16. The king will surely listen in order to rescue his servant from the hand of this man who would eliminate both me and my son from God’s inheritance.
17. Your servant thought: May the word of my lord the king bring relief, for my lord the king is able to discern the good and the bad like the Angel of God. May the Lord your God be with you.”
18. Then the king answered the woman, “I’m going to ask you something; don’t conceal it from me! ”“Let my lord the king speak,” the woman replied.
19. The king asked, “Did Joab put you up to all this? ”The woman answered. “As you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or left from all my lord the king says. Yes, your servant Joab is the one who gave orders to me; he told your servant exactly what to say.
20. Joab your servant has done this to address the issue indirectly, but my lord has wisdom like the wisdom of the Angel of God, knowing everything on earth.”
21. Then the king said to Joab, “I hereby grant this request. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”
22. Joab fell with his face to the ground in homage and praised the king. “Today,” Joab said, “your servant knows I have found favor with you, my lord the king, because the king has granted the request of your servant.”