1. Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was toward Absalom.
2. Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
3. Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4. When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
5. The king said to her, “What ails you?” She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
6. Your servant had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him.
7. Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.”
8. The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.”
9. The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.”
10. The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.”
11. Then she said, “Please let the king remember Yahweh your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.”
12. Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” He said, “Say on.”