Shmuel | Samuel

Joab son of Zeruiah perceived that David’s heart was set on Absalom.
14:1
So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought wise woman from there. He said to her, “If you please, pretend to be a mourner. Wear garments of mourning and do not anoint yourself with oil; be like this for many days as a woman mourning over a dead person.
:2
The king asked, “Is Joab’s hand [involved] with you in all this?” The woman spoke up and said, “As your soul lives, my lord, the king, one cannot veer right or left from all that my lord, the king, has spoken; for your servant Joab was the one who instructed me, and he put all these words into the mouth of your maidservant;l
:19
your servant Joab did this thing to lead up to the matter [of Absalom] in a roundabout way. My lord is wise like the wisdom of an angel of God, knowing everything in the land!”
:20
The king then said to Joab, “Behold now! — I have done this thing, so go and bring the lad, Absalom.”
:21
There was no one in all of Israel as praiseworthy for his beauty as Absalom; from the bottom of his foot to the top of his head there was no blemish in him.
:25
Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years and did not see the king’s face.
:28
Absalom then sent for Joab, in order to send him to the king, but he refused to come to him. He sent again, but he refused to come.
:29
He then said to his servants, “Take note of Joab’s field that is next to mine, where he has barley, and go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
:30
Joab then arose and went to Absalom into the house, and said to him, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”
:31
Absalom answered Joab, “Behold! — I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here that I may send you to the king …
:32
So Joab came to the king and told him. He summoned Absalom and he came to the king, prostrating himself upon his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom.
:33

Daily Holy Bible Reading

1 And Joab the son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart (longed) for Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman; and he said to her: “Please pretend to be a mourner, and please put on mourning clothes, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned many days for the dead.
3 And come to the king and speak to him in this manner.” And Joab put the words into her mouth.
4 And the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, and fell to the ground, and prostrated herself; and she said: ‘Save, O’ king’.
5 And the king said to her: ‘What ails you?’ And she said: ‘Truly I am a woman [who is] a widow, and my husband is dead.
6 And your handmaid had two sons, and they both fought in the field, and there was no rescuer between them, and one struck the other and killed him.
7 And, behold, the whole family rose against your handmaid, and said: “Deliver the one that struck his brother whom he slew, and so destroy also the heir; and so they shall quench my coal which is left, so as not to leave my husband a name or a remainder upon the face of the earth.”
8 And the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders about you.”
9 And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, “On me, my lord, the king, be the iniquity, and on my father’s house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10 And the king said, “Who ever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he shall no longer continue to touch you.”
11 And she said, “I beg you, let the king remember the Lord your God that the avenger of blood destroy not excessively so that they destroy not my son.” And he said, “As the Lord lives, if one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
12 And the woman said, “May your handmaid speak a word with my lord the king?” And he said, “Speak.”
13 And the woman said, “Why have you thought such a thing about the people of God? [now, consider not] that the king in speaking this word has done so accidentally, so that the king shall not bring back his banished one.
14 For die we must, and [are] as water that is spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up again; and God favors not a soul, but He devises means that he that is banished be not cast from Him.
15 And now my motive for having come to speak of this thing to the king my lord [is] because the people have made me afraid; and your maidservant said: I will now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man [that would] destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
17 And your handmaid said, ‘Let, I pray, the word of my lord the king be for comfort, for as an angel of God so is my lord the king, to discern the good and the bad; and the Lord your God may be with you’.”
18 And the king answered and he said to the woman, “I beg you not to hide from me anything that I shall ask you.” And the woman said: “Let my lord the king please speak.”
19 And 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, if anyone can turn to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken, for your servant Joab he bade me, and he put in the mouth of your handmaid all these words.
20 In order to bring about the face of the matter, has your servant Joab done this thing; and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God to know all that is in the earth.”
21 And the king said to Joab: “Behold now, you have done this thing, now go bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground and he prostrated himself, and he blessed the king; and Joab said: “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, O’ king, in that the king has done the request of your servant.”
23 And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and he brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 And the king said: “Let him turn to his house, but my face let him not see.” And Absalom turned to his house, and the king’s face he saw not.
25 Now like Absalom there was not a man in all Israel as beautiful, to be as [totally] praiseworthy [for beauty]; from the sole of his feet to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he shaved his head-and it was at every year’s end that he shaved it; because the hair was heavy on him, then he would shave it- he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight.
27 And to Absalom were born three sons and one daughter whose name was Tamar; and she was a woman of beautiful appearance.
28 And Absalom dwelt in Jerusalem two full years; and the king’s face he did not see.
29 And Absalom sent to Joab, to send him to the king; and he would not come to him: and he sent again a second time, and he would not come.
30 And he said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” And Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.
31 And Joab arose, and he came to Absalom to his house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”
32 And Absalom said to Joab, “Behold, I have sent to 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 were I still there; and now I will see the king’s face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.”
33 And Joab came to the king, and he told him: and he called for Absalom, and he came to the king, and he prostrated himself to him on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

Exposé | Moral

Being Truthful In Abiding To G-d’s Commandments

Even it goes against your will, but if G-d comes first you must be willing to obey.

Learn more in this chapter of David and his son Absalom.