Bible Verses About Absalom

his second, Kil'av, whose mother was Avigayil the widow of Naval from Karmel; the third, Avshalom, whose mother was Ma'akhah the daughter of Talmai king of G'shur;

As for Avshalom, he refused to say a word to Amnon, either good or bad; for Avshalom hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

Two years later, when Avshalom had sheep-shearers in Ba'al-Hatzor, near Efrayim, Avshalom invited all the king's sons.

Avshalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has sheep-shearers; please let the king and his servants come along with your servant."

The king replied to Avshalom, "No, my son, let's not all go - we don't want to be a burden to you."Avshalom pressed him, but he wouldn't go; however he gave him his blessing.

Then Avshalom said, "If you won't go, then please let my brother Amnon go with us."The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

But Avshalom kept pressing him, so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

Avshalom ordered his servants, "Pay close attention: when Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine, and I say to you, 'Kill Amnon,' then strike him down. Don't be afraid - I'm the one ordering you to do it - but take courage, and be bold."

Avshalom's servants did to Amnon as Avshalom had ordered. At this, all the king's sons jumped up, mounted their mules and fled.

Avshalom fled and went to Talmai the son of 'Ammihud, king of G'shur. David mourned for his son every day.

So Avshalom fled, went to G'shur and stayed there three years.

Yo'av the son of Tz'ruyah perceived that the king missed Avshalom;

so Yo'av sent to T'koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, "Please, pretend you're a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

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

When the woman of T'koa spoke to the king, she fell down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself, and said, "King, help!"

The king said to her, "What's the trouble?"She answered, "I'm a widow. After my husband died,

my two sons were out in the field; and they got into a fight with each other. There was no one to separate them, and one hit the other and killed him.

Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they're saying, 'Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.'They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth."

The king said to the woman, "Go back home; I myself will decide what to do about you."

The woman of T'koa said to the king, "My lord, king, let the guilt be on me and my father's family; the king and his throne be guiltless."

The king answered, "If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me; and he won't bother you any more."

"Please," she said, "let the king swear by ADONAI your God that the blood avengers won't do any more destroying, so they won't destroy my son." He said, "As ADONAI lives, not one of your son's hairs will fall to the ground."

Then the woman said, "Please allow your servant to say something else to my lord the king.""Go on," he replied.

The woman said, "Why is it, then, that you have produced a situation exactly like this against God's people? By saying what you have said, the king has virtually incriminated himself - in that the king does not bring home again the son he banished.

For we will all die someday; we'll be like water spilled on the ground that can't be gathered up again; and God makes no exception for anyone. The king should think of some way to keep the son he banished from being forever an outcast.