Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 Joab^(A) son of Zeruiah knew that the king’s heart longed for Absalom. ² So Joab sent someone to Tekoa^(B) and had a wise woman^(C) brought from there. He said to her, “Pretend you are in mourning. Dress in mourning clothes, and don’t use any cosmetic lotions.^(D) Act like a woman who has spent many days grieving for the dead. ³ Then go to the king and speak these words to him.” And Joab^(E) put the words in her mouth.

⁴ When the woman from Tekoa went^[a] to the king, she fell with her face to the ground to pay him honor, and she said, “Help me, Your Majesty!”

⁵ The king asked her, “What is troubling you?”

She said, “I am a widow; my husband is dead. ⁶ I your servant had two sons. They got into a fight with each other in the field, and no one was there to separate them. One struck the other and killed him. ⁷ Now the whole clan has risen up against your servant; they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother down, so that we may put him to death^(F) for the life of his brother whom he killed; then we will get rid of the heir^(G) as well.’ They would put out the only burning coal I have left,^(H) leaving my husband neither name nor descendant on the face of the earth.”

⁸ The king said to the woman, “Go home,^(I) and I will issue an order in your behalf.”

⁹ But the woman from Tekoa said to him, “Let my lord the king pardon^(J) me and my family,^(K) and let the king and his throne be without guilt.^(L)”

¹⁰ The king replied, “If anyone says anything to you, bring them to me, and they will not bother you again.”

¹¹ She said, “Then let the king invoke the Lord his God to prevent the avenger^(M) of blood from adding to the destruction, so that my son will not be destroyed.”

“As surely as the Lord lives,” he said, “not one hair^(N) of your son’s head will fall to the ground.^(O)”

¹² Then the woman said, “Let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.”

“Speak,” he replied.

¹³ The woman said, “Why then have you devised a thing like this against the people of God? When the king says this, does he not convict himself,^(P) for the king has not brought back his banished son?^{(Q) 14} Like water^(R) spilled on the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die.^(S) But that is not what God desires; rather, he devises ways so that a banished person^(T) does not remain banished from him.

¹⁵ “And now I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king; perhaps he will grant his servant’s request. ¹⁶ Perhaps the king will agree to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who is trying to cut off both me and my son from God’s inheritance.’^(U)

¹⁷ “And now your servant says, ‘May the word of my lord the king secure my inheritance, for my lord the king is like an angel^(V) of God in discerning^(W) good and evil. May the Lord your God be with you.’”

¹⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Don’t keep from me the answer to what I am going to ask you.”

“Let my lord the king speak,” the woman said.

¹⁹ The king asked, “Isn’t the hand of Joab^(X) with you in all this?”

The woman answered, “As surely as you live, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything my lord the king says. Yes, it was your servant Joab who instructed me to do this and who put all these words into the mouth of your servant. ²⁰ Your servant Joab did this to change the present situation. My lord has wisdom^(Y) like that of an angel of God—he knows everything that happens in the land.^(Z)”

²¹ The king said to Joab, “Very well, I will do it. Go, bring back the young man Absalom.”

²² Joab fell with his face to the ground to pay him honor, and he blessed the king.^(AA) Joab said, “Today your servant knows that he has found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, because the king has granted his servant’s request.”

²³ Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. ²⁴ But the king said, “He must go to his own house; he must not see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the face of the king.

²⁵ In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. ²⁶ Whenever he cut the hair of his head^(AB)—he used to cut his hair once a year because it became too heavy for him—he would weigh it, and its weight was two hundred shekels^[b] by the royal standard.

²⁷ Three sons^(AC) and a daughter were born to Absalom. His daughter’s name was Tamar,^(AD) and she became a beautiful woman.

²⁸ Absalom lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face. ²⁹ Then Absalom sent for Joab in order to send him to the king, but Joab refused to come to him. So he sent a second time, but he refused to come. ³⁰ Then he said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley^(AE) there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹ Then Joab did go to Absalom’s house, and he said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?^(AF)”

³² Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur?^(AG) It would be better for me if I were still there!”’ Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”^(AH)

³³ So Joab went to the king and told him this. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came in and bowed down with his face to the ground before the king. And the king kissed^(AI) Absalom.

