9. The woman of Tekoa answered him, “Upon me and my family be the blame, my lord king; the king and his throne are innocent.”
10. Then the king said, “If anyone says a word to you, have him brought to me, and he shall not touch you again.”
11. But she said, “Please, let the king remember the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood may not go too far in destruction and that my son may not be done away with.” He replied, “As the Lord lives, not a hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”
12. But the woman continued, “Please let your servant say still another word to my lord the king.” He replied, “Speak.”
13. So the woman said: “Why, then, do you think the way you do against the people of God? In pronouncing as he has, the king shows himself guilty, in not bringing back his own banished son.
14. We must indeed die; we are then like water that is poured out on the ground and cannot be gathered up. Yet, though God does not bring back to life, he does devise means so as not to banish anyone from him.
15. And now, if I have presumed to speak to the king of this matter, it is because the people have given me cause to fear. And so your servant thought: ‘Let me speak to the king. Perhaps he will grant the petition of his servant.
16. For the king must surely listen and rescue his servant from the grasp of one who would destroy both me and my son from the heritage of God.’
17. And your servant says, ‘Let the word of my lord the king lead to rest; indeed, my lord the king is like an angel of God, discerning good and evil. The Lord your God be with you.’”
18. The king answered the woman, “Now do not conceal from me anything I may ask you!” The woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.”
19. So the king asked, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman answered: “As you live, my lord the king, it is just as my lord has said, and not otherwise. It was your servant Joab who instructed me and told your servant all these things she was to say.
20. Your servant Joab did this in order to approach the matter in a roundabout way. But my lord is wise with the wisdom of an angel of God, knowing all things on earth.”
21. Then the king said to Joab: “I am granting this request. Go and bring back young Absalom.”
22. Falling to the ground in homage and blessing the king, Joab said, “This day your servant knows that I am in good favor with you, my lord king, since the king has granted the request of your servant.”
23. Joab then went off to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.