2 Samuel 14:3

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Go to the king and speak these words to him.” Then Joab told her exactly what to say.

Hebrew Names Version
and go in to the king, and speak on this manner to him. So Yo'av put the words in her mouth.

King James Version
And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Lexham English Bible
Then you must go to the king and speak to him according to this word." Thus Joab put the words in her mouth.

English Standard Version
Go to the king and speak thus to him." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

New Century Version
Then go to the king and say these words." Then Joab told her what to say.

New English Translation
Go to the king and speak to him in the following fashion." Then Joab told her what to say.

Amplified Bible
"Then go to the king and speak to him in this way." So Joab told her what to say.

New American Standard Bible
Then go to the king and speak to him in this way." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And come to the King, and speake on this maner vnto him, (for Ioab taught her what she should say).

Legacy Standard Bible
then you shall go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Complete Jewish Bible
Go in to the king and speak to him in this fashion — " and then Yo'av told her just what to say.

Darby Translation
and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him. And Joab put the words into her mouth.

Easy-to-Read Version
Go to the king and talk to him using these words that I tell you." Then Joab told the wise woman what to say.

George Lamsa Translation
And come to the king and speak in this manner to him. So Joab prepared the words and put them in her mouth.

Good News Translation
Then go to the king and say to him what I tell you to say." Then Joab told her what to say.

Literal Translation
And you shall go to the king and speak with him according to this word. And Joab put the words into her mouth.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and thou shalt go in to the kynge, and speake for so vnto him. And Ioab tolde her what she shulde saye.

American Standard Version
and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Bible in Basic English
And come to the king and say these words to him. So Joab gave her words to say.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And come to the king, and speake on this maner vnto hym (And so Ioab taught her what she should say.)

JPS Old Testament (1917)
and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him.' So Joab put the words in her mouth.

King James Version (1611)
And come to the king, and speake on this maner vnto him: so Ioab put the words in her mouth.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt go to the king, and speak to him according to this word. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

English Revised Version
and go in to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Berean Standard Bible
Then go to the king and speak these words to him." And Joab put the words in her mouth.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt entre to the kyng, and thou schalt speke to hym siche wordis. Sotheli Joab puttide the wordis in hir mouth.

Young's Literal Translation
and thou hast gone unto the king, and spoken unto him, according to this word;' and Joab putteth the words into her mouth.

Update Bible Version
and go in to the king, and speak on this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Webster's Bible Translation
And come to the king, and speak in this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

World English Bible
and go in to the king, and speak on this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

New King James Version
Go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

New Living Translation
Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you." Then Joab told her what to say.

New Life Bible
Then go to the king and speak to him in this way." And Joab told her what to say.

New Revised Standard
Go to the king and speak to him as follows." And Joab put the words into her mouth.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
so shalt thou come in unto the king, and speak unto him, after this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt go in to the king, and shalt speak to him in this manner. And Joab put the words in her mouth.

Revised Standard Version
and go to the king, and speak thus to him." So Jo'ab put the words in her mouth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
then go to the king and speak to him in this manner." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

Contextual Overview

¹Joab son of Zeruiah knew that the king, deep down, still cared for Absalom. So he sent to Tekoa for a wise woman who lived there and instructed her, "Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in black and don't comb your hair, so you'll look like you've been grieving over a dead loved one for a long time. Then go to the king and tell him this..." Joab then told her exactly what to say. ⁴ The woman of Tekoa went to the king, bowed deeply before him in homage, and said, "O King, help!" ⁵He said, "How can I help?" "I'm a widow," she said. "My husband is dead. I had two sons. The two of them got into a fight out in the field and there was no one around to step between them. The one struck the other and killed him. Then the whole family ganged up against me and demanded, ‘Hand over this murderer so we can kill him for the life of the brother he murdered!' They want to wipe out the heir and snuff out the one spark of life left to me. And then there would be nothing left of my husband—not so much as a name—on the face of the earth. "So now I've dared come to the king, my master, about all this. They're making my life miserable, and I'm afraid. I said to myself, ‘I'll go to the king. Maybe he'll do something! When the king hears what's going on, he'll step in and rescue me from the abuse of the man who would get rid of me and my son and God's inheritance—the works!' As your handmaid, I decided ahead of time, ‘The word of my master, the king, will be the last word in this, for my master is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.' God be with you!" ⁸ The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you." ⁹ "I'll take all responsibility for what happens," the woman of Tekoa said. "I don't want to compromise the king and his reputation." ¹⁰ "Bring the man who has been harassing you," the king continued. "I'll see to it that he doesn't bother you anymore." ¹¹ "Let the king invoke the name of God ," said the woman, "so this self-styled vigilante won't ruin everything, to say nothing of killing my son." "As surely as God lives," he said, "not so much as a hair of your son's head will be lost." ¹² Then she asked, "May I say one more thing to my master, the king?" He said, "Go ahead." ¹³"Why, then," the woman said, "have you done this very thing against God's people? In his verdict, the king convicts himself by not bringing home his exiled son. We all die sometime. Water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again. But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back." The king then said, "I'm going to ask you something. Answer me truthfully." "Certainly," she said. "Let my master, the king, speak." The king said, "Is the hand of Joab mixed up in this?" "On your life, my master king, a body can't veer an inch right or left and get by with it in the royal presence! Yes, it was your servant Joab who put me up to this, and put these very words in my mouth. It was because he wanted to turn things around that your servant Joab did this. But my master is as wise as God's angels in knowing how to handle things on this earth." The king spoke to Joab. "All right, I'll do it. Go and bring the young man Absalom back." Joab bowed deeply in reverence and blessed the king. "I'm reassured to know that I'm still in your good graces and have your confidence, since the king is taking the counsel of his servant." Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. The king said, "He may return to his house, but he is not to see me face-to-face." So Absalom returned home, but was not permitted to see the king. This Absalom! There wasn't a man in all Israel talked about so much for his handsome good looks—and not a blemish on him from head to toe! When he cut his hair—he always cut it short in the spring because it had grown so heavy—the weight of the hair from his head was over two pounds! Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter. Her name was Tamar—and she was a beauty. Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, and not once did he see the king face-to-face. He sent for Joab to get him in to see the king, but Joab still wouldn't budge. He tried a second time and Joab still wouldn't. So he told his servants, "Listen. Joab's field adjoins mine, and he has a crop of barley in it. Go set fire to it." So Absalom's servants set fire to the field. That got him moving—Joab came to Absalom at home and said, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?" Absalom answered him, "Listen, I sent for you saying, ‘Come, and soon. I want to send you to the king to ask, "What's the point of my coming back from Geshur? I'd be better off still there!" Let me see the king face-to-face. If he finds me guilty, then he can put me to death.'" Joab went to the king and told him what was going on. Absalom was then summoned—he came and bowed deeply in reverence before him. And the king kissed Absalom. ¹⁵"So now I've dared come to the king, my master, about all this. They're making my life miserable, and I'm afraid. I said to myself, ‘I'll go to the king. Maybe he'll do something! When the king hears what's going on, he'll step in and rescue me from the abuse of the man who would get rid of me and my son and God's inheritance—the works!' As your handmaid, I decided ahead of time, ‘The word of my master, the king, will be the last word in this, for my master is like an angel of God in discerning good and evil.' God be with you!" The king said, "Go home, and I'll take care of this for you." "I'll take all responsibility for what happens," the woman of Tekoa said. "I don't want to compromise the king and his reputation." "Bring the man who has been harassing you," the king continued. "I'll see to it that he doesn't bother you anymore." "Let the king invoke the name of God ," said the woman, "so this self-styled vigilante won't ruin everything, to say nothing of killing my son." "As surely as God lives," he said, "not so much as a hair of your son's head will be lost." Then she asked, "May I say one more thing to my master, the king?" He said, "Go ahead." "Why, then," the woman said, "have you done this very thing against God's people? In his verdict, the king convicts himself by not bringing home his exiled son. We all die sometime. Water spilled on the ground can't be gathered up again. But God does not take away life. He works out ways to get the exile back."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

put the words: 2 Samuel 14:19, Exodus 4:15, Numbers 23:5, Deuteronomy 18:18, Isaiah 51:16, Isaiah 59:21, Jeremiah 1:9

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 31:19 - put it in their Ezra 8:17 - I told them

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
Then God rained brimstone and fire down on Sodom and Gomorrah—a river of lava from God out of the sky!—and destroyed these cities and the entire plain and everyone who lived in the cities and everything that grew from the ground.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And come to the king,.... At his palace, in the above condition and circumstances:

and speak on this manner unto him; something to the following purpose he dictated to her:

so Joab put the words in her mouth; the substance of what she should say; the fable she was to deliver as her own case might be framed by Joab, and which she delivered word for word exactly as he put it, and the application of it; but as he knew not what questions the king would ask her, so he could not dictate to her what to reply, unless he supposed this and the other, and so formed answers; but this he left to her prudence, and for the sake of which he chose a wise woman to manage this affair.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Come to the king - The king as a judge was accessible to all his subjects (2 Samuel 15:2; compare 1 Kings 3:16).