1. Joab, the son of Zeruiah, knew that the king longed to see Absalom.
2. So Joab sent someone to Tekoa to have a wise woman brought back from there. Joab said to her, "Pretend you are filled with sadness. Put on black clothes. Don't use any makeup. Act like a woman who has spent many days sobbing over someone who has died.
3. Then go to the king. Give him the message I'm about to give you." And Joab told her what to say.
4. The woman from Tekoa went to the king. She bowed down with her face toward the ground. She did it to show him respect. She said, "King David, please help me!"
5. The king asked her, "What's bothering you?" She said, "I'm a widow. My husband is dead.
6. I had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field. No one was there to separate them. One of my sons struck the other one down and killed him.
7. "Now my whole family group has risen up against me. They say, 'Hand over the one who struck his brother down. Then we can put him to death for killing his brother. That will also get rid of the one who will receive the family property.' They want to kill the only living son I have left, just as someone would put out a burning coal. That would leave my husband without any son on the face of the earth to carry on his name."