and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
[32] And Jonadab, the son of
Shimeah David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young
men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined
from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
[33] Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing
to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.
[34] But Absalom fled.
And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much
people by the way of the hill side behind him.
[35] And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king's
sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.
[36] And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of
speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and
all his servants wept very sore.
[37] But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of
Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
[38] So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was
there three years.
[39] And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted
concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
2Sam.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,