35 from the mountain's side. And Jonadab said to the king:

Behold, the king's sons are coming; as thy servant said, so 36 it is. And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and they lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also, and all his servants, wept with great lamentation.

37

And when Absalom fled, he went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his 38 son every day. And Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and 39 was there three years. And the soul of king David longed to go forth to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing that he was dead.

1 AND Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's 2 heart was toward Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and took thence a wise woman, and said to her: I pray thee, feign thyself a mourner, and put on mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, and be as a woman that has a long time mourned for the dead; and come to the king, and speak to him in this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

3

And the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king. And she fell on her face to the ground, and bowed herself, and said: Help, O king. And the king said to her: What wilt thou? And she said: I am verily a widow woman, and my husband 6 is dead. And thy handmaid had two sons. And they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, the one smote the other, and slew him. And, behold, the whole family rose against thy handmaid, and said: Give up him that smote his brother, and we will kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also; and they will quench my coal which is left, so as not to leave my husband name or remnant on the face of the 8 earth. And the king said to the woman: Go to thy house, 9 and I will give charge concerning thee. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king: On me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and on my father's house, and the king and his

10 throne be guiltless.

And the king said: Whosoever says aught to thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee 11 any more. Then said she: Let the king, I pray thee, remember Jehovah thy God, that the avenger of blood may not destroy yet more, and that they destroy not my son. And he said: As Jehovah lives, there shall not one hair of 12 thy son fall to the earth. And the woman said: Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak a word to my lord the king. 13 And he said: Speak. And the woman said: And why hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king speaks this thing as one that is faulty, in that the 14 king does not bring back his banished one. For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, that cannot be gathered up; and God does not take away life, and he 15 considers how he shall not thrust the outcast from him. And now, that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people made me afraid. And thy handmaid said: I will speak now to the king; it may be 16 that the king will grant the request of his handmaid. For the king will hearken, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together, 17 from the inheritance of God. And thy handmaid said: Let now the word of my lord the king be comforting; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern the good and 18 the evil; and Jehovah thy God be with thee. Then the king answered and said to the woman: Do not hide from me the thing that I ask thee. And the woman said: Let my lord the king speak. the king said: Is the hand And the woman answered

19

And

of Joab with thee in all this?

and said: As thy soul lives, my lord the king, none can turn

to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he 20 put all these words in the mouth of thy handmaid. In order

V. 14. To enforce the inference just drawn, she begins with a general principle. Life is fleeting, and when gone is beyond recall; and yet God spares life, seeking to reclaim rather than destroy. The application was obvious, though only delicately hinted; and her object was gained. Bluntly expressed, her thought is, -All will come right, if David will do by Absalom, as God has done by David.

21

to change the face of the matter, has thy servant Joab done this thing. And my lord is wise, as the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

And the king said to Joab: Behold now, I have done this thing. Go, therefore, bring back the young man Absalom. 22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself, and blessed the king. And Joab said: To-day thy servant knows that I have found favor in thy sight, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant. 23 And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom 24 to Jerusalem. And the king said: Let him turn to his own

house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom turned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.

25 But in all Israel there was none so much praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot, and to the 26 crown of his head, there was no blemish in him. And when he shaved his head,—and it was at every year's end that he shaved it, for it was heavy on him and he shaved it,-the hair of his head weighed two hundred shekels, after the 27 king's weight. And to Absalom were born three sons, and a daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of fair countenance.

28

And Absalom dwelt two years in Jerusalem; and he saw 29 not the king's face. And Absalom sent for Joab, in order to send him to the king; but he would not come to him. And he sent again the second time, and he would not come. 30 And he said to his servants: See, Joab's field is by the side of mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire. And 31 Absalom's servants set the field on fire. Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him: Where32 fore have thy servants set my field on fire? And Absalom answered Joab: Behold, I sent to thee saying, come hither that I may send thee to the king, to say: Wherefore am I come from Geshur? It were good for me that I were there still. And now let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. And Joab came to the king, and told him. And he called Absalom; and he came

33

to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

1 AND it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before 2 him. And Absalom rose up early, and stood by the side of the way to the gate. And it was so, when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, that Absalom called to him, and said: Of what city art thou? And he said: Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel. And Absalom said to him: See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no one to hear thee on the part of the king. 4 And Absalom said: Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any suit or cause might come before 5 me, and I would do him justice! And it was so, when any man came near to bow down to him, that he put forth his hand, and took hold of him, and kissed him. And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment. And Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

7

And it came to pass at the end of four years, that Absalom said to the king: I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, 8 which I have vowed to Jehovah, in Hebron. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying: If Jehovah shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I 9 will serve Jehovah. And the king said to him: Go in peace. And he arose, and went to Hebron.

10 And Absalom sent spies through all the tribes of Israel, saying: When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye 11 shall say: Absalom is made king in Hebron. And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew 12 not anything. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city, from Giloh, while he was, offering sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

13

And there came a messenger to David, saying: The hearts

14 of the men of Israel are after Absalom. And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem: Arise, and let us flee; for there will be for us no escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he suddenly overtake us, and bring the evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of 15 the sword. And the king's servants said to the king: Whatsoever my lord the king shall choose, behold, we are thy 16 servants. And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, concubines, to 17 keep the house. And the king went forth, and all the people 18 after him, and halted at Beth-merhak. And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the executioners, and all the couriers, and all the Gittites six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19

Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite: Wherefore goest thou also with us? Return, and remain with the king; for 20 thou art a stranger, and also migrating to thy place. Thou camest but yesterday; and should I to-day make thee go up and down with us, seeing that I go whither I may? Return thou, and take back thy brethren; mercy and truth be with 21 thee. And Ittai answered the king, and said: As Jehovah lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there 22 will thy servant be. And David said to Ittai: Go, and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and 23 all the little ones that were with him. And all the land wept with a loud voice, as all the people passed over; and the king passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way to the wilderness.

24

And lo! Zadok also, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God; and Abiathar went up, until all the people had done 25 passing out of the city. And the king said to Zadok : Carry

back the ark of God to the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of Jehovah, he will bring me back, and will cause me

V. 17. Beth-merhak. Or, the Far House. "A house so-called, probably from being the last house in the suburbs, on the Jericho road before it crossed the Kidron; very likely a fort guarding the passage of the Kidron." (The Speaker's Commentary.)