like the last spark of a fire. He is all I have left. If they kill him, my husband's name and property will be gone from the earth."

8 Then the king said to the woman, "Go home. I will take care of this for you."

9 The woman of Tekoa said to him, "Let the blame be on me and my father's family. My master and king, you and your throne are innocent."

10 King David said, "Bring me anyone who says anything bad to you. Then he won't bother you again."

11 The woman said, "Please promise in the name of the Lord your God. Then my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer won't add to the destruction by killing my son." David said, "As surely as the Lord lives, no one will hurt your son. Not one hair from his head will fall to the ground."

12 The woman said, "Let me say something to you, my master and king." The king said, "Speak."

13 Then the woman said, "Why have you decided this way against the people of God? When you judge this way, you show that you are guilty for not bringing back your son who was forced to leave home.

14 We will all die some day. We're like water spilled on the ground; no one can gather it back. But God doesn't take away life. Instead, he plans ways that those who have been sent away will not have to stay away from him!

15 My master and king, I came to say this to you because the people have made me afraid! I thought, 'Let me talk to the king. Maybe he will do what I ask.

16 Maybe he will listen. Perhaps he will save me from those who want to keep both me and my son from getting what God gave us.'

17 "Now I say, 'May the words of my master the king give me rest. Like an angel of God, you know what is good and what is bad. May the Lord your God be with you!'"

18 Then King David said, "Do not hide the truth. Answer me one question." The woman said, "My master the king, please ask your question."

19 The king said, "Did Joab tell you to say all these things?" The woman answered, "As you live, my master the king, no one could avoid that question. You are right. Your servant Joab did tell me to say these things.

20 Joab did it so you would see things differently. My master, you are wise like an angel of God who knows everything that happens on earth."

21 The king said to Joab, "Look, I will do what I promised. Bring back the young man Absalom."

22 Joab bowed facedown on the ground and blessed the king. Then he said, "Today I know you are pleased with me, because you have done what I asked."

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

24 But King David said, "Absalom must go to his own house. He may not come to see me." So Absalom went to his own house and did not go to see the king.

25 Absalom was greatly praised for his handsome appearance. No man in Israel was as handsome as he. No blemish was on him from his head to his foot.

26 At the end of every year, Absalom would cut his hair, because it became too heavy. When he weighed it, it would weigh about five pounds by the royal measure.

27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter's name was also Tamar, and she was a beautiful woman.

28 Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing King David.

29 Then Absalom sent for Joab so he could send him to the king, but Joab would not come. Absalom sent a message a second time, but Joab still refused to come.

30 Then Absalom said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley growing there. Go burn it." So Absalom's servants set fire to Joab's field.

31 Then Joab went to Absalom's house and said to him, "Why did your servants burn my field?"

32 Absalom said to Joab, "I sent a message to you, asking you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why he brought me home from Geshur. It would have been better for me to stay there! Now let me see the king. If I have sinned, he can put me to death!"

33 So Joab went to the king and told him Absalom's words. Then the king called for Absalom. Absalom came and bowed facedown on the ground before the king, and the king kissed him.

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.