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14 And Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said to her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments, I pray, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that hath a long time mourned for the dead;
3 and come to the king, and speak after this manner to him. And Joab put the words into her mouth.
4 And the woman of Tekoah spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, Save, O king!
5 And the king said to her, What aileth thee? And she said, I am indeed a widow woman, and my husband is dead.
6 And thy bondmaid 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 is risen against thy bondmaid, and they say, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may put him to death, for the life of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the heir also: so they will quench my coal which is left, and will not leave to my husband a name or remnant on 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, Upon me, my lord, O king, be the iniquity, and upon my father's house; and the king and his throne be guiltless.
10 And the king said, Whoever speaks to thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
11 Then she said, I pray thee, let the king remember Jehovah thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they cut off my son. And he said, [As] Jehovah liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
12 And the woman said, Let thy bondmaid, I pray thee, speak a word to my lord the king. And he said, Speak.
13 And the woman said, Why then hast thou thought such a thing against God's people? and the king in saying this thing, is as one guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.
14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; and God has not taken away his life, but devises means that the banished one be not expelled from him.
15 And now that I am come to speak of this thing to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy bondmaid said, I will now speak to the king; perhaps the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
17 And thy bondmaid said, Let the word of my lord the king now be comfortable; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad; and Jehovah thy God will be with thee.
18 And the king answered and said to the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.
19 And the king said, Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, [As] thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, there is no turning to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king has spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words into the mouth of thy bondmaid:
20 in order to turn the appearance of the thing has thy servant Joab done this thing; but my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.
21 And the king said to Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing: so go, bring back the young man Absalom.
22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face and bowed himself, and blessed the king; and Joab said, To-day thy servant knows that I have found favour in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled the request of his servant.
23 And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face. And Absalom withdrew to his own house, and saw not the king's face.
25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
26 And when he shaved his head (for it was at every year's end that he shaved it, because it was heavy on him, therefore he shaved it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.
27 And to Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a beautiful countenance.
28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king's face.
29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king; but he would not come to him; and he sent again the second time, but he would not come.
30 Then he said to his servants, See, Joab's allotment is near mine and he has barley there: go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the allotment on fire.
31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to [his] house, and said to him, Why have thy servants set my allotment on fire?
32 And Absalom said to Joab, Behold, I sent to thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it would have been better for me to be there still. And now let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him slay me.
33 And Joab came to the king, and told him. And he called Absalom, and he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.
15 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared for himself chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.
2 And Absalom rose early, and stood beside the way of the gate; and it was so, that when any man who had a controversy had to come to the king for judgment, then Absalom called him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.
3 And Absalom said to him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man to hear thee [appointed] by the king.
4 And Absalom said, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man who has any controversy and cause might come to me, and I would do him justice!
5 And it was so, that when any man came near to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.
6 And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment; and Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
7 And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Absalom said to the king, I pray thee, let me go and pay in Hebron my vow which I have vowed to Jehovah.
8 For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode in Geshur in Syria, saying, If Jehovah shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve Jehovah.
9 And the king said to him, Go in peace. And he rose up and went to Hebron.
10 And Absalom sent emissaries into all the tribes of Israel, saying, When ye hear the sound of the trumpet, ye shall say, Absalom reigns in Hebron.
11 And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were invited; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew nothing.
12 And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, from Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. And the conspiracy gathered strength; and the people increased continually with Absalom.
13 And there came one to David who reported saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.
14 And David said to all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Rise up and let us flee; for we shall not [else] escape from Absalom. Be quick to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.
15 And the king's servants said to the king, Behold, thy servants [will do] whatever my lord the king shall choose.
16 And the king went forth, and all his household after him, and the king left ten women, concubines, to keep the house.
17 And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and stayed at the remote house.
18 And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men that came after him from Gath, passed over before the king.
19 And the king said to Ittai the Gittite, Why dost thou also go with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king; for thou art a foreigner, and besides, thou hast emigrated to the place where thou [dwellest].
20 Thou didst come yesterday, and should I this day make thee go up and down with us, seeing I go whither I can? Return and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee!
21 And Ittai answered the king and said, [As] Jehovah liveth, and [as] my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.
22 And David said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones that were with him.
18 Jesus, having said these things, went out with his disciples beyond the torrent Cedron, where was a garden, into which he entered, he and his disciples.
2 And Judas also, who delivered him up, knew the place, because Jesus was often there, in company with his disciples.
3 Judas therefore, having got the band, and officers of the chief priests and Pharisees, comes there with lanterns and torches and weapons.
4 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that were coming upon him, went forth and said to them, Whom seek ye?
5 They answered him, Jesus the Nazaraean. Jesus says to them, I am [he]. And Judas also, who delivered him up, stood with them.
6 When therefore he said to them, I am [he], they went away backward and fell to the ground.
7 He demanded of them therefore again, Whom seek ye? And they said, Jesus the Nazaraean.
8 Jesus answered, I told you that I am [he]: if therefore ye seek me, let these go away;
9 that the word might be fulfilled which he spoke, [As to] those whom thou hast given me, I have not lost one of them.
10 Simon Peter therefore, having a sword, drew it, and smote the bondman of the high priest and cut off his right ear; and the bondman's name was Malchus.
11 Jesus therefore said to Peter, Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?
12 The band therefore, and the chiliarch, and the officers of the Jews, took Jesus and bound him:
13 and they led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.
14 But it was Caiaphas who counselled the Jews that it was better that one man should perish for the people.
15 Now Simon Peter followed Jesus, and the other disciple. But that disciple was known to the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest;
16 but Peter stood at the door without. The other disciple therefore, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the porteress and brought in Peter.
17 The maid therefore, who was porteress, says to Peter, Art thou also of the disciples of this man? He says, I am not.
18 But the bondmen and officers, having made a fire of coals (for it was cold), stood and warmed themselves; and Peter was standing with them and warming himself.
19 The high priest therefore demanded of Jesus concerning his disciples and concerning his doctrine.
20 Jesus answered him, I spoke openly to the world; I taught always in [the] synagogue and in the temple, where all the Jews come together, and in secret I have spoken nothing.
21 Why demandest thou of me? Demand of those who have heard, what I have spoken to them; behold, they know what I have said.
22 But as he said these things, one of the officers who stood by gave a blow on the face to Jesus, saying, Answerest thou the high priest thus?
23 Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?
24 Annas [then] had sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.
97 MEM. Oh how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
98 Thy commandments make me wiser than mine enemies; for they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers; for thy testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged, because I have observed thy precepts.
101 I have refrained my feet from every evil path, that I might keep thy word.
102 I have not departed from thy judgments; for it is thou that hast taught me.
103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! more than honey to my mouth!
104 From thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false path.
105 NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
106 I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much; O Jehovah, quicken me according to thy word.
108 Accept, I beseech thee, Jehovah, the voluntary-offerings of my mouth, and teach me thy judgments.
109 My life is continually in my hand; but I do not forget thy law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me; but I have not wandered from thy precepts.
111 Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever; for they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform thy statutes for ever, unto the end.
8 Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without right.
9 The heart of man deviseth his way, but Jehovah directeth his steps.
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