14:1 
    [kjv]  Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward Absalom.
    [bbe]  Now it was clear to Joab, the son of Zeruiah, that the king's heart was turning to Absalom.
14:2
    [kjv]  And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
    [bbe]  And Joab sent to Tekoa and got from there a wise woman, and said to her, Now make yourself seem like one given up to grief, and put on the clothing of sorrow, not using any sweet oil for your body, but looking like one who for a long time has been weeping for the dead:
14:3  [kjv]  And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.
    [bbe]  And come to the king and say these words to him. So Joab gave her words to say.
14:4
    [kjv]  And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
    [bbe]  And the woman of Tekoa came to the king, and falling on her face, gave him honour and said, Give me help, O king.
14:5
    [kjv]  And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
    [bbe]  And the king said to her, What is your trouble? And her answer was, Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
14:6  
    [kjv]  And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and slew him.
    [bbe]  And I had two sons, and the two of them had a fight in the field, and there was no one to come between them, and one with a blow put the other to death.
14:7
    [kjv]  And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
    [bbe]  And now all the family is turned against me, your servant, saying, Give up him who was the cause of his brother's death, so that we may put him to death in payment for the life of his brother, whose life he took; and we will put an end to the one who will get the heritage: so they will put out my last burning coal, and my husband will have no name or offspring on the face of the earth.
14:8  
    [kjv]  And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee.
    [bbe]  And the king said to the woman, Go to your house and I will give orders about this.
14:9
    [kjv]  And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.
    [bbe]  And the woman of Tekoa said to the king, My lord, O king, may the sin be on me and on my family, and may the king and the seat of his kingdom be clear of sin!
14:10
    [kjv]  And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
    [bbe]  And the king said, If anyone says anything to you, make him come to me, and he will do you no more damage.
14:11
    [kjv]  Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
    [bbe]  Then she said, Let the king keep in mind the Lord your God, so that he who gives punishment for blood may be kept back from further destruction and that no one may send death on my son. And he said, By the living Lord, not a hair of your son's head will come to the earth.
14:12  
    [kjv]  Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
    [bbe]  Then the woman said, Will the king let his servant say one word more? And he said, Say on.
14:13
    [kjv]  And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.
    [bbe]  And the woman said, Why have you had such a thought about the people of God? (for in saying these very words the king has put himself in the wrong because he has not taken back the one whom he sent far away.)
14:14
    [kjv]  For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.
    [bbe]  For death comes to us all, and we are like water drained out on the earth, which it is not possible to take up again; and God will not take away the life of the man whose purpose is that he who has been sent away may not be completely cut off from him.
14:15  
    [kjv]  Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.
    [bbe]  And now it is my fear of the people which has made me come to say these words to my lord the king: and your servant said, I will put my cause before the king, and it may be that he will give effect to my request.
14:16
    [kjv]  For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.
    [bbe]  For the king will give ear, and take his servant out of the power of the man whose purpose is the destruction of me and my son together from the heritage of God.
14:17  
    [kjv]  Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad: therefore ............