Study Desk

So the king said, "Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore."

Then she said, "Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to bring about ruin, so that they would not destroy my son." And he said, "As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground."

For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but thinks up ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.

So now, the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your servant-woman said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the word of his maidservant.

Then your servant-woman said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be a resting place, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to listen with discernment through the good and evil. And may Yahweh your God be with you.'"

So the king said, "Is the hand of Joab with you in all 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 my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was your servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your servant-woman;

So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

However the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king's face.

Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; from the sole of his foot to the top of his head there was no defect in him.

When he shaved the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he shaved it, for it was heavy on him so he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king's weight.

Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he was not willing to come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he was not willing to come.

Therefore he said to his servants, "See, Joab's portion of land is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire." So Absalom's servants set the portion of land on fire.

And Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there."' So now, let me see the king's face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death."

So Joab came to the king and told him, and he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.

In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

And the king said to him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron.

So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise and let us flee, for otherwise there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go in haste, lest he overtake us hastily and drive calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword."

So the king went out and all his household with him. But the king left ten concubines to keep the house.

So David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.