“So Joab, the son of Zahariah, perceived that the king's heart was concerned about Absalom.”
2 Samuel 14
31 of 33 verses have a reading · Berean Standard Bible
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David Guzik31
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James Jennings5
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Emanuel Esh4
SD
S.M. Davis2
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Ralph Sexton2
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John Fitzpatrick1
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David Guzik31
JJ
James Jennings5
EE
Emanuel Esh4
SD
S.M. Davis2
RS
Ralph Sexton2
JF
John Fitzpatrick1
CS
Chuck Smith1
NR
Neil Rhodes1
All voices →
1Now Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart longed for Absalom.
“Joab, the son of Zariah, perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.”
2So 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.
“And Joab sent to Tekoa and brought from there a wise woman and said to her, please pretend to be a mourner and put on mourning apparel. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but act like a woman who has been mourning a long time for…”
3Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth.
“Go to the king and speak to him in this manner. So Joab put the words in her mouth.”
4When the woman from Tekoa went to the king, she fell facedown in homage and said, "Help me, O king!"
“And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, help, O king.”
5"What troubles you?" the king asked her. "Indeed," she said, "I am a widow, for my husband is dead.
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6And 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.
“now your maidservant had two sons and the two fought with each other in the field and there was no one to part them. But the one struck the other and killed him.”
7Now 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."
“And now the whole family has risen up against your maidservant. And they said, deliver him who struck his brother, that we may execute him for the life of his brother, whom he killed, and we will destroy the heir also. So they…”
8"Go home," the king said to the woman, "and I will give orders on your behalf."
“Then the king said to the woman, go to your house and I will give orders concerning you.”
9But 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."
“And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, my Lord, O King, let the iniquity be on me and on my father's house and 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!"
“So the king said, whoever says anything to you, bring him to me and he shall not touch you anymore.”
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."
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12Then the woman said, "Please, may your servant speak a word to my lord the king?" "Speak," he replied.
“the woman said, please let your maidservant speak another word to my lord, the king. And he said, say on.”
13The 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?
“the woman said, why then have you schemed such a thing against the people of God? The king speaks this thing as one who is guilty in that the king does not bring his banished one home again.”
14For surely we will 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.
“we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away a life, but he devises means so that his banished ones are not expelled from him.”
“we must needs die, 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 is banished, be not expelled from him.”
15Now 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.
“Now, therefore, I have come to speak of this thing to my lord, the king, because the people that made me afraid and your maidservant said, I will now speak to the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of his…”
16For 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.'
“for the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy me and for my son together from the inheritance of God.”
17And 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.'"
“Your maidservant said the word of my lord, the king will now be comforting for as the angel of God. So is my lord, the king in discerning good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.”
18Then 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.
“Then the king answered and said to the woman, please do not hide from me anything that I ask you. And the woman said, please let my lord, the king, speak.”
19So 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.
“So the king said, is the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman answered and said, as you live, 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…”
20Joab 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."
“to bring about this change of affairs. Your servant Joab has done this thing, but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of the angel of God, to know everything that is in the earth.”
21Then the king said to Joab, "I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom."
“And the king said to Joab, all right, I have granted this thing. Go, therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”
“And the king said unto Joab. Behold now I have done this thing. Go therefore bring the young man Absalom again.”
22Joab fell facedown in homage and blessed the king. "Today," said Joab, "your servant knows that he has found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted his request."
“Then Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself and thanked the king. And Joab said, today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, my lord, O king, and that the king has fulfilled the request of his…”
23So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
“So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.”
“So Joab arose and went to Gersher and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.”
24But the king added, "He may return to his house, but he must not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, but he did not see the king.
“The king said let him turn to his own house. And let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house. And saw not the king's face.”
“And the king said, let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, but did not see the king's face.”
25Now there was not a man in all Israel as handsome and highly praised as Absalom. From the sole of his foot to the top of his head, he did not have a single flaw.
“Now, in all of Israel, there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him.”
“In all Israel, there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him.”
26And when he cut the hair of his head—he shaved it every year because his hair got so heavy—he would weigh it out to be two hundred shekels, according to the royal standard.
“And when he cut the hair of his head, at the end of every year, he cut it because it was heavy on him. When he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels, according to the king's standards.”
27Three sons were born to Absalom, and a daughter named Tamar, who was a beautiful woman.
“To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful appearance.”
28Now Absalom lived in Jerusalem two years without seeing the face of the king.
“And Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king's face.”
“So Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem without coming into the king's presence.”
“So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem. And saw not the king's face.”
29Then he sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So Absalom sent a second time, but Joab still would not come.
“Therefore, Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king. But he would not come to him. And when he sent again the second time, he would not come.”
“Then Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but Joab would not come to him. And he sent a second time, but Joab would not come.”
30Then Absalom said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire!" And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.
“Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there. Go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.”
“So he said to his servants, see, Joab's field is near mine and he has barley there. Go set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.”
“Then he sent to his servants, See, Joab's field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire. So Absalom's servants set the field on fire.”
31Then Joab came to Absalom's house and demanded, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"
“Then Joab arose and went to Absalom at his house and said to him, Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
“Then Joab arose and came to Absalom's house and said, why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32"Look," said Absalom, "I sent for you and said, 'Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.' So now, let me see the king's face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me."
“And Absalom answered Joab, look, I sent you saying, come here so that I may send you to the king to say, why have I come from Gesher? It would be better for me to be there still. Now, therefore, let me see the king's face. But if…”
33So Joab went and told the king, and David summoned Absalom, who came to him and bowed facedown before him. Then the king kissed Absalom.
“So Joab went to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.”
“Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king, bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.”
“Joab came to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king and the king kissed Absalom.”
“So Joab came to the king and told him, and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.”
“So Joab came to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom. He came to the king. And bowed himself on the face to the ground. Before the king. The king kissed Absalom.”