th, that so she might
not be further deprived of the hopes she had of being taken care of in
her old age by him; and that if he would hinder this slaughter of her
son by those that wished for it, he would do her a great favor, because
the kindred would not be restrained from their purpose by any thing else
than by the fear of him. And when the king had given his consent to what
the woman had begged of him, she made this reply to him:--"I owe thee
thanks for thy benignity to me in pitying my old age, and preventing the
loss of my only remaining child; but in order to assure me of this thy
kindness, be first reconciled to thine own son, and cease to be angry
with him; for how shall I persuade myself that thou hast really bestowed
this favor upon me, while thou thyself continuest after the like
manner in thy wrath to thine own son? for it is a foolish thing to add
willfully another to thy dead son, while the death of the other was
brought about without thy consent." And now the king perceived that
this pretended story was a subornation derived from Joab, and was of his
contrivance; and when, upon inquiry of the old woman, he understood it
to be so in reality, he called for Joab, and told him he had obtained
what he requested according to his own mind; and he bid him bring
Absalom back, for he was not now displeased, but had already ceased to
be angry with him. So Joab bowed himself down to the king, and took his
words kindly, and went immediately to Geshur, and took Absalom with him,
and came to Jerusalem.

5. However, the king sent a message to his son beforehand, as he was
coming, and commanded him to retire to his own house, for he was not
yet in such a disposition as to think fit at present to see him.
Accordingly, upon the father's command, he avoided coming into his
presence, and contented himself with the respects paid him by his own
family only. Now his beauty was not impaired, either by the grief he had
been under, or by the want of such care as was proper to be taken of a
king's son, for he still surpassed and excelled all men in the tallness
of his body, and was more eminent [in a fine appearance] than those that
dieted the most luxuriously; and indeed such was the thickness of the
hair of his head, that it was with difficulty that he was polled every
eighth day; and his hair weighed two hundred shekels [15] which are five
pounds. However, he dwelt in Jerusalem two years, and became the father
of three sons, and