2 Samuel 14 – NIRV & CCB

New International Reader’s Version

2 Samuel 14:1-33

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

1Joab, the son of Zeruiah, knew that the king longed to see Absalom. 2So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to have a wise woman brought back from there. Joab said to her, “Pretend you are filled with sadness. Put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. Don’t use any makeup. Act like a woman who has spent many days mourning for someone who has died. 3Then go to the king. Give him the message I’m about to give you.” And Joab told her what to say.

4The woman from Tekoa went to the king. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. She did it to show him respect. She said, “Your Majesty, please help me!”

5The king asked her, “What’s bothering you?”

She said, “I’m a widow. My husband is dead. 6I had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in a field. No one was there to separate them. One of my sons struck down the other one and killed him. 7Now my whole family group has risen up against me. They say, ‘Hand over the one who struck down his brother. Then we can put him to death for killing his brother. That will also get rid of the one who will receive the family property.’ They want to kill the only living son I have left, just as someone would put out a burning coal. That would leave my husband without any son on the face of the earth to carry on the family name.”

8The king said to the woman, “Go home. I’ll give an order to make sure you are taken care of.”

9But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “You are my king and master. Please pardon me and my family. You and your royal family won’t be guilty of doing anything wrong.”

10The king replied, “If people give you any trouble, bring them to me. They won’t bother you again.”

11She said, “Please pray to the Lord your God. Pray that he will keep our nearest male relative from killing my other son. Then my son won’t be destroyed.”

“You can be sure that the Lord lives,” the king said. “And you can be just as sure that not one hair of your son’s head will fall to the ground.”

12Then the woman said, “King David, please let me say something else to you.”

“Go ahead,” he replied.

13The woman said, “You are the king. So why have you done something that brings so much harm on God’s people? When you do that, you hand down a sentence against yourself. You won’t let the son you drove away come back. 14All of us must die. We are like water spilled on the ground. It can’t be put back into the jar. But that is not what God desires. Instead, he finds a way to bring back anyone who was driven away from him.

15“King David, I’ve come here to say this to you now. I’ve done it because people have made me afraid. I thought, ‘I’ll go and speak to the king. Perhaps he’ll do what I’m asking. 16A man is trying to separate me and my son from the property God gave us. Perhaps the king will agree to save me from that man.’

17“So now I’m saying, ‘May what you have told me prevent that man from doing what he wants. You are like an angel of God. You know what is good and what is evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’ ”

18Then the king said to the woman, “I’m going to ask you a question. I want you to tell me the truth.”

“Please ask me anything you want to,” the woman said.

19The king asked, “Joab told you to say all of this, didn’t he?”

The woman answered, “What you have told me is exactly right. And that’s just as sure as you are alive. It’s true that Joab directed me to do this. He told me everything he wanted me to say. 20He did it to change the way things now are. You are as wise as an angel of God. You know everything that happens in the land.”

21Later the king said to Joab, “All right. I’ll do what you want. Go. Bring back the young man Absalom.”

22Joab bowed down with his face toward the ground. He did it to honor the king. And he asked God to bless the king. He said, “You are my king and master. Today I know that you are pleased with me. You have given me what I asked for.”

23Then Joab went to Geshur. He brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24But the king said, “He must go to his own house. I don’t want him to come and see me.” So Absalom went to his own house. He didn’t go to see the king.

25In the whole land of Israel there wasn’t any man as handsome as Absalom was. That’s why everyone praised him. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet he didn’t have any flaws. 26He used to cut his hair once a year when it became too heavy for him. Then he would weigh it. It weighed five pounds in keeping with the standard weights used in the palace.

27Three sons and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar. She became a beautiful woman.

28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years without going to see the king. 29Then Absalom sent for Joab. He wanted to send Joab to the king. But Joab refused to come to Absalom. So Absalom sent for him a second time. But Joab still refused to come. 30Then Absalom said to his servants, “Joab’s field is next to mine. He has barley growing there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

31Joab finally went to Absalom’s house. He said to Absalom, “Why did your servants set my field on fire?”

32Absalom said to Joab, “I sent a message to you. I said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king. I want you to ask him for me, “Why did you bring me back from Geshur? I would be better off if I were still there!” ’ Now then, I want to go and see the king. If I’m guilty of doing anything wrong, let him put me to death.”

33So Joab went to the king and told him that. Then the king sent for Absalom. He came in and bowed down to the king with his face toward the ground. And the king kissed Absalom.

Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)

撒母耳记下 14:1-33

押沙龙回耶路撒冷

1洗鲁雅的儿子约押知道王想念押沙龙2就派人到提哥亚去召来一个聪明的妇人,对她说:“你假扮哀悼的人,穿上丧服,不要用油抹身,要装成哀悼很久的妇人, 3然后到王那里,对他这样这样说。”约押把应该说的话都告诉妇人。

4提哥亚妇人来到王面前,俯伏在地上说:“王啊,求你救救我吧!” 5王问她:“你有什么事?”妇人说:“婢女是个寡妇,丈夫死了。 6我本来有两个儿子,有一次他们在田间发生争执,当时没有人劝解,其中一个儿子被打死了。 7现在整个家族都起来反对婢女,说,‘把那打死亲兄弟的凶手交出来,我们要他以命偿命,除掉这个继承人。’他们要断了我家的香火,使婢女的丈夫既不能留名,也不能留后。” 8王说:“你回家去吧!我会为你作主。” 9提哥亚妇人说:“我主我王,愿罪过14:9 罪过”可能指违背摩西律法杀人偿命的规定。都落在婢女和婢女家族,一切都与我王和王的王位无关。” 10王说:“若有人为难你,你就把他带来,他必不敢再找你的麻烦。” 11妇人说:“求王凭你的上帝耶和华起誓,不许报仇者杀人,留我儿一命。”王说:“我凭永活的耶和华起誓,你的儿子必毫发无损。”

12妇人说:“求我主我王再容婢女说一句。”王说:“说吧!” 13妇人说:“为什么王蓄意对上帝的子民行这样的事呢?王刚才所说的话正表明王的不是了,因为王不让被流放的儿子回来。 14人都难免一死,就像覆水难收。然而,上帝不是要夺取人的性命,而是要设法使流亡的人重新回来。 15我向我主我王说出这番话,是因为人们恐吓我。我想,不如向王请命,也许王会成全婢女的心愿。 16有人要害我和我儿子的性命,叫我们不得承受上帝所赐的产业,也许王能从这人手中救我们。 17婢女想,我主我王的话必能安慰我,因为我主我王就像上帝的天使一样能明辨是非。愿王的上帝耶和华常与王同在!”

18王对妇人说:“我有一件事要问你,你要实实在在地回答我。”妇人说:“我主我王请说。” 19王说:“这是不是约押的主意?”妇人说:“我敢在我主我王面前发誓,王所说的一点不错,这些话是你臣仆约押吩咐婢女说的。 20他这样做是希望扭转局面。我主如上帝的天使一样有智慧,洞悉天下之事。”

21于是,王对约押说:“我答应你的请求,你去把年轻的押沙龙带回来吧。” 22约押俯伏在地,叩谢王恩,说:“今天仆人在我主我王面前蒙了恩,因为王应允了仆人的请求。” 23约押便到基述押沙龙接回耶路撒冷24王说:“让押沙龙回自己的家,不要让他来见我!”押沙龙便返回自己家中,没有朝见王。

25在整个以色列,没有人像押沙龙那样因相貌英俊而为人称道,他从头到脚毫无瑕疵。 26他的头发浓密,每年年终会很沉重,需要剪发,剪下的头发按王的重量标准约重两公斤。 27押沙龙有三儿一女,女儿名叫她玛,长得非常美丽。

28押沙龙耶路撒冷住了两年,没有跟王见过面。 29他派人去请约押来,托他去求见王,但约押不肯来。第二次再请,他还是不肯来。 30押沙龙就吩咐仆人:“你们看,约押的田就在我的田旁边,他种了大麦,你们去放火把它烧了。”押沙龙的仆人便把麦田烧了。 31约押便来到押沙龙家里,问他:“你为什么叫仆人放火烧我的田?” 32押沙龙答道:“我派人请你来,希望你替我去问王,‘我为什么要从基述回来呢?倒不如仍然留在那里。’现在我要见王,如果我有什么罪过,就让他杀了我吧!” 33约押就去见王,把押沙龙的话告诉他,王便召见押沙龙押沙龙来到王面前俯首叩拜,王就亲吻他。