2. Krallar (2. Samuel) 14

¹Seruya oğlu Yoav, kralın yüreğinin Abşalom'a doğru olduğunu anladı.

²Yoav Tekoa'ya adam gönderip oradan bilge bir kadın getirtti ve ona, "Şimdi yas tut, yas giysileri giyin, üzerine yağ sürme ve günlerdir ölü biri için yas tutan bir kadın gibi ol" dedi.

³"Kralın huzuruna çıkıp ona bu söze göre konuşacaksın." Ve Yoav, kadının söyleyeceği sözleri onun ağzına koydu.

⁴Tekoalı kadın kralın huzuruna çıkınca yüzüstü yere kapandı, ona secde etti ve "Kurtar beni ey kral, kurtar!" dedi.

⁵Kral ona, "Neyin var?" diye sordu. Kadın şöyle yanıtladı: "Gerçekten de ben dul bir kadınım, kocam öldü.

⁶Hizmetçinin iki oğlu vardı; tarlada kavga ettiler, aralarında onları ayıracak kimse yoktu; derken biri diğer kardeşine vurup onu öldürdü.

⁷Şimdi de bütün boy hizmetçine karşı ayaklandı ve 'Kardeşine vuranı bize teslim et ki, öldürdüğü kardeşinin canı yerine onu öldürelim; böylece sizin mirasçınızı da ortadan kaldıralım' diyorlar. Geriye kalmış olan tek kömürümü de söndürecekler; öyle ki kocamın yeryüzünde ne bir kalıntısı ne de bir adı kalsın."

⁸Kral kadına, "Sağlıklı olarak evine git, senin için gereken buyruğu vereceğim" dedi.

⁹Tekoalı kadın krala, "Efendim kral, suç benim ve babamın evinin üzerinde olsun; kral ve tahtı ise suçsuz kalsın" dedi.

¹⁰Kral, "Sana karşı konuşan kim olursa olsun, onu bana getir; bir daha sana dokunmaya yeltenmeyecektir" dedi.

¹¹Kadın, "Lütfen kral, kan öcünü alan kişi yok etmek için yıkımı çoğaltmasın ve oğlumu ortadan kaldırmasınlar diye Tanrısı RAB’bi ansın" dedi. Kral, "Yaşayan RAB’bin adıyla derim ki, oğlunun başından tek bir saç teli bile yere düşmeyecektir" dedi.

¹²Bunun üzerine kadın, "Lütfen hizmetçinin efendim krala bir söz söylemesine izin ver" dedi. Kral, "Söyle" dedi.

¹³Kadın şöyle dedi: "Öyleyse neden Tanrı’nın halkına karşı böyle bir şey tasarladın? Kralın söylediği bu söz, kendi sürgün ettiğini geri getirmediği için kendisini bir suç altında bırakmıyor mu?

¹⁴Çünkü kesinlikle öleceğiz; toprağa dökülen ve bir daha toplanamayan su gibiyiz. Ancak Tanrı canı alacaktır, sürgün edilenin kendisinden uzaklaştırılmaması için çareler tasarlayarak.

¹⁵Efendim krala bu sözü söylemek için gelmemin nedeni, halkın beni görecek olmasıdır. Hizmetçin kendi kendine, 'Kral ile konuşayım, belki kral hizmetçisinin dileğini yerine getirir' dedi.

¹⁶Çünkü kral, beni ve oğlumu Tanrı’nın mirasından yok etmek isteyen adamın elinden hizmetçisini kurtarmak için beni dinleyecektir.

¹⁷Hizmetçin ayrıca, 'Efendim kralın sözü bir kurban gibi huzur versin' dedi. Çünkü efendim kral, iyiyi ve kötüyü ayırt etmekte Tanrı’nın bir meleği gibidir. Tanrın RAB seninle olsun!"

¹⁸Kral kadına şöyle yanıt verdi: "Sana soracağım şeyi lütfen benden gizleme." Kadın, "Efendim kral lütfen konuşsun" dedi.

¹⁹Kral, "Bütün bunlarda Yoav’ın eli seninle mi?" diye sordu. Kadın şu yanıtı verdi: "Canın hakkı için, efendim kral, efendim kralın söylediği hiçbir sözden sağa ya da sola sapmak imkansızdır. Evet, bunu bana kulun Yoav buyurdu ve bütün bu sözleri hizmetçinin ağzına koyan odur.

