2 Samuel 13

1 And it came to pass after this, that Amnon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.

And it came to pass after this, that Abshalom the son of David had a handsome sister, whose name was Thamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.

And Amnon worried himself so that he fell sick on account of Thamar his sister; for she was a virgin; and it was impossible in the eyes of Amnon to do her the least [harm].

3 Now Amnon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise man:

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Yonadab, the son of Shim'ah, David's brother; and Yonadab was a very sensible man.

4 And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Amnon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.

And he said to him, Why art thou so wasted, O prince, morning after morning? Wilt thou not tell me? Then said Amnon to him, Thamar the sister of Abshalom my brother do I love.

5 And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.

And Yonadab said to him, Lie down on thy couch, and feign thyself sick; and when thy father cometh to see thee, thou must say unto him, Let, I pray thee, Thamar my sister come, and give me some food, and prepare the refreshment before my eyes, in order that I may see it, and eat it out of her hand.

6 So Amnon lay down, and made as if he were sick: and when the king came to visit him, Amnon said to the king: I pray thee let my sister Thamar come, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.

So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Let, I pray thee, Thamar my sister come, and mix up before my eyes a couple of cakes, that I may enjoy them out of her hand.

7 Then David sent home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Amnon, and make him a mess.

Then did David send home to Thamar, saying, Do go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and prepare for him the refreshment.

8 And Thamar came to the house of Amnon her brother: but he was laid down: and she took meal and tempered it: and dissolving it in his sight she made little messes.

So Thamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, and he was lying down; and she took the dough and kneaded, and mixed it up before his eyes, and baked the cakes;

9 And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat: and Amnon said: Put out all persons from me. And when they had put all persons out,

And she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat; and Amnon said, Cause every man to go out from me; and they went out, every man, from him.

10 Amnon said to Thamar: Bring the mess into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand. And Thamar took the little messes which she had made, and brought them in to her brother Amnon in the chamber.

And Amnon said to Thamar, Bring the refreshment into the chamber, that I may enjoy it out of thy hand. So Thamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them unto Amnon her brother into the chamber.

11 And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come lie with me, my sister.

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

12 She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly.

But she said to him, No, my brother, do not violate me; for such a deed ought not to be done in Israel; do not this scandalous act!

13 For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel: but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.

And I, whither should I carry my shame? and as for thee, thou wouldst be like one of the worthless in Israel; but now, O speak, I pray thee, unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee.

14 But he would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger overpowered her and lay with her.

Nevertheless, he would not hearken unto her voice; but he overpowered her, and violated her, and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before, And Amnon said to her: Arise, and get thee gone.

Then did Amnon hate her with a very great hatred; so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her; and Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

16 She answered him: This evil which now thou dost against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before. And he would not hearken to her:

And she said unto him, [Do] not add this yet greater wrong than the other which thou hast done with me, to send me [now] away! But he would not listen to her;

17 But calling the servants that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the door after her.

And he called his young man, his servant, and said, Do send this woman away from me, into the street, and lock the door behind her.

18 And she was clothed with along robe: for the king’s daughters that were virgins, used such kind of garments. Then his servant thrust her out: and shut the door after her.

And she had on a garment of divers colors; for thus were usually appareled the king's daughters when virgins, in robes; and his servant brought her out into the street, and locked the door behind her.

19 And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.

And Thamar put ashes on her head, and the garment of divers colors which was on her she rent: and she placed her hand on her head, and went away and cried as she went along.

20 And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Amnon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother: and afflict not thy heart for this thing. So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.

Then said to her Abshalom her brother, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but now, my sister, keep silence, he is thy brother, take this thing not to thy heart. So Thamar remained, and was secluded in the house of Abshalom her brother.

21 And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Amnon, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn.

And when king David heard all these things, it displeased him greatly.

22 But Absalom spoke not to Amnon neither good nor evil: for Absalom hated Amnon because he had ravished his sister Thamar.

And Abshalom spoke not with Amnon either bad or good; for Abshalom hated Amnon, because he had violated Thamar his sister.

23 And it came to pass after two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons:

And it came to pass after two full years, that Abshalom had sheep-shearers at Ba'al-chazor, which is near Ephraim; and Abshalom invited all the king's sons.

24 And he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy servant’s sheep are shorn. Let the king, I pray, with his servants come to his servant.

And Abshalom came to the king, and said, Behold, now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers; let the king, I pray thee, and his servants go with thy servant.

25 And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, do not ask that we should all come, and be chargeable to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him.

And the king said to Abshalom, No, my son, do not let us all go now, that we may not be a burden upon thee. And he urged him much, but he would not go, and he blessed him.

26 And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother Amnon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with thee.

And Abshalom said, If not, let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with thee?

27 But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. And Absalom made a feast as it were the feast of a king.

But Abshalom urged him greatly, and he sent with him Amnon and all the sons of the king.

28 And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Amnon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him, fear not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and be valiant men.

Now Abshalom commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye, I pray you, when Annon's heart is merry with wine, and I say unto you, Smite Amnon: then kill him, fear not; behold, it is I who command it you; be firm and show yourselves men of valor.

29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king’s sons arose and got up every man upon his mule, and fled.

And the servants of Abshalom did unto Amnon as Abshalom had commanded. Then arose all the king's sons, and they rode off, every man on his mule, and fled.

30 And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.

And it happened, while they were on the way, that the report came to David, saying, Abshalom hath smitten all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.

31 Then the king rose up, and rent his garments: and fell upon the ground, and all his servants, that stood about him, rent their garments.

Then arose the king and rent his garments, and laid himself on the earth: and all his servants were standing by with their garments rent.

32 But Jonadab the son of Semmaa David’s brother answering, said: Let not my lord the king think that all the king’s sons are slain: Amnon only is dead, for he was appointed by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister Thamar.

But Yonadab the son of Shim'ah, David's brother, commenced and said, Let not my Lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons; since Amnon alone is dead; for by the command of Abshalom was this ordained from the day that he violated Thamar his sister.

33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king’s sons are slain: for Amnon only is dead.

And now let not my Lord the king take the thing to his heart, thinking, that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon alone is dead.

34 But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way on the side of the mountain.

And Abshalom flew away. And the young man that was watching lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, many people were coming by the way behind him, by the side of the mount.

35 And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king’s sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.

And Yonadab said to the king, The king's sons are come: according to the word of thy servant, so hath it come to pass.

36 And when he made an end of speaking, the king’s sons also appeared: and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very much.

And it happened, as he had just finished speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and they lifted up their voice and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very much.

37 But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud the king of Gessur. And David mourned for his son every day.

But Abshalom had fled; and he went to Talmai, the son of 'Ammihud, the king of Geshur: and [David] mourned for his son all the time.

38 And Absalom after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years.

So did Abshalom fly, and go to Geshur, and he remained there three years.

39 And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Amnon.

And [the soul of] king David longed to go forth unto Abshalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, that he was dead.