Two years later Absalom’s sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, ¹  near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

Then Absalom went to the king and said, “My shearers have begun their work. ¹  Let the king and his servants go with me.”

After some time ¹  Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. After Judah was consoled, he left for Timnah to visit his sheepshearers, along with ²  his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

Tamar was told, ¹  “Look, your father-in-law is going up ²  to Timnah to shear his sheep.”

There was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. This man was very wealthy; ¹  he owned three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. At that time he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

Now I hear that they are shearing sheep for you. When your shepherds were with us, we neither insulted them nor harmed them the whole time they were in Carmel.

While Laban had gone to shear his sheep, ¹  Rachel stole the household idols ²  that belonged to her father.

Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I have slaughtered for my shearers and give them to these men? I don’t even know where they came from!”