David met with a woman from Tekoa who wore mourning clothes and acted as if she had been mourning a long time for someone who died. “What’s wrong?” asked David. And she told the story that Joab had instructed her to tell David, that one of her two sons had killed the other in the field, and that everyone wanted to kill the one who had slain the other, so her husband would have no remaining descendants. David said he wanted to judge the matter.

“Now, if the king makes such a judgment, he is like a guilty man, because he does not bring back the one he has banished.”

“For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again.” And she talked much with David. But he soon understood Joab’s tactic and his intentions. Then the king said, “I will do it. Go and bring my son Absalom back.”
And Joab fell to the ground on his face and thanked his king.

So Joab arose and went to Geshur and brought Absalom back. But the king did not want to see him.

Now in all Israel, there was no man as beautiful as Absalom from head to toe, and when they cut his hair of his head, it weighed two hundred shekels by the royal weight. Three sons were born to him, and they were very beautiful.

When Absalom had lived two years in Jerusalem without seeing the king’s face, he sent for Joab and sent him to the king. But Joab did not want to go. Not even the second time he was asked. So Absalom told his servants to set Joab’s field of barley on fire. And he said to Joab, “It would be better if I were still in Geshur. So let me go to the king.” And Joab went. And the king called Absalom to himself and kissed his son, who was kneeling before him.