17. I said to myself that your promise, sir, would make me safe, because the king is like God's angel and can distinguish good from evil. May the Lord your God be with you!”
18. The king answered, “I'm going to ask you a question, and you must tell me the whole truth.”“Ask me anything, Your Majesty,” she answered.
19. “Did Joab put you up to this?” he asked her.She answered, “I swear by all that is sacred, Your Majesty, that there is no way to avoid answering your question. It was indeed your officer Joab who told me what to do and what to say.
20. But he did it in order to straighten out this whole matter. Your Majesty is as wise as the angel of God and knows everything that happens.”
21. Later on the king said to Joab, “I have decided to do what you want. Go and get the young man Absalom and bring him back here.”
22. Joab threw himself to the ground in front of David in respect, and said, “God bless you, Your Majesty! Now I know that you are pleased with me, because you have granted my request.”
23. Then he got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.
24. The king, however, gave orders that Absalom should not live in the palace. “I don't want to see him,” the king said. So Absalom lived in his own house and did not appear before the king.
25. There was no one in Israel as famous for his good looks as Absalom; he had no defect from head to foot.
26. His hair was very thick, and he had to cut it once a year, when it grew too long and heavy. It would weigh more than two kilogrammes according to the royal standard of weights.
27. Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar, a very beautiful woman.
28. Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king.
29. Then he sent for Joab, to ask him to go to the king for him; but Joab would not come. Again Absalom sent for him, and again Joab refused to come.
30. So Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab's field is next to mine, and it has barley growing in it. Go and set fire to it.” So they went and set the field on fire.