13:16 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
13:17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
13:18 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king"s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.
13:20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom"s house.
13:21 But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.
13:22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
13:23 And it came to pa.s.s after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king"s sons.
13:24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant.
13:25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.
13:26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee? 13:27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king"s sons go with him.
13:28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon"s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
13:29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded.
Then all the king"s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.
13:30 And it came to pa.s.s, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king"s sons, and there is not one of them left.
13:31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
13:32 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.
13:33 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.
13:34 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.
13:35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king"s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is.
13:36 And it came to pa.s.s, 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.
13:37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
13:38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
13:39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king"s heart was toward Absalom.
14:2 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: 14:3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
14:4 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.
14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
14:6 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.
14:7 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.
14:8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
14:9 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.
14:10 And the king said, Whoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
14:11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy G.o.d, 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.
14:12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
14:13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of G.o.d? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth G.o.d respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
14:15 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.
14:16 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 G.o.d.
14:17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of G.o.d, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy G.o.d will be with thee.
14:18 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.
14:19 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: 14:20 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 G.o.d, to know all things that are in the earth.
14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
14:22 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.
14:23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
14:24 And 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.
14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
14:26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year"s end that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king"s weight.
14:27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
14:28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king"s face.