VERSE STUDY • KJV

2 Samuel 14:1-20

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.

Read it in 5 translations

KJV King James Version

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.

BSB Berean Standard Bible

¹ Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. ² So Joab sent to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please pretend to be a mourner; put on clothes for mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil. Act like a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time. ³ Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab put the words in her mouth. ⁴ When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, “Help me, O king!” ⁵ “What troubles you?” the king asked her. “Indeed,” she said, “I am a widow, for my husband is dead. ⁶ And your maidservant had two sons who were fighting in the field with no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him. ⁷ Now the whole clan has risen up against your maidservant and said, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of the brother whom he killed. Then we will cut off the heir as well!’ So they would extinguish my one remaining ember by not preserving my husband’s name or posterity on the earth.” ⁸ “Go home,” the king said to the woman, “and I will give orders on your behalf.” ⁹ But the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord the king, may any blame be on me and on my father’s house, and may the king and his throne be guiltless.” ¹⁰ “If anyone speaks to you,” said the king, “bring him to me, and he will not trouble you again!” ¹¹ “Please,” she replied, “may the king invoke the LORD your God to prevent the avenger of blood from increasing the devastation, so that my son may not be destroyed!” “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “not a hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.” ¹² Then the woman said, “Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?” “Speak,” he replied. ¹³ The woman asked, “Why have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself, since he has not brought back his own banished son? ¹⁴ For we will surely die and be like water poured out on the ground, which cannot be recovered. Yet God does not take away a life, but He devises ways that the banished one may not be cast out from Him. ¹⁵ Now therefore, I have come to present this matter to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the request of his maidservant. ¹⁶ For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’ ¹⁷ And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring me rest, for my lord the king is able to discern good and evil, just like the angel of God. May the LORD your God be with you.’” ¹⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “I am going to ask you something; do not conceal it from me!” “Let my lord the king speak,” she replied. ¹⁹ So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab behind all this?” The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave me orders; he told your maidservant exactly what to say. ²⁰ Joab your servant has done this to bring about this change of affairs, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that happens in the land.”

WEB World English Bible

¹ Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. ² Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched there a wise woman, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead. ³ Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. ⁴ When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!” ⁵ The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead. ⁶ Your handmaid had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him. ⁷ Behold, the whole family has risen against your handmaid, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.” ⁸ The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.” ⁹ The woman of Tekoa said to 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 The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not touch you any more.” ¹¹ Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.” ¹² Then the woman said, “Please let your handmaid speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.” ¹³ The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one. ¹⁴ For we must die, and are as water split on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him. ¹⁵ Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and your handmaid said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’ ¹⁶ For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. ¹⁷ Then your handmaid said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May Yahweh, your God, be with you.’” ¹⁸ Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.” ¹⁹ The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab, he urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your handmaid; ²⁰ to change the face of the matter has your servant Joab done this thing. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.”

ASV American Standard Version

¹ Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom. ² And Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, I pray thee, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead: ³ and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth. ⁴ And when the woman of Tekoa 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, Of a truth I am a widow, and my 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 killed him. ⁷ And, behold, the whole family is risen against thy handmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew, and so destroy the heir also. Thus will they quench my coal which is left, and will leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the face of the earth. ⁸ And the king said unto the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee. ⁹ And the woman of Tekoa 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 aught 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 Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth. ¹² Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on. ¹³ And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of God? for in speaking this word the king is as one that is guilty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one. ¹⁴ For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God take away life, but deviseth means, that he that is banished be not an outcast from him. ¹⁵ Now therefore seeing that I am come to speak this word 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 servant. ¹⁶ For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. ¹⁷ Then thy handmaid said, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: and Jehovah thy God be with thee. ¹⁸ Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, aught that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak. ¹⁹ And the king said, Is 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 aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid; ²⁰ to change the face of the matter 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.

YLT Young’s Literal Translation

¹ And Joab son of Zeruial knoweth that the heart of the king is on Absalom, ² and Joab sendeth to Tekoah, and taketh thence a wise woman, and saith unto her, ‘Feign thyself a mourner, I pray thee, and put on, I pray thee, garments of mourning, and anoint not thyself with oil, and thou hast been as a woman these many days mourning for the dead, ³ and thou hast gone unto the king, and spoken unto him, according to this word;’ and Joab putteth the words into her mouth. ⁴ And the woman of Tekoah speaketh unto the king, and falleth on her face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and saith, ‘Save, O king.’ ⁵ And the king saith to her, ‘What—to thee?’ and she saith, ‘Truly a widow woman am I, and my husband dieth, ⁶ and thy maid-servant hath two sons; and they strive both of them in a field, and there is no deliverer between them, and the one smiteth the other, and putteth him to death; ⁷ and lo, the whole family hath risen against thy maid-servant, and say, Give up him who smiteth his brother, and we put him to death for the life of his brother whom he hath slain, and we destroy also the heir; and they have quenched my coal which is left—so as not to set to my husband a name and remnant on the face of the ground.’ ⁸ And the king saith unto the woman, ‘Go to thine house, and I give charge concerning thee.’ ⁹ And the woman of Tekoah saith unto the king, ‘On me, my lord, O king, is the iniquity, and on the house of my father; and the king and his throne are innocent.’ ¹⁰ And the king saith, ‘He who speaketh aught unto thee, and thou hast brought him unto me, then he doth not add any more to come against thee.’ ¹¹ And she saith, ‘Let, I pray thee, the king remember by Jehovah thy God, that the redeemer of blood add not to destroy, and they destroy not my son;’ and he saith, ‘Jehovah liveth; if there doth fall of the hair of thy son to the earth.’ ¹² And the woman saith, ‘Let, I pray thee, thy maid-servant speak unto my lord the king a word;’ and he saith, ‘Speak.’ ¹³ And the woman saith, ‘And why hast thou thought thus concerning the people of God? yea, the king is speaking this thing as a guilty one, in that the king hath not brought back his outcast; ¹⁴ for we do surely die, and are as water which is running down to the earth, which is not gathered, and God doth not accept a person, and hath devised devices in that the outcast is not outcast by Him. ¹⁵ And now that I have come to speak unto the king my lord this word, it is because the people made me afraid, and thy maid-servant saith, Let me speak, I pray thee, unto the king; it may be the king doth do the word of his handmaid, ¹⁶ for the king doth hearken to deliver his handmaid out of the paw of the man seeking to destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God, ¹⁷ and thy maid-servant saith, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for ease; for as a messenger of God so is my lord the king, to understand the good and the evil; and Jehovah thy God is with thee.’ ¹⁸ And the king answereth and saith unto the woman, ‘Do not, I pray thee, hide from me the thing that I am asking thee;’ and the woman saith, ‘Let, I pray thee, my lord the king speak.’ ¹⁹ And the king saith, ‘Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this?’ And the woman answereth and saith, ‘Thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, none doth turn to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of thy maid-servant all these words; ²⁰ in order to bring round the appearance of the thing hath thy servant Joab done this thing, and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all that is in the land.’

Surrounding context — 2 Samuel 14

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.

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