II. Samurn XIV. 26.

18 And the woman said, “ Wherefore; B.C. 1027.
then -hast_thou_thought such_a_thing
against the_people_of =God? for the} : king +doth_speak xthis xthing as one_|*=
which-_is_v faulty, in that the king doth not fetch_home_again his “banished.
14 For we must_needs die, and are as water xspilt on_the - ground, which ‘cannot be_gathered_up_again ; neither
tdoth =God respect any s person: yet|s.
‘doth _He_devise means, that His banished ‘be not expelled from Him.
15 Now therefore that I -am_come to speak of xthis xthing unto my -lord the king, it 7s 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 iman that would destroy me and my eueeter out_of the_inheritance_of =God.
17 Then thine handmaid said, The_ word_of my -lord the king shall now
i. ish.
be_fcomfortable : for as an ™ angel_of| /. for rest.
x=God, so ts my -lord the king to discern xgood and xbad: therefore ’the Lorp thy =God will_be with thee.”
8 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, “'Hide not from me, I_pray_thee, the thing that E +shall_ ask thee.” And the woman said, “'Let my -lord the king now speak.”
19 And the king said, “Js 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 xthese xwords in the-mouth_of thine hand- maid: :
20 To fetch_about -this form_ofspeech hath thy servant Joab done «this thing: and my -lord 7s wise, according_to the_ wisdom_of an ™ angel_of x=God, to know rall things that are in the earth.”
21 And the king said unto Joab, “ Be- hold now, I -have_done xthis ‘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_re- quest_of his 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 ‘et him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his_ own house, and saw not the king’s face.
2 But in all Israél 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.
26 And when he sh polled his ~head, (for it -was at every year’s end that he shtpolled it: because the hatr was_ heavy on him, therefore he sh -polled it:) he -weighed -the_hair_of his head
m™., or mes- senger.
J. Jehovah thy Elohim.
m. or mes- senger.
ABSALOM SENT FOR.
6. blessed.
ABSALOM'S RETURN.
| o. SaAmMuEL XIV. 27.
B.C. 1027.
s. stone. 27. See ch. 18. 18.
JOAB'S FIELD, 28. v. 24.
p. portion, Heb. khelkath.
JOAB AND ABSALOM.
~ ABSALOM COMES TO DAVID.
1025.
ABSAIOM’S TREACH- ERY. * 1. Ch, 12. 11. t:ish. A col- lective noun, used Sor singu- lar and plurd.
c. con- troversy.
@. anah- shim, plu- ral of ish.
7. From David's anointing : or, as some versions read, four years.
1023. ee Sam. 16.
8. Ch. 13. 38, J. Jehoyah.
at two_hundred shekels after the king's sweight.
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.
22 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 p field is_near mine, and he hath barley there; -go and «set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the Pp field on fire.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his xhouse, and said unto him, “ Wherefore shave thy servants set my »efield on fire?”
32 And Absalom answered Joab, ‘ Be- hold, I sent unto thee, saying, ‘*Come hither, that I may_send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore sam_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 Ab- salom, he came to the king, and bowed_ himself on his face to_the_ground be- fore the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
1 5 AND it came_to_pass after this,
that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty * men +to_ run before him.
2 And Absalom -rose_up_early, and sstood beside the_way_of the gate: and it was so, that when any ‘man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, “Of what city art thon?” And he said, “Thy servant ts of one of the_tribes_of Israél.”
3 And Absalom said unto him, “+See, thy matters ave good and right; but there is no_man deputed of -the king to hear thee.”
4 Absalom said moreover, “Oh that I were_made judge in the land, that every ‘man which hath any csuit or cause might_come unto me, and I «would_do_him_justice !”
5 And it -was so, that when ‘ any_man came_nigh to him to do_him_obeisance, he -put_forth his hand, and -took him, and ‘kissed him:
6 And xon xthis manner did Absalom to all Israel that ‘came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole -hearts_of the_© men_of Israél.
7 And it came_to_pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, “J_pray_thee, let-me_go and pay my rvow, which I have yowed unto ‘the Lorp, in Hebron.
8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in xSyria, saying, ‘If !the Lorp shall_bring me again in- deed to Jerusalem, then [I -will_serve Jethe Lorp.’”
® And the king said unto him, “*Go