²⁰Kulun Yoav, bu meselenin çehresini değiştirmek için bu yola başvurdu. Ama efendim, yeryüzündeki her şeyi bilmek için Tanrı’nın meleğinin bilgeliği gibi bilge biridir."

²¹Bunun üzerine kral Yoav’a, "İşte, bu isteğini yerine getirdim; git, genç Abşalom’u geri getir" dedi.

²²Yoav yüzüstü yere kapanıp secde etti ve kralı kutsadı. Yoav, "Efendim kral, kulunun dileğini yerine getirdiğin için, bugün kulunun senin gözünde lütuf bulduğunu anladım" dedi.

²³Böylece Yoav kalkıp Geşur’a gitti ve Abşalom’u Yeruşalim’e getirdi.

²⁴Ancak kral, "Kendi evine dönsün, yüzümü görmesin" dedi. Böylece Abşalom kendi evine döndü ve kralın yüzünü görmedi.

²⁵Bütün İsrail’de Abşalom kadar yakışıklılığıyla övülen başka bir adam yoktu; tepeden tırnağa onda hiçbir kusur bulunmazdı.

²⁶Saçını kestirdiğinde —ki saçları kendisine ağır geldiği için her yılın sonunda kestirirdi— kestirdiği saçları tarttığında, kraliyet tartısıyla iki yüz şekel gelirdi.

²⁷Abşalom’un üç oğlu ve Tamar adında bir kızı oldu; kızı çok güzel bir kadındı. Tamar, Süleyman’ın oğlu Rehavam’ın karısı oldu ve ona Aviya’yı doğurdu.

²⁸Abşalom Yeruşalim’de tam iki yıl yaşadı ama kralın yüzünü görmedi.

²⁹Sonra Abşalom, kendisini krala göndermesi için Yoav’a haber yolladı, ama Yoav ona gelmek istemedi. İkinci kez haber yolladı, yine gelmek istemedi.

³⁰Bunun üzerine Abşalom uşaklarına, "Bakın, Yoav’ın tarlası benimkinin yanındadır ve orada arpası var; gidin, orayı ateşe verin" dedi. Abşalom’un uşakları da tarlayı ateşe verdiler. Yoav’ın köleleri giysilerini yırtmış halde ona gelip, "Abşalom’un uşakları tarlayı ateşe verdi" dediler.

³¹Yoav kalkıp Abşalom’un evine gitti ve ona, "Uşakların neden benim tarlamı ateşe verdi?" diye sordu.

³²Abşalom Yoav’a, "İşte, sana haber gönderip, 'Buraya gel, seni krala göndereyim de ona: Geşur’dan neden geldim? Orada kalmam benim için daha iyi olurdu desin' dedim. Şimdi kralın yüzünü görmek istiyorum; eğer bende bir suç varsa, beni öldürsün" dedi.

³³Yoav kralın yanına gidip durumu bildirdi. Kral da Abşalom’u çağırdı. Abşalom kralın huzuruna çıktı, kralın önünde yüzüstü yere kapanıp secde etti ve kral Abşalom’u öptü.

¹ΚΑΙ ἔγνω ᾿Ιωὰβ υἱὸς Σαρουΐας ὅτι ἡ καρδία τοῦ βασιλέως ἐπὶ ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

²καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Ιωὰβ εἰς Θεκωέ, καὶ ἔλαβεν ἐκεῖθεν γυναῖκα σοφὴν καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτήν· πένθησον δὴ καὶ ἔνδυσαι ἱμάτια πενθικὰ καὶ μὴ ἀλείψῃ ἔλαιον καὶ ἔσῃ ὡς γυνὴ πενθοῦσα ἐπὶ τεθνηκότι τοῦτο ἡμέρας πολλὰς

³καὶ ἐλεύσῃ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ λαλήσεις πρὸς αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο· καὶ ἔθηκεν ᾿Ιωὰβ τοὺς λόγους ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῆς.

⁴καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπε· σῶσον, βασιλεῦ, σῶσον.

⁵καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεύς· τί ἐστί σοι; ἡ δὲ εἶπε· καὶ μάλα γυνὴ χήρα ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀνήρ μου.

