1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. 2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, 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 anoint 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 put the words in her mouth.
4 ¶ And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell 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, I am indeed 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, the 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 we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave 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, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and 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 the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there 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 the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished. 14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise 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 the inheritance of God. 17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as 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, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none 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 he 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 and 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: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him. 26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at 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 unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
28 ¶ So Absalom dwelt two 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 if 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 kissed Absalom.
Sieva no Tekoas
1 Joābs, Cerūjas dēls, manīja, ka ķēniņš domās kavējas pie Abšāloma. 2 Joābs sūtīja uz Tekou un atveda no turienes kādu gudru sievu. Viņš tai teica: “Jel izliecies par sērotāju – velc sēru drānas, ar eļļu neiesvaidies un izturies, it kā tu jau ilgu laiku sērotu par mirušo. 3 Tad ej pie ķēniņa un runā ar viņu tā…” – un Joābs viņai pateica, kas jāsaka. 4 Runādama ar ķēniņu, tekoiešu sieva krita uz sava vaiga pie zemes, zemojās un sauca: “Palīdzi, ak, ķēniņ!”
5 Ķēniņš tai jautāja: “Kas tev?” – un viņa sacīja: “Patiesi, esmu atraitne, mans vīrs ir miris, 6 un tavai kalponei bija divi dēli, tie abi sakāvās laukā, neviens tos neizšķīra, un viens kāva otru un nonāvēja. 7 Un, redzi, visa dzimta cēlās pret tavu kalponi, sacīdami: izdod brāļa slepkavu! Mēs to nonāvēsim par brāļa dzīvību, ko tas laupījis, – arī šo mantinieku mēs tev iznīcināsim! – Viņi izdzēsīs oglīti, kas man vēl atlikusi, ka ne vārds, ne pēcnācējs no mana vīra nepaliek uz zemes.”
8 Ķēniņš teica tai sievai: “Ej mājās, es došu par tevi pavēli.” 9 Bet tekoiešu sieva teica ķēniņam: “Lai vaina nāk pār mani, mans kungs, ķēniņ, un pār mana tēva namu, bet ķēniņš un viņa tronis lai šķīsts!”
10 Ķēniņš teica: “Kas pret tevi ko runā, to ved pie manis, un viņš tevi vairs neaizskars.” 11 Viņa sacīja: “Ķēniņ, jel piemini Kungu, savu Dievu, – ka asinsatriebējs nevairo postu, ka viņi neiznīcina manu dēlu!” Viņš atbildēja: “Dzīvs Kungs! – ne mats nenokritīs tavam dēlam.” 12 Tā sieva teica: “Vai tava kalpone drīkst sacīt kādu vārdu savam kungam, ķēniņam?” Viņš atbildēja: “Runā!”
13 Tā sieva teica: “Kāpēc tev tāds nodoms pret Dieva tautu – tā runādams, ķēniņš uzņemas vainu, jo ķēniņš neaicina atpakaļ paša atstumto! 14 Gan mēs visi mirtin mirsim, kā ūdens, kas iztek zemē un nav vairs sasmeļams, bet Dievs neatņem dzīvību un meklē iespēju, lai atstumtais nepaliek atstumts no viņa! 15 Te nu es esmu atnākusi runāt par šo lietu ar savu kungu, ķēniņu, – ļaudis ir mani sabiedējuši. Tava kalpone domāja: runāšu taču ar ķēniņu, varbūt viņš darīs, ko lūdz viņa kalpone! 16 Ja ķēniņš uzklausīs un paglābs savu kalponi no tā vīra nagiem, kas mani un manu dēlu grib iznīcināt no Dieva mantojuma, 17 tā domā tava kalpone, tad lai mana kunga, ķēniņa, vārds ir man mierinājums! Jo mans kungs, ķēniņš, ir kā Dieva eņģelis – viņš izšķir labu un ļaunu, un Kungs, tavs Dievs, būs ar tevi!”
18 Tad ķēniņš teica tai sievai: “Jel neslēp no manis neko, par ko jautāšu.” Un šī sieva sacīja: “Jel runā, mans kungs, ķēniņ!” 19 Un ķēniņš vaicāja: “Vai tas viss nav ar Joāba ziņu?” Sieva atbildēja: “Dzīvs tu! – neviens nenosvērsies ne pa labi, ne pa kreisi no visa, ko runājis mans kungs, ķēniņš, jo tavs kalps Joābs – viņš man pavēlēja, viņš tavai kalponei pasacīja visu, kas sakāms šajā lietā. 20 Tavs kalps Joābs to darīja, lai izlabotu šo lietu; mans kungs ir gudrs – kā Dieva eņģelim viņa gudrība, viņš zina visu, kas šajā zemē!”
21 Ķēniņš teica Joābam: “Nu, redzi, es darīšu tā – ej, ved atpakaļ to puisi Abšālomu!” 22 Joābs krita uz sava vaiga pie zemes, zemojās un slavēja ķēniņu. Joābs sacīja: “Tagad tavs kalps zina, ka esmu guvis tavu vēlību, mans kungs, ķēniņ, jo ķēniņš ir izpildījis sava kalpa lūgumu.” 23 Tad Joābs cēlās un gāja uz Gešūru un pārveda Abšālomu Jeruzālemē. 24 Bet ķēniņš teica: “Viņam jāatgriežas savā namā, mani viņš nesastaps.” Un Abšāloms atgriezās savā namā, ķēniņu nesastapis.
Dāvids piedod Abšālomam
25 Visā Israēlā nebija vīra, kas būtu tā izslavēts ar savu skaistumu kā Abšāloms. No kāju pēdām līdz matu galiem viņam nebija nekādas vainas. 26 Un, apgriežot matus – viņš tos apgrieza gadu no gada, kad tie viņam kļuva pārāk smagi, – nogrieztie mati svēra divi simti šekeļu pēc ķēniņa mēra. 27 Abšālomam piedzima trīs dēli un viena meita. Meitu sauca Tamāra, viņa bija skaista no skata.
28 Un Abšāloms nodzīvoja Jeruzālemē divus gadus, ķēniņu nesastapdams. 29 Tad Abšāloms lika saukt Joābu, lai sūtītu viņu pie ķēniņa, bet tas atteicās nākt. Viņš sauca otrreiz, bet tas atkal atteicās nākt. 30 Tad viņš sacīja saviem kalpiem: “Skatieties, Joāba lauks ir līdzās manējam, un viņam tur ir mieži. Ejiet – es gribu, lai to nodedzina ar uguni!” Un Abšāloma kalpi nodedzināja to lauku ar uguni.
31 Tad Joābs cēlās, nāca pie Abšāloma uz mājām un vaicāja: “Kādēļ tavi kalpi nodedzināja manu lauku?” 32 Abšāloms teica Joābam: “Redzi, es sūtīju pie tevis, sacīdams: nāc šurp, un es sūtīšu tevi pie ķēniņa vaicāt, kāpēc gan es esmu pārnācis no Gešūras? Man būtu labāk, ja es būtu palicis tur, – tagad es gribu sastapt ķēniņu, ja esmu vainīgs, lai viņš mani nogalina!” 33 Tad Joābs gāja pie ķēniņa un pastāstīja to viņam. Tas atsauca Abšālomu, un Abšāloms nāca pie ķēniņa un noliecās ķēniņa priekšā ar seju līdz zemei. Un ķēniņš skūpstīja Abšālomu.
