1 Quando o general Joabe percebeu que o rei tinha saudades de Absalão, 2,3 mandou chamar uma mulher de Tecoa que tinha reputação de sábia, disse-lhe que pedisse uma audiência ao rei e ensinou-lhe a forma como se deveria dirigir: "Faz de conta que estás muito triste. Põe um vestido de luto e deixa o cabelo desalinhado como se há muito tempo estivesses assim."

4 Quando a mulher se aproximou do rei, prostrou-se na sua frente com o rosto no chão e implorou: "Ó rei! Ajuda-me!"

5 "Que tens tu?", perguntou-lhe. "Sou uma pobre viúva; 6 os meus dois filhos guerrearam entre si e, como não havia ninguém para os separar, um deles foi morto. 7 Agora o resto da família exige que eu entregue o outro para ser executado por assassínio do irmão. Se o fizer, fico sem ninguém na vida, e o nome do meu marido desaparecerá."

8 "Deixa isso comigo", disse-lhe o rei. "Eu me encarregarei de que ninguém lhe toque."

9 "Muito obrigada, meu senhor! Tomarei sobre mim a responsabilidade desse ato, se alguém te criticar por me teres ajudado."

10 "Não te preocupes. Se alguém se opuser, traz-me essa pessoa. Garanto-te que nunca mais levantará oposição!"

11 Então ela disse: "Por favor, jura-me diante do Senhor, teu Deus, que não deixarás ninguém fazer mal ao meu filho. Não quero que haja mais sangue derramado." Retorquiu-lhe: "Tão certo como vive o Senhor, que nem um só cabelo da cabeça do teu filho lhe será arrancado por esse motivo."

12 "Agora deixa-me pedir-te mais uma coisa!", disse a mulher. "Podes falar."

13 "Porque não fazes com todo o resto do povo de Deus o mesmo que prometeste fazer comigo? Condenaste-te a ti mesmo, ao tomar essa decisão, visto que tens recusado deixar regressar a casa o teu próprio filho que vive exilado. 14 Todos nós estamos destinados a morrer um dia. A nossa vida é como água no chão, não se pode juntar outra vez. Deus te abençoará com muitos mais dias de vida se souberes encontrar uma forma de fazer voltar o teu filho do exílio em que se encontra.

15 E se vim rogar-te isto, a propósito de um filho cuja vida, tal como a minha, estaria ameaçada, é porque disse para comigo: 16 Talvez o rei me ouça e me salve dos que pretendem pôr fim à nossa existência em Israel. 17 Sim, o rei dar-nos-á paz, de novo. Eu sei que és como o anjo de Deus e podes discernir o bem do mal. Que o Senhor, teu Deus, seja contigo!"

18 "Quero que me digas uma coisa", replicou o rei. "Sim, meu senhor", disse-lhe. 19 "Foi Joabe quem te mandou aqui?" A mulher replicou: "Como poderei negá-lo? Com efeito, Joabe mandou-me cá e disse-me o que deveria falar. 20 Fez isso para que este assunto te fosse apresentado sob uma luz diferente. Mas tu tens a sabedoria de um anjo de Deus e sabes bem como as coisas se fazem!"

21 O rei convocou Joabe e disse-lhe: "Está bem. Faz o que for necessário para que Absalão regresse."

22 Joabe inclinou-se até ao chão perante o soberano e abençoou-o: "Verifico que o rei me favorece, visto que esteve de acordo com o meu pedido."

23 Joabe foi até Gesur e trouxe Absalão de volta para Jerusalém.

24 "Ele deve habitar nos seus próprios aposentos", ordenou o rei. "Nunca deverá comparecer aqui. Recuso vê-lo."

25 Absalão era dos homens mais belos em Israel; toda a sua aparência, dos pés à cabeça, era agradável. 26 Tinha um cabelo extremamente farto e cortava-o uma vez no ano, porque chegava a pesar mais de dois quilos e não aguentava esse incómodo! 27 Tinha três filhos e uma filha, Tamar, que era uma bela rapariga.

28 Depois de estar em Jerusalém dois anos, Absalão ainda não tinha visto o rei. 29 Por isso, mandou pedir a Joabe que intercedesse por ele, mas Joabe não lhe respondeu. O príncipe insistiu e de novo se recusou a dar-lhe resposta. 30 Então Absalão disse aos seus criados que pusessem fogo num campo de cevada que Joabe possuía, ao lado do seu, e assim fizeram.

31 Nessa altura, Joabe veio falar-lhe: "Porque é que os teus criados puseram fogo no meu campo?"

32 "Porque eu queria perguntar-te a razão por que o rei me mandou vir de Gesur se não tinha a intenção de me ver. Bem podia ter ficado onde estava. Faz com que eu possa ter um encontro com o meu pai; se fiz algum mal, então que me mande executar."

33 Joabe foi dizer ao rei o que Absalão lhe comunicara. Por fim, David chamou Absalão. Quando este compareceu, prostou-se perante o rei, que o beijou.

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.*14.4 Help: Heb. Save 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.*14.6 none…: Heb. no deliverer between them 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.*14.7 upon…: Heb. upon the face of 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.*14.11 that…: Heb. that the revenger of blood do not multiply to destroy 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.*14.14 neither…: or, because God hath not taken away his life, he hath also devised means, etc 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.*14.17 comfortable: Heb. for rest*14.17 to discern: Heb. to hear 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, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant.*14.22 thanked: Heb. blessed*14.22 his servant: or, thy servant 23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 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.

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.*14.25 But…: Heb. And as Absalom there was not a beautiful man in all Israel to praise greatly 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. 27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king’s face. 29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come. 30 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.*14.30 near…: Heb. near my place 31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire? 32 And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me. 33 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.