The Kingdom of Righteousness

The Women of Jerusalem

1 Simon Peter, a servant^(A) and apostle of Jesus Christ,^(B)

To those who through the righteousness^(C) of our God and Savior Jesus Christ^(D) have received a faith as precious as ours:

² Grace and peace be yours in abundance^(E) through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.^(F)

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

³ His divine power^(G) has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him^(H) who called us^(I) by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises,^(J) so that through them you may participate in the divine nature,^(K) having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.^(L)

⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;^{(M) 6} and to knowledge, self-control;^(N) and to self-control, perseverance;^(O) and to perseverance, godliness;^{(P) 7} and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.^{(Q) 8} For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive^(R) in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.^{(S) 9} But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind,^(T) forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.^(U)

¹⁰ Therefore, my brothers and sisters,^[a] make every effort to confirm your calling^(V) and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble,^{(W) 11} and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom^(X) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(Y)

Prophecy of Scripture

¹² So I will always remind you of these things,^(Z) even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth^(AA) you now have. ¹³ I think it is right to refresh your memory^(AB) as long as I live in the tent of this body,^{(AC) 14} because I know that I will soon put it aside,^(AD) as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.^{(AE) 15} And I will make every effort to see that after my departure^(AF) you will always be able to remember these things.

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power,^(AG) but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.^{(AH) 17} He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”^{[b](AI) 18} We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.^(AJ)

¹⁹ We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable,^(AK) and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light^(AL) shining in a dark place, until the day dawns^(AM) and the morning star^(AN) rises in your hearts.^{(AO) 20} Above all, you must understand^(AP) that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God^(AQ) as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.^(AR)

False Teachers and Their Destruction

2 But there were also false prophets^(AS) among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.^(AT) They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord^(AU) who bought them^(AV)—bringing swift destruction on themselves. ² Many will follow their depraved conduct^(AW) and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. ³ In their greed^(AX) these teachers will exploit you^(AY) with fabricated stories. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

⁴ For if God did not spare angels when they sinned,^(AZ) but sent them to hell,^[c] putting them in chains of darkness^[d] to be held for judgment;^{(BA) 5} if he did not spare the ancient world^(BB) when he brought the flood on its ungodly people,^(BC) but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;^{(BD) 6} if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes,^(BE) and made them an example^(BF) of what is going to happen to the ungodly;^{(BG) 7} and if he rescued Lot,^(BH) a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless^{(BI) 8} (for that righteous man,^(BJ) living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— ⁹ if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials^(BK) and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment.^{(BL) 10} This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire^(BM) of the flesh^[e] and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings;^{(BN) 11} yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not heap abuse on such beings when bringing judgment on them from^[f] the Lord.^{(BO) 12} But these people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like unreasoning animals, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like animals they too will perish.^(BP)

¹³ They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight.^(BQ) They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you.^{[g](BR) 14} With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce^(BS) the unstable;^(BT) they are experts in greed^(BU)—an accursed brood!^{(BV) 15} They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam^(BW) son of Bezer,^[h] who loved the wages of wickedness. ¹⁶ But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—an animal without speech—who spoke with a human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness.^(BX)

¹⁷ These people are springs without water^(BY) and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them.^{(BZ) 18} For they mouth empty, boastful words^(CA) and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping^(CB) from those who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”^{(CC) 20} If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing^(CD) our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ^(CE) and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning.^{(CF) 21} It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them.^{(CG) 22} Of them the proverbs are true: “A dog returns to its vomit,”^[i](CH) and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.”

The Day of the Lord

3 Dear friends,^(CI) this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders^(CJ) to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. ² I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets^(CK) and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.^(CL)

³ Above all, you must understand that in the last days^(CM) scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.^{(CN) 4} They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised?^(CO) Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”^{(CP) 5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word^(CQ) the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.^{(CR) 6} By these waters also the world of that time^(CS) was deluged and destroyed.^{(CT) 7} By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire,^(CU) being kept for the day of judgment^(CV) and destruction of the ungodly.

⁸ But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.^{(CW) 9} The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise,^(CX) as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient^(CY) with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.^(CZ)

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.^(DA) The heavens will disappear with a roar;^(DB) the elements will be destroyed by fire,^(DC) and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.^[j](DD)

¹¹ Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹² as you look forward^(DE) to the day of God and speed its coming.^[k](DF) That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.^{(DG) 13} But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth,^(DH) where righteousness dwells.

¹⁴ So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless^(DI) and at peace with him. ¹⁵ Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience^(DJ) means salvation,^(DK) just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.^{(DL) 16} He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable^(DM) people distort,^(DN) as they do the other Scriptures,^(DO) to their own destruction.

¹⁷ Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard^(DP) so that you may not be carried away by the error^(DQ) of the lawless^(DR) and fall from your secure position.^{(DS) 18} But grow in the grace^(DT) and knowledge^(DU) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.^(DV) To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.^(DW)