1 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. 2 So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there. He said to her, “Please pretend to be in mourning. Put on mourning clothes and do not anoint yourself with oil. Be like a woman who has been mourning the dead for many days. 3 Go to the king and speak to him in this way.” Then Joab put the words in her mouth. 4 The woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, fell with her face to the ground and paid homage. She said, “Help me, O king!”

5 The king asked her, “What is the matter?” She said, “I am indeed a widow; my husband is dead. 6 Your servant had two sons. They fought in the field, and there was no one to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. 7 Now the whole clan has risen against your servant, saying, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, so that we may kill him for the life of the brother he killed, and destroy the heir as well.’ They will extinguish the coal I have left, leaving my husband neither name nor survivor on the face of the earth.”

8 The king said to the woman, “Go to your house. I will give orders concerning you.” 9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, let the guilt be on me and on my father’s house, and let the king and his throne be innocent.”

10 The king said, “Whoever threatens you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you again.” 11 She said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, so that the blood avenger does not increase the destruction and they do not destroy my son.” He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.” 12 The woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Speak.”

13 The woman said, “Why have you planned such a thing against God’s people? In speaking this word, the king is like one who is guilty, because the king has not brought back his banished one. 14 We will surely die and be like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but devises ways so that the banished one will not remain banished from him. 15 I have come to speak this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘Let me speak to the king. Perhaps the king will grant his servant’s request. 16 For the king will listen and deliver his servant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’ 17 Your servant also thought, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring rest, for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.’ May the LORD your God be with you.”

18 The king answered the woman, “Please hide nothing from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” 19 The king asked, “Is Joab’s hand with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or left from anything my lord the king has said. Your servant Joab commanded me and put all these words in your servant’s mouth. 20 Your servant Joab did this to change the course of the matter. But my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of an angel of God, to know everything on the earth.”

21 The king said to Joab, “I have granted this. Go and bring back the young man Absalom.” 22 Joab fell with his face to the ground, paid homage and blessed the king. He said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted your servant’s request.” 23 So Joab set out, went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 But the king said, “Let him turn aside to his own house. He must not see my face.” So Absalom turned aside to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

25 No man in all Israel was as greatly praised for his beauty as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. 26 At the end of each year he cut his hair because it was heavy on him. When he cut it, he weighed the hair from his head: about five pounds by the royal weight standard. 27 Three sons and one daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar, and she was a beautiful woman.

28 Absalom stayed in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing the king’s face. 29 Absalom sent for Joab so that he could send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. He sent a second time, but Joab still refused to come. 30 Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is beside mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31 Joab got up, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” 32 Absalom said to Joab, “I sent word to you, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.” ’ Now let me see the king’s face. If there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.” 33 Joab went to the king and told him. The king called Absalom, who came to him and bowed with his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.