2 Samuel 13

1 David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and another of David's sons, Amnon, fell in love with her.

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 Amnon became so infatuated with his sister Tamar that he felt sick. She was a virgin, and Amnon saw it was impossible for him to have 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 However, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, and he was the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very cunning 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 He asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king's son, so down every morning? Why don't you tell me what's wrong?” “I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister,” Amnon replied.

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 “Lie down on your bed and pretend you're sick,” Jonadab told him. “When your father comes to see you, tell him, ‘Please have my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat. She can make it as I watch and she can hand it to me.’”

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 pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please have my sister Tamar come and make a couple of pancakes as I watch, and she can hand them to me to eat.”

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 a message to Tamar at the palace: “Please be so kind as to go to the house of your brother Amnon and make him some food.”

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

8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon to where he was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, and cooked the pancakes as he watched.

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 Then she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. “Everybody leave me!” Amnon shouted. Everyone left.

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 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so you can hand it to me to eat.” So Tamar took the pancakes she had made to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.

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 But as she handed him the food, he grabbed hold of her, and said, “Come to bed 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 “No, you're my brother!” she exclaimed. “Don't rape me! That's not what we do in Israel! Don't do something so shameful!

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 Stop and think about me! How could I bear such a disgrace? Think about yourself too! You'd be treated with contempt as a complete fool in Israel! Please talk with the king, for he won't stop you marrying me.”

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 Amnon wouldn't to listen to her, and because he was stronger than she was, he raped her.

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

15 Then Amnon hated Tamar with immense hatred. His hatred was so strong that it was greater than the love he'd had before. “Get up! Get lost!” he told her.

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 “No! Don't do this!” she answered. “Sending me away in disgrace would be an even greater evil than what you've already done to me.” But he wouldn't listen 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 He called for his servant and said, “Get rid of this woman and lock the door behind 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 So his servant threw her out and locked the door behind her. Tamar was wearing the long robe of a princess, which is what the king's virgin daughters wore.

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 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long robe. She put her hands on her head, she went away crying loudly.

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 Her brother Absalom found her and asked, “Has brother Amnon been with you? Keep quiet for the moment, my sister. He's your brother. Don't be so upset about it.” So Tamar lived as a ruined and abandoned woman in her brother Absalom's home.

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 When King David heard about it, he was very angry.

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

22 Absalom didn't talk to Amnon at all because he hated Amnon for raping his sister Tamar.

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

23 Some two years later, when his sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king's sons to join the celebrations.

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 He went to the king and said, “I, your servant, have hired shearers. Would the king and his servants please join me?”

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 “No, my son,” the king replied, “we can't all go. We would be a burden to you.” Even though Absalom went on asking, he was not willing to go, but he did give Absalom his blessing.

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 “Well then, at least let my brother Amnon join us,” Absalom responded. “Why do you want him to go?” the king asked.

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 kept on asking, so the king sent Amnon and his other sons.

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

28 Absalom gave orders to his men, saying, “Pay attention! When Amnon is feeling happy from drinking wine and I tell you, ‘Attack Amnon!’ then kill him. Don't be afraid. I myself am giving you this order. Be strong and be brave.”

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 So Absalom's men did what Absalom had ordered and killed Amnon. Then all the rest of the king's sons jumped up, got on their mules, and ran away.

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 While they were on their way back, David received a message, “Absalom has killed all the king's sons—there's not a single one 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 The king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground. All his officials stood beside him with their clothes torn.

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, son of David's brother Shimeah, told them: “Your Majesty must not think they have killed all the king's sons—only Amnon is dead. Absalom has been planning ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

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 So, Your Majesty, please don't believe the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon 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 In the meantime, Absalom had run away. When the watchman in Jerusalem looked out, he saw a large crowd coming along the road west of him, down the side of the hill.

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 Jonadab told the king, “Can you see? The king's sons are arriving! It's exactly as your servant said.”

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 As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, crying and wailing. Then the king and all his officials also cried loudly.

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 Absalom ran away to Talmai, son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Every day David mourned for his son Amnon.

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 After Absalom had run away to Geshur, he remained there for three years.

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

39 King David longed to go and see Absalom, for he had finished grieving over 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.