⁶καί γε τῇ δούλῃ σου δύο υἱοί, καὶ ἐμαχέσαντο ἀμφότεροι ἐν τῷ ἀγρῷ, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ἐξαιρούμενος ἀνὰ μέσον αὐτῶν, καὶ ἔπαισεν ὁ εἷς τὸν ἕνα ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐθανάτωσεν αὐτόν.

⁷καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπανέστη ὅλη ἡ πατριὰ πρὸς τὴν δούλην σου καὶ εἶπαν· δὸς τὸν παίσαντα τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ θανατώσομεν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ, οὗ ἀπέκτεινε, καὶ ἐξαροῦμεν καί γε τὸν κληρονόμον ὑμῶν· καὶ σβέσουσι τὸν ἄνθρακά μου τὸν καταλειφθέντα, ὥστε μὴ θέσθαι τῷ ἀνδρί μου κατάλειμμα καὶ ὄνομα ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς.

⁸καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα· ὑγιαίνουσα βάδιζε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, κἀγὼ ἐντελοῦμαι περὶ σοῦ.

⁹καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Θεκωῖτις πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα· ἐπ’ ἐμέ, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ὁ θρόνος αὐτοῦ ἀθῷος.

¹⁰καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· τίς ὁ λαλῶν πρός σε; καί ἄξεις αὐτὸν πρὸς ἐμέ, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει ἔτι ἅψασθαι αὐτοῦ.

¹¹καὶ εἶπε· μνημονευσάτω δὴ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν Κύριον Θεὸν αὐτοῦ πληθυνθῆναι ἀγχιστέα τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ διαφθεῖραι καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξάρωσι τὸν υἱόν μου· καὶ εἶπε· ζῇ Κύριος, εἰ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῆς τριχὸς τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν.

¹²καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· λαλησάτω δὴ ἡ δούλη σου πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου βασιλέα ρῆμα. καὶ εἶπε· λάλησον.

¹³καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· ἱνατί ἐλογίσω τοιοῦτο ἐπὶ λαὸν Θεοῦ; ἦ ἐκ στόματος τοῦ βασιλέως ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὡς πλημμέλεια τοῦ μὴ ἐπιστρέψαι τὸν βασιλέα τὸν ἐξωσμένον αὐτοῦ; 14ὅτι θανάτῳ ἀποθανούμεθα, καὶ ὥσπερ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ καταφερόμενον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὃ οὐ συναχθήσεται· καὶ λήψεται ὁ Θεὸς ψυχήν, καὶ λογιζόμενος τοῦ ἐξῶσαι ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἐξεωσμένον.

¹⁵καὶ νῦν ὃ ἦλθον λαλῆσαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα τὸν κύριόν μου τὸ ρῆμα τοῦτο, ὅτι ὄψεταί με ὁ λαός, καὶ ἐρεῖ ἡ δούλη σου· λαλησάτω δὴ πρὸς τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα, εἴπως ποιήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ ρῆμα τῆς δούλης αὐτοῦ·

¹⁶ὅτι ἀκούσει ὁ βασιλεύς· ρυσάσθω τὴν δούλην αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ ζητοῦντος ἐξᾶραί με καὶ τὸν υἱόν μου ἀπὸ κληρονομίας Θεοῦ.

¹⁷καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· εἴη δὴ ὁ λόγος τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ βασιλέως εἰς θυσίαν, ὅτι καθὼς ἄγγελος Θεοῦ, οὕτως ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ ἀκούειν τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸ πονηρόν, καὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ.

¹⁸καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα· μὴ δὴ κρύψῃς ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ρῆμα, ὃ ἐγὼ ἐπερωτῶ σε. καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· λαλησάτω δὴ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς.

¹⁹καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· μὴ ἡ χεὶρ ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐν παντὶ τούτῳ μετὰ σοῦ; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνὴ τῷ βασιλεῖ· ζῇ ἡ ψυχή σου, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, εἰ ἔστιν εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ ἢ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερὰ ἐκ πάντων, ὧν ἐλάλησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλός σου ᾿Ιωὰβ αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατό μοι, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔθετο ἐν τῷ στόματι τῆς δούλης σου πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους·

²⁰ἕνεκεν τοῦ περιελθεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ ρήματος τούτου ἐποίησεν ὁ δοῦλός σου ᾿Ιωὰβ τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, καὶ ὁ κύριός μου σοφὸς καθὼς σοφία ἀγγέλου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ γνῶναι πάντα τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ.

