2 Samuel 13

1 After some time, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom.

It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 Amnon was sick with frustration over his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed implausible for him to do anything to her.

Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.

3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.

4 so he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the son of the king, so depressed morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

He said to him, "Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

5 Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare it in my sight so I may watch her and eat it from her hand.’”

Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.'"

6 So Amnon lay down and feigned illness. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.”

So Amnon lay down and faked being sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."

7 Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare a meal for him.”

Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon and prepare food for him."

8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked them.

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes.

9 Then she brought the pan and set it down before him, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone away!” said Amnon. And everyone went out.

She took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Have all men leave me." Every man went out from him.

10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat it from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon’s bedroom.

Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the room, that I may eat from your hand." Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

11 And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come lie with me, my sister!”

When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."

12 “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!

She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me. For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this folly.

13 Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”

I, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you."

14 But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.

However he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.

15 Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!”

Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up, go away."

16 “No,” she replied, “sending me away is worse than this great wrong you have already done to me!” But he refused to listen to her.

And Tamar said to him, "Don't, my brother, for this latter evil in sending me away is greater than the former thing that you did to me." But he would not listen to her.

17 Instead, he called to his attendant and said, “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!”

Then he called the young man who served him, and said, "Send this one away from me, and bolt the door after her."

18 So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.

Now she was wearing an ornamented robe, for this was what the king's virgin daughters used to wear. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

And Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and tore the long robe she was wearing. And she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom.

And her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this too seriously." So Tamar, devastated, lived in her brother Absalom's house.

21 When King David heard all this, he was furious.

But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry. But he did not inflict pain on the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.

22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.

Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king.

It happened after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

24 And he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired shearers. Will the king and his servants please come with me?”

Absalom came to the king, and said, "See now, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant."

25 “No, my son,” the king replied, “we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he was not willing to go, but gave him his blessing.

The king said to Absalom, "No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you." But he pleaded with him; however he would not go, but blessed him.

26 “If not,” said Absalom, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked.

Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

27 But Absalom urged him, so the king sent Amnon and the rest of his sons.

But Absalom pleaded with him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom prepared a feast like a king's feast.

28 Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!”

And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine, and when I tell you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not be afraid. Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and brave."

29 So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule.

So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons got up, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king; not one of them is left!”

And it happened, while they were on the way, that the news came to David, saying, "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left."

31 Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

Then the king got up and tore his clothes and lay down on the ground. And all the servants who were standing around him also tore their clothes.

32 But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the sons of the king, for only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar.

But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord the king must not think that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for only Amnon is dead. For this has been Absalom's plan since the day that he raped his sister Tamar.

33 So now, my lord the king, do not take to heart the report that all the sons of the king are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”

Now therefore do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead."

34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”

But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and he saw many men coming on the road behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent. And the watchman came and told the king, and said, "I have seen many men coming from the Horonan road by the side of the mountain."

35 So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.”

Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the king's sons are coming. It is as your servant said."

36 And as he finished speaking, the sons of the king came in, wailing loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.

It happened, as soon as he had finished speaking, that look, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept. The king also and all his servants wept bitterly.

37 Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.

And David mourned for his son every day.

38 After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years.

And Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and was there three years.

39 And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon’s death.

And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled about the death of Amnon.