< 2 Samuel 13 >

1 Now after this so it was, that Absalom the sonne of Dauid hauing a fayre sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued her.
Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Amon, the sone of Dauid, louyde the faireste sistir, Thamar bi name, of Absolon, sone of Dauid.
2 And Amnon was so sore vexed, that he fell sicke for his sister Tamar: for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to doe any thing to her.
And Amon perischide greetli for hir, so that he was sijk for `the loue of hir. For whanne she was a virgyn, it semyde hard to hym, that he schulde do ony thing vnonestli with hir.
3 But Amnon had a friend called Ionadab, the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother: and Ionadab was a very subtile man.
Forsothe a freend, Jonadab bi name, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, `was to Amon; Jonadab was a ful prudent man.
4 Who sayde vnto him, Why art thou the Kings sonne so leane from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? Then Amnon answered him, I loue Tamar my brother Absaloms sister.
Which seide to Amon, Sone of the kyng, whi art thou maad feble so bi leenesse bi alle daies? whi schewist thou not to me? And Amon seide to him, Y loue Thamar, the sister of my brother Absolon.
5 And Ionadab sayd vnto him, Lie downe on thy bed, and make thy selfe sicke: and when thy father shall come to see thee, say vnto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and giue me meate, and let her dresse meate in my sight, that I may see it, and eate it of her hand.
And Jonadab answeride to hym, Li thou on thi bed, and feyne thou sikenesse; and whanne thi fadir cometh, that he visyte thee, seie thou to hym, Y preye, come Thamar, my sister, that sche yyue mete to me, and make a seew, that Y ete of hir hond.
6 So Amnon lay downe, and made himselfe sicke: and when the King came to see him, Amnon sayde vnto the King, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may receiue meate at her hand.
Therfor Amon lay doun, and `bigan as to be sijk. And whanne the kyng hadde come to visite him, Amon seide to the kyng, Y biseche, come Thamar, my sistir, that sche make twei soupyngis bifor my iyen, and that Y take of hir hond meete maad redi.
7 Then Dauid sent home to Tamar, saying, Goe now to thy brother Amnons house, and dresse him meate.
Therfor Dauid sente to the hows of Thamar, and seide, Come thou in to the hows of Amon, thi brother, and make thou seew to hym.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnons house, and he lay downe: and she tooke floure, and knead it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
And Thamar cam in to the hows of Amon, hir brother. Sotheli he lai; and sche took mele, and medlide, and made moist bifor hise iyen, and sethide soupyngis;
9 And she tooke a pan, and powred them out before him, but he would not eat. Then Amnon saide, Cause ye euery man to goe out from me: so euery man went out from him.
and sche took that, that sche hadde sode, and helde out, and settide byfor hym, and he nolde ete. And Amon seide, Putte ye out alle men fro me. And whanne thei hadden put out alle men,
10 Then Amnon said vnto Tamar, Bring the meate into the chamber, that I may eate of thine hand. And Tamar tooke the cakes which shee had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
Amon seide to Thamar, Bere the mete in to the closet, that Y ete of thin hond. Therfor Thamar took the soupingis whiche sche hadde maad, and brouyte in to Amon, hir brother, in the closet.
11 And when she had set them before him to eate, he tooke her, and sayd vnto her, Come, lye with me, my sister.
And whanne sche hadde proferid mete to hym, he took hir, and seide, Come thou, my sistir, li thou with me.
12 But shee answered him, Nay, my brother, doe not force me: for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: commit not this follie.
And sche answeride to hym, My brother, nyle thou, nyle thou oppresse me, for this is not leueful in Israel; nyle thou do this foli.
13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to goe? and thou shalt