²¹καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· ἰδοὺ δὴ ἐποίησά σοι κατὰ τὸν λόγον σου τοῦτον· πορεύου, ἐπίστρεψον τὸ παιδάριον τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

²²καὶ ἔπεσεν ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ προσεκύνησε καὶ εὐλόγησε τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Ιωάβ· σήμερον ἔγνω ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι εὗρον χάριν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, κύριέ μου βασιλεῦ, ὅτι ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριός μου ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν λόγον τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ.

²³καὶ ἀνέστη ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς Γεδσοὺρ καὶ ἤγαγε τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²⁴καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεύς· ἀποστραφήτω εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπόν μου μὴ βλεπέτω καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδε.

²⁵καὶ ὡς ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ οὐκ ἦν ἀνὴρ ἐν παντὶ ᾿Ισραὴλ αἰνετὸς σφόδρα, ἀπὸ ἴχνους ποδὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕως κορυφῆς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἦν ἐν αὐτῷ μῶμος.

²⁶καὶ ἐν τῷ κείρεσθαι αὐτὸν τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ —καὶ ἐγένετο ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς ἡμερῶν εἰς ἡμέρας, ὡς ἂν ἐκείρετο, ὅτι κατεβαρύνετο ἐπ’ αὐτὸν— καὶ κειρόμενος αὐτὴν ἔστησε τὴν τρίχα τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ διακοσίους σίκλους ἐν τῷ σίκλῳ τῷ βασιλικῷ.

²⁷καὶ ἐτέχθησαν τῷ ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τρεῖς υἱοὶ καὶ θυγάτηρ μία, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῇ Θημάρ· αὕτη ἦν γυνὴ καλὴ σφόδρα καὶ γίνεται γυνὴ τῷ Ῥοβοὰμ υἱῷ Σαλωμὼν καὶ τίκτει αὐτῷ τὸν ᾿Αβιά.

²⁸καὶ ἐκάθισεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ δύο ἔτη ἡμερῶν, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδε.

²⁹καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς ᾿Ιωὰβ ἀποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς αὐτόν· καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ἐκ δευτέρου πρὸς αὐτόν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησε παραγενέσθαι.

³⁰καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ· ἴδετε, ἡ μερὶς ἐν ἀγρῷ τοῦ ᾿Ιωὰβ ἐχόμενά μου, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ κριθαί, πορεύεσθε καὶ ἐμπρήσατε αὐτὴν ἐν πυρί· καὶ ἐνέπρησαν οἱ παῖδες ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὴν μερίδα. καὶ παραγίνονται οἱ δοῦλοι ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς αὐτὸν διερρηχότες τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν καὶ εἶπον· ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ δοῦλοι ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ τὴν μερίδα ἐν πυρί.

³¹καὶ ἀνέστη ᾿Ιωὰβ καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ εἰς τὸν οἶκον καὶ εἶπε πρὸς αὐτόν· ἱνατί ἐνεπύρισαν οἱ παῖδές σου τὴν μερίδα τὴν ἐμὴν ἐν πυρί;

³²καὶ εἶπεν ᾿Αβεσσαλὼμ πρὸς ᾿Ιωάβ· ἰδοὺ ἀπέστειλα πρός σε λέγων· ἦκε ὧδε, καὶ ἀποστελῶ σε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα λέγων· ἱνατί ἦλθον ἐκ Γεδσούρ; ἀγαθόν μοι ἦν εἶναι ἐκεῖ· καὶ νῦν ἰδοὺ τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως οὐκ εἶδον· εἰ δέ ἐστιν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἀδικία, καὶ θανάτωσόν με.

³³καὶ εἰσῆλθεν ᾿Ιωὰβ πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ. καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα καὶ προσεκύνησεν αὐτῷ καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ κατεφίλησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸν ᾿Αβεσσαλώμ.

¹And Joab the son of Saruia knew that the heart of the king was toward Abessalom.

²And Joab sent to Thecoe, and took thence a cunning woman, and said to her, Mourn, I pray thee, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint thee not with oil, and thou shalt be as a woman mourning for one that is dead thus for many days.

³And thou shalt go to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴So the woman of Thecoe went in to the king and fell upon her face to the earth, and did him obeisance, and said, Help, O king, help.

⁵And the king said to her, What is the matter with thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.

⁶And moreover thy handmaid had two sons, and they fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them; and the one smote the other his brother, and slew him.

⁷And behold the whole family rose up against thine handmaid, and they said, Give up the one that smote his brother, and we will put him to death for the life of his brother, whom he slew, and we will take away even your heir: so they will quench my coal that is left, so as not to leave my husband remnant or name on the face of the earth.

⁸And the king said to the woman, Go in peace to thy house, and I will give commandment concerning thee.

⁹And the woman of Thecoe said to the king, On me, my lord, O king, and on my father’s house [be] the iniquity, and the king and his throne [be] guiltless.

¹⁰And the king said, Who was it that spoke to thee? thou shalt even bring him to me, and [one] shall not touch him any more.

¹¹And she said, Let now the king remember concerning his Lord God in that the avenger of blood is multiplied to destroy, and let them not take away my son. And he said, [As] the Lord lives, not a hair of thy son shall fall to the ground.

¹²And the woman said, Let now thy servant speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

¹³And the woman said, Why hast thou devised this thing against the people of God? or [is] this word out of the king’s mouth as a transgression, so that the king should not bring back his banished?

¹⁴For we shall surely die, and be as water poured upon the earth, which shall not be gathered up, and God shall take the life, even as he devises to thrust forth from him his outcast.

¹⁵And now whereas I came to speak this word to my lord the king, [the reason is] that the people will see me, and thy handmaid will say, Let one now speak to my lord the king, if peradventure the king will perform the request of his handmaid;

¹⁶for the king will hear. Let him rescue his handmaid out of the hand of the man that seeks to cast out me and my son from the inheritance of God.

¹⁷And the woman said, If now the word of my lord the king be gracious,-- [well]: for as an angel of God, so [is] my lord the king, to hear good and evil: and the Lord thy God shall be with thee.

¹⁸And the king answered, and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the matter which I ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king by all means speak.

¹⁹And the king said, [Is] not the hand of Joab in all this matter with thee? and the woman said to the king, [As] thy soul lives, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab himself charged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid.

²⁰In order that this form of speech might come about [it was] that thy servant Joab has framed this matter: and my lord is wise as [is] the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

²¹And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done to thee according to this thy word: go, bring back the young man Abessalom.

²²And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and did obeisance, and blessed the king: and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, for my lord the king has performed the request of his servant.

²³And Joab arose, and went to Gedsur, and brought Abessalom to Jerusalem.

²⁴And the king said, Let him return to his house, and not see my face. And Abessalom returned to his house, and saw not the king’s face.

²⁵And there was not a man in Israel so very comely as Abessalom: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

²⁶And when he polled his head, (and it was at the beginning of every year that he polled it, because it grew, heavy upon him,) even when he polled it, he weighed the hair of his head, two hundred shekels according to the royal shekel.

²⁷And there were born to Abessalom three sons and one daughter, and her name was Themar: she was a very beautiful woman, and she becomes the wife of Roboam son of Solomon, and she bears to him Abia.

²⁸And Abessalom remained in Jerusalem two full years, and he saw not the king’s face.

²⁹And Abessalom sent to Joab to bring him in to the king, and he would not come to him: and he sent to him the second time, and he would not come.

³⁰And Abessalom said to his servants, Behold, Joab’s portion in the field [is] next to mine, and he has in it barley; go and set it on fire. And the servants of Abessalom set the field on fire: and the servants of Joab come to him with their clothes rent, and they said to him, The servants of Abessalom have set the field on fire.

³¹And Joab arose, and came to Abessalom into the house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my field on fire?

³²And Abessalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, and I will send thee to the king, saying, Why did I come out of Gedsur? it would have been better for me to have remained there: and now, behold, I have not seen the face of the king; but if there is iniquity in me, then put me to death.

³³And Joab went in to the king, and brought him word: and he called Abessalom, and he went in to the king, and did him obeisance, and fell upon his face to the ground, even in the presence of the king; and the king kissed Abessalom.