1Now Joab, son of Zeruiah, perceived how much the king yearned for Absalom. 2And so Joab sent to Tekoa, and fetched a wise woman from there, and told her, “I want you to put on mourning apparel, not anoint yourself with oil and pretend to be woman who has mourned for the dead for a long time; 3And come to the king, and speak to him in this manner.” Then Joab told her what to say. 4And so when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, bowed, and said, “Help, O king.” 5And the king asked her, “What is troubling you?” And she answered, “I am a widow woman, my husband being dead. 6And I had two sons, and they got into a fight in the field, with no one there to part them, and the one struck and killed the other. 7And, now my whole family has risen against me, and said, ‘Turn over the one who killed his brother, so that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also’: and so they shall put out the only burning coal left to me, and shall leave to my husband neither name nor descendant on earth.” 8And David told the woman, “Go to your house; and I will issue orders so that no one touches him.” 9And the woman said to the king, “My lord, O king, pardon my iniquity, and that of my father's house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.” 10And David said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall not bother you anymore.” 11Then said she, “I pray you, let the king remember the LORD your God, that you would not let the avengers of blood add to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.” And he said, “As the LORD lives, one hair of your son shall not fall to the earth.”

12Then the woman said, “Let me, I pray you, speak one more word to the king.” And he said, “Say on.” 13And the woman said, “Why, then, have you thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king says this while he, himself, is at fault, because the king has not brought back home his own banished son. 14For we must all die, and are as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; nor does God respect any person; yet He devises means so that His banished do not remain separated from Him. 15Therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord, the king, because the people have made me afraid. And I said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will grant the request of his handmaid. 16For the king will listen, and deliver me out of the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’ 17Then I said, ‘The word of my lord, the king, shall now be comforting; for as an angel of God, so is my lord, the king, in discerning good and bad. Therefore, may the LORD your God be with you.’”

18Then the king said to the woman, “Do not hide from me what I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let the king now speak.” 19And the king said, “Did Joab not put you up to this?” And the woman answered and said, “As your soul lives, my lord, the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that you, the king has said; for indeed, it was your servant Joab who sent me, and put all these words in my mouth; 20 Joab has done this to help you see this matter in a different light; and my lord the king is wise as an angel of God, to know all that happens in the land.”

21Then the king sent for Joab and said, “Very well, I will do this; go, bring the young man, Absalom, back.” 22And Joab fell to the ground on his face, bowed himself, and thanked the king; and said, “Today your servant knows that I have found grace in your sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has granted this request of his servant.” 23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24But the king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and did not see the king's face.

25In all Israel there was no one as highly praised as Absalom for his appearance; from the sole of his foot to the top of his head, there was no blemish in him. 26And when he cut the hair of his head, (for it was at the end each year that he cut it; because the hair became so heavy on him, that he cut it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels (5 pounds). 27And three sons and one daughter, named Tamar; were born to Absalom. And Tamar was a beautiful woman.

28So Absalom lived in Jerusalem two full years, and never saw the king's face. 29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but Joab refused to come to him; even when he sent for him a second time. 30Then, Absalom told his servants, “Look, Joab's field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” And Absalom's servants set the field on fire. 31Then Joab came to Absalom’s house, and said, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?” 32And Absalom answered, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It had been better for me to have remained there.”’ Now, let me see the king's face; and if there is any iniquity in me, let him kill me.” 33So Joab went to the king, and told him; and then David summoned Absalom, and he came to the king, and bowed himself with his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.