rd

2 Samuel 14

*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 brought 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 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 housband 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 the King said, Bring him to me that speaketh against thee, and he shal touche thee no more.
11.Then said she, I pray thee, let the King remember the Lord thy God, that thou woldest not suffer many reuengers of blood to destroy, lest thei slaye my sonne. And he answered, As the Lord liueth, there shal not one heere of thy sonne fall to f earth.
12.Then the woman said, I pray thee, let thine handmaid speake a worde to my lord the the King. And he said, Say on.
13.Then the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou g thoght suche a thing against the people of God? or why doeth the King, as one which is fautie, speake this thing, as 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 a 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, the cause is that the people i haue made me afraide: therefore thine handmaid said, Now wil I speake vnto the 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 fro 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 fro me, I pray thee, the thing that I shal aske thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the King now speake.
19.And the King said, Is not the hand of Ioáb with thee in all this? Then the woman answered, & said, As thy soule 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 seruant Ioáb bade me, & he put all these wordes in the mouthe of thine handmaid.
20.For to the intent that I shulde m change the forme of speache, thy seruant Ioáb hathe done this thing: but n my lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angel of God to vnderstand all things that are in the earth.
21.¶ And the King said vnto Ioáb, Beholde now, I haue o 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 q turne to his owne house, and not 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 whe 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 p 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 the 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 the 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.

Notes

1:a.
That the King favoured him.
2:*.
Or, wife.
2:b.
In token of mourning: for thei vsed anointing to seme cheareful.
3:*.
Ebr. put words in her mouthe.
4:*.
Ebr. Saue.
5:*.
Ebr. a widowe woman.
6:c.
Vnder this parable she describeth the death of Amnon by Absalóm.
7:d.
Because he hathe slayne his brother, he ought to be slayne according to the Lawe, Gen 9, 6 exod 21, 12.
9:e.
As touching the breache of the Lawe in punishing blood, let me beare the blame.
9:*.
Or, innocent.
11:f.
Sweare that thei shal not reuenge the blood, which are many in number.
13:g.
Why doest thou geue contrary sentence in thy sonne Absalom?
14:*.
Or, accept.
14:h.
God hathe prouided waies (as sanctuaries) to saue the oft times, whome man iudgeth worthy death.
15:i.
For I thoght they wolde kil this mine heir.
17:*.
Ebr. rest.
17:k.
It is of great wisdome to discerne right from wrong.
19:l.
Hast not thou done this by the counsel of Ioab?
20:m.
By speaking rather in a parable than plainly.
20:n.
Or, none can hide oght from the King.
21:o.
I haue granted thy request.
22:*.
Ebr. blessed.
24:q.
Couering hereby his affection, and shewing some piece of iustice to please the people.
26:p.
Which weighed 61 onces after 5 onces & halfe an once the shekel.
30:q.
The wicked are impatient in their affections, & spare no vnlawful meanes to compasse them.
30:*.
Or, possession.
32:r.
If I haue offended by reuenging my sisters dishonour: thus the wicked iustifie them selues in their euil.