5. King David said to her, “What’s your problem?” The woman said, “I am a widow. My husband is dead.
6. I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting. There was no one to stop them. One son killed the other son.
7. Now the whole family is against me. They said to me, ‘Bring us the son who killed his brother and we will kill him, because he killed his brother.’ My son is like the last spark of a fire. If they kill my son, that fire will burn out and be finished. He is the only son left alive to get his father’s property. So my dead husband’s property will go to someone else and his name will be removed from the land.”
8. Then the king said to the woman, “Go home. I will take care of things for you.”
9. The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “Let the blame be on me, my lord and king. You and your kingdom are innocent.”
10. King David said, “If anyone is saying bad things to you, bring them to me. They will not bother you again.”
11. The woman said, “Please, use the name of the Lord your God and swear that you will stop these people. They want to punish my son for murdering his brother. Swear that you will not let them destroy my son.” David said, “As the Lord lives, no one will hurt your son. Not even one hair from your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12. The woman said, “My lord and king, please let me say something else to you.” The king said, “Speak.”
13. Then the woman said, “Why have you planned these things against the people of God? When you say these things, you show you are guilty because you have not brought back the son who you forced to leave home.
14. We will all die some day. We will be like water that is spilled on the ground. No one can gather this water back from the ground. You know God forgives people. God made plans for people who are forced to run away for safety—God does not force them to run away from him!
15. My lord and king, I came to say these words to you, because the people made me afraid. I said to myself, ‘I will talk to the king. Maybe the king will help me.