1. Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was towards Absalom.
2. And Joab sent to Tekoah, and brought thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
3. And come to the king, and speak in this manner to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4. And when the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
5. And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
6. And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.
7. And behold, the whole family hath risen against thy handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they will quench my coal which is left, and will not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
8. And the king said to the woman, Go to thy house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
9. And the woman of Tekoah said to the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10. And the king said, Whoever saith aught to thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11. Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12. Then the woman said, Let thy handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word to my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
13. And the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one who is faulty, in that the king doth not bring home again his banished.