The reading from the book of Second Samuel.

Now Joab, the son of Zeruya, knew that the king's heart went out to Absalom,

and Joab sent to Tocoa, and brought from there a wise woman and said to her,

Pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments.

Do not anoint yourself with oil, but behave like a woman who has been mourning

many days for the dead. Go to the king and speak thus to him. So Joab put the words in her mouth.

When the woman of Tocoa came to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and paid homage and said,

Save me, O king. And the king said to her, "'What is your trouble?'

She answered,

"'Alas, I am a widow.

My husband is dead, and your servant has two sons,

and they quarreled with one another in the field.

There was no one to separate them, and one struck the other and killed him,

and now the whole clan has risen against your servant, and they say, give up the man who struck his brother,

that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so they would destroy

the air also. Thus they would quench my coal that is left, and leave to my husband neither name nor

remnant on the face of the earth. Then the king said to the woman, go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you. And the woman of Tocoa said to the woman, Go to your house and I will give orders concerning you.

And the woman of Toccoa said to the king, on me be the guilt, my lord the king, and on my father's

house, let the king and his throne be guiltless. The king said, if anyone says anything to you,

bring him to me, and he shall never touch you again.'

Then she said, "'Please let the king invoke the Lord your God, that the avenger of blood kill no more, and my son be not destroyed.'

He said, as the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.

...