So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. Joab said to this wise woman, "Please pretend to be very sad. Put on sackcloth. Don't dress up. Act like a woman who has been crying many days for someone who died.
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."
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."
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.
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!
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.
I know that the words of my lord the king will give me rest, because you are like an angel from God. You know what is good and what is bad. And the Lord your God is with you."
The king said, "Did Joab tell you to say all these things?" The woman answered, "As you live, my lord and king, you are right. Your officer Joab did tell me to say these things.
Joab bowed with his face on the ground. He blessed King David, and said, "Today I know that you are pleased with me. I know because you have done what I asked."
But King David said, "Absalom must go back to his own house. He cannot come to see me." So Absalom went back to his own house, but he could not go to see the king.
People really bragged about how goodlooking Absalom was. No man in Israel was as handsome as Absalom. Every part of his body was perfect—from his head to his feet.
Absalom sent a message to Joab, asking for permission to see the king, but Joab refused to come see him. So Absalom sent a second message to Joab. Again, Joab refused to come see him.
Then Absalom said to his servants, "Look, Joab's field is next to my field. He has barley growing in that field. Go burn the barley." So Absalom's servants went and started a fire in Joab's field.
Absalom said to Joab, "I sent a message to you. I asked you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king to ask him why he asked me to come home from Geshur. I cannot see him, so it would have been better for me to stay in Geshur. Now let me see the king. If I have sinned, he can kill me!"
Then Joab came to the king and told him what Absalom said. The king called for Absalom. Absalom came to the king and bowed low on the ground before the king. The king kissed him.