14 *Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was atoward Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to bTekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and canoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead: 3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab dput the words in her mouth. 4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she efell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, †Help, O king. 5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, fI am gindeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead. 6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was †none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him. 7 And, behold, hthe whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and hwe will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not ileave to my husband neither name nor remainder †upon the earth. 8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee. 9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, jthe iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: kand the king and his throne be guiltless. 10 And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more. 11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the Lord thy God, †that thou wouldest not suffer lthe revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, mAs the Lord liveth, nthere shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth. 12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on. 13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against othe people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again phis banished. 14 For we must needs die, and are as qwater spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; ||neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he rdevise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. 15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid. 16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of sthe inheritance of God. 17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be †comfortable: for tas an angel of God, so is my lord the king †to discern good and bad: therefore the Lord thy God will be with thee. 18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. 19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, uAs thy soul liveth, my lord the king, vnone can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and whe put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid: 20 To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth. 21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again. 22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and †thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of ||his servant. 23 So Joab arose xand went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king’s face.

25 †But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: yfrom the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he zpolled his head, (for it was aat every year’s end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king’s weight. 27 And bunto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was ca woman of a fair countenance. 28 So Absalom dwelt dtwo full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face. 29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is †near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. 31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire? 32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and eif there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. 33 *So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king fkissed Absalom.

15 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom aprepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so, that when any man that had a controversy †came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. 3 And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but ||there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. 4 Absalom said moreover, bOh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice! 5 And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. 6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. 7 *And it came to pass cafter forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron. 8 For thy servant dvowed a vow ewhile I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord. 9 And the king said unto him, fGo in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron. 10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron. 11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were gcalled; and they went hin their simplicity, and they knew not any thing. 12 And Absalom sent for iAhithophel the Gilonite, jDavid’s counseller, from his city, even from kGiloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people lincreased mcontinually with Absalom.

13 And there came a messenger to David, saying, nThe hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom. 14 And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us oflee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and †bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword. 15 And the king’s servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall †appoint. 16 And the king went forth, and all his household †after him. And the king left pten women, which were concubines, to keep the house. 17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. 18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all qthe Cherethites, and all rthe Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from sGath, passed on before the king. 19 Then said the king to tIttai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also uan exile. 20 Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day †make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go vwhither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren: mercy and truth be with thee. 21 And Ittai answered the king, and said, wAs the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be. 22 And David said to Ittai, Go and xpass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him. 23 And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over: the king also himself passed over the ybrook ||Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the zwilderness. 24 And lo aZadok also, and all the Levites were with him, bbearing the ark of the covenant of God: and cthey set down the ark of God; and dAbiathar went up, until all the people had done passing out of the city. 25 And the king said unto Zadok, Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord, he ewill bring me again, and shew me both it, and fhis habitation: 26 But if he thus say, I have no gdelight in thee; behold, here am I, hlet him do to me as seemeth good unto him. 27 The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a iseer? return into the city in peace, and jyour two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. 28 See, I will tarry kin the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me. 29 Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God again to Jerusalem: and they tarried there.

30 And David went up by the ascent of mount Olivet, †and wept as he went up, and lhad his head covered, and he went mbarefoot: and all the people that was with him covered every man his head, and they went up, nweeping as they went up. 31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O Lord, I pray thee, oturn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness. 32 And it came to pass, that when David was come to the top of the mount, where he worshipped God, behold, Hushai the pArchite came to meet him qwith his coat rent, and rearth upon his head: 33 Unto whom David said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be sa burden unto me: 34 But if thou return to the city, and say unto Absalom, tI will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father’s servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant: then mayest thou for me udefeat the counsel of Ahithophel. 35 And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king’s house, vthou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36 Behold, they have there xwith them their two sons, Ahimaaz Zadok’s son, and Jonathan Abiathar’s son; and by them ye shall send unto me every thing that ye can hear. 37 So yHushai David’s friend came into the city, zand Absalom came into Jerusalem.

16 And awhen David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, bZiba the servant of Mephibosheth met him, with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and an hundred cbunches of raisins, and an hundred dof summer fruits, and a bottle of wine. 2 And the king said unto Ziba, eWhat meanest thou by these? And Ziba said, The asses be for the king’s household to ride on; and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat; and the wine, that such as be ffaint in the wilderness may drink. 3 And the king said, And where is thy master’s son? gAnd Ziba said unto the king, Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem: for he said, To day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father. 4 Then said the king to Ziba, Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth. And Ziba said, †I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king.

5 And when king David came to hBahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was iShimei, the son of Gera: ||he came forth, and cursed still as he came. 6 And he cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David: and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 And thus said Shimei when he cursed, Come out, come out, thou †bloody man, and thou kman of Belial: 8 The Lord lhath returned upon thee mall the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, †behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man. 9 Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, Why should this ndead dog curse my lord the king? let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head. 10 And the king said, oWhat have I to do with you, pye sons of Zeruiah? so let him curse, because the Lord hath said unto him, Curse David. Who shall then say, Wherefore hast thou done so? 11 And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which qcame forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord hath bidden him. 12 rIt may be that the Lord swill look on mine ||affliction, and that the Lord will requite me good for his cursing this day. 13 And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill’s side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and †cast dust. 14 And the king, and all the people that were with him, came weary, and refreshed themselves there.

15 And tAbsalom, and all the people the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him. 16 And it came to pass, when Hushai the uArchite, David’s friend, was come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, †God save the king, God save the king. 17 And Absalom said to Hushai, Is this thy kindness to thy friend? wwhy wentest thou not with thy friend? 18 And Hushai said unto Absalom, Nay; but whom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel, choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide. 19 And again, xwhom should I serve? should I not serve in the presence of his son? as I have served in thy father’s presence, so will I be in thy presence.

20 Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, Give counsel among you what we shall do. 21 And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto thy father’s yconcubines, which he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou zart abhorred of thy father: then shall athe hands of all that are with thee be strong. 22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon bthe top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father’s concubines cin the sight of all Israel. 23 And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the †oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel dboth with David and with Absalom.