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.”
13. The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one.
14. For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him.