1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was towards Absalom.
2 Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead.
3 Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.
4 When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!”
5 The king said to her, “What ails you?”She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead.
6 Your servant had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him.