Leeser(i)
17 And thy hand-maid said, May the word of my Lord the king now become the means of giving repose; for as an angel of God, so is my Lord the king to comprehend the good and the bad: and may the Lord thy God be with thee.
18 Then answered the king and said unto the woman, Conceal not, I pray thee, from me a word concerning what I am going to ask thee. And the woman said, Let my Lord the king but speak.
19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my Lord, O king! none can turn to the right or to the left from all that my Lord the king hath spoken; for it was thy servant Joab who hath bidden me, and it was he that hath put in the mouth of thy hand-maid all these words.
20 In order to change the appearance of the matter hath thy servant Joab done this thing: and my Lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is done on the earth.
21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold, now, thou hast done this thing: go then, bring back the young man Abshalom.
22 And Joab fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself, and blessed the king: and Joab said, Today is thy servant convinced that I have found grace in thy eyes, my Lord, O king; since the king hath acted in accordance with the word of thy servant.
23 And Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Abshalom to Jerusalem.
24 And the king said, Let him repair to his own house, but my face he shall not see. So Abshalom repaired to his own house, but the king’s face he did not see.