1 Abſalóm is reconciled to his father by the ſubteltie of Ioab. 24 Abſalóm may not ſe the Kings face. 25 The beautie of Abſalóm. 30 He cauſeth Ioabs corne to be burnt, and is broght to his fathers preſence.

1.THen Ioáb the ſonne of Zeruiáh perceiued, that the Kings ^a heart was towarde Abſalóm,

2.And Ioáb ſent to Tekóah , and broght thence a ^" ſubtile woman,& ſaid vnto her, I pray thee,faine thy ſelfe to mourne,and now put on mourning apparel,& ^b anoint not thy ſelfe with oyle:but be as a woman that had now long time mourned for the dead.

3.And come to the King,and ſpeake of this maner vnto him ( for Ioáb ^" taught her what ſhe ſhulde ſay)

4.¶ Then the woman of Tekóah ſpake vnto the King,and fel downe on her face to the grounde,& did obeiſance, and ſaid, ^" Helpe, ô King.

5.Then the King ſaid vnto her, What ayleth thee?And ſhe anſwered,I am in dede a ^" widowe , and mine houſband is dead:

6.And thine handmayd had two ^c ſonnes,& they two ſtroue together in the field:(and there was none to parte them ) ſo the one ſmote the other,and ſlewe him.

7.And beholde , the whole familie is riſen againſt thine handmayd, & thei ſaid, Deliuer him that ſmote his brother, that we may kil him for the ^d ſoule of his brother whome he ſlewe,that we may deſtroy the heire alſo : ſo they ſhal quenche my ſparkle which is left,and ſhal not leaue to mine houſbãd nether name nor poſteritie vpon the earth.

8.And the King ſaid vnto the woman , Go to thine houſe, and I wil giue a charge for thee.

9.Then the woman of Tekóah ſaid vnto the King,My lord,ô King,this ^e treſpaſſe be on me, and on my fathers houſe, & the King and his throne be ^" giltles.

10.And y^e King ſaid,Bring him to me that ſpeaketh againſt thee , and he ſhal touche thee nomore.

11.Then ſaid ſhe, I pray thee , let the King remember the Lord thy God, that thou ^f woldeſt not ſuffer many reuengers of blood to deſtroy,leſt thei ſlaye my ſõne.And he anſwered , As the Lord liueth , there ſhal not one heere of thy ſonne fall to y^e earth.

12.Then the woman ſaid , I pray thee , let thine hãdmaid ſpeake a worde to my lord the

13.the King. And he ſaid, Say on. Then the woman ſaid, Wherefore then haſt thou ^g thought ſuche a thing againſt the people of God? or why doeth y^e King, as one which is fautie, ſpeake this thing, that he wil not bring againe his baniſhed?

14.For we muſt nedes dye, & ^" we are as water ſpilt on the grounde, which can not be gathered vp againe : nether doeth God ſpare anie perſone, yet doeth he appoint ^h meanes, not to caſt out from him him that is expelled.

15.Now therefore that I am come to ſpeake of this thing vnto my lord the King, ⁱ the cauſe is that the people haue made me afraide : therefore thine handmaid ſaid, Now wil I ſpeake vnto y^e King: it may be that the King wil performe the requeſt of his handmaid.

16.For the King wil heare, to deliuer his handmaid out of the hand of the man that wolde deſtroye me, and alſo my ſonne frõ the inheritance of God.

17.Therefore thine handmaid ſaid, The worde of my lord the King ſhal nowe be ^" comfortable : for my lord the King is euen as an ^k Angel of God in hearing of good & bad: therefore the Lord thy God be with thee.

18.Then the King anſwered, and ſaid vnto the woman, Hide not frõ me, I pray thee, the thing that I ſhal aſke thee. And y^e womã ſaid, Let my lord y^e King now ſpeake.

19.And the King ſaid, Is not ^l the hand of Ioáb with thee in all this? Then the woman anſwered, & ſaid, As thy ſoul liueth, my lord the King, I wil not turne to the right hand nor to the left from oght that my lord the King hathe ſpoken: for euen thy ſeruãt Ioáb bade me, & he put all theſe wordes in y^e mouthe of thine handmaid.

20.For to the intent that I ſhulde ^m change the forme of ſpeache, thy ſeruant Ioáb hathe done this thĩg: but ^" my lord is wiſe according to the wiſdome of an Angel of God to vnderſtand all things that are in the earth.

21.¶ And y^e King ſaid vnto Ioáb, Beholde now, I haue ⁿ done this thing : go then, & bring the yong man Abſalóm againe.

22.And Ioáb fel to the grounde on his face, and bowed him ſelfe, and ^" thanked the King. Then Ioáb ſaid, This day thy ſeruant knoweth, that I haue founde grace in thy ſight, my lord the King, in that the King hathe fulfilled the requeſt of his ſeruant.

23.¶ And Ioáb aroſe, and went to Geſhúr, and broght Abſalóm to Ieruſalém.

24.And the King ſaid, Let him ^o turne to his owne houſe, and nor ſe my face. So Abſalóm turned to his owne houſe, and ſawe not the Kings face.

25.Now in all Iſraél there was none to be ſo muche praiſed for beautie as Abſalóm: from the ſole of his foote euen to the top of his head there was no blemiſh in him.

26.And whẽ he polled his head, (for at euerie yeres end he polled it : becauſe it was to heauy for him, therefore he polled it) he weighed the heere of his head at two hundreth ^" ſhekels by the Kings weight.

27.And Abſalóm had thre ſonnes, and one daughter named Tamár, which was a faire woman to loke vpon.

28.¶ So Abſalóm dwelt y^e ſpace of two yeres in Ieruſalém, & ſawe not the Kings face.

29.Therefore Abſalóm ſent for Ioáb to ſend him to the King, but he wolde not come to him: and when he ſent againe, he wolde not come.

30.Therefore he ſaid vnto his ſeruants, Beholde, Ioáb hathe a ^" field by my place, & hathe barly therein: go,& ſet it ^q on fire: & Abſaloms ſeruants ſet the field on fire.

31.Then Ioáb aroſe, and came to Abſalóm vnto his houſe, and ſaid vnto him, Wherefore haue thy ſeruants burnt my field with fire?

32.And Abſalóm anſwered Ioáb, Beholde, I ſent for thee, ſaying, Come thou hither, and I wil ſend thee to the King for to ſay, Wherefore am I come from Geſhúr? It had bene better for me to haue bene there ſtil: now therefore let me ſe y^e Kings face: and ^r if there be anie treſpaſſe in me, let him kil me.

33.Then Ioáb came to the King, and tolde him: and he called for Abſalóm, who came to the King, and bowed him ſelfe to the grounde on his face before the King, and the King kiſſed Abſalóm.

2 Samuel 14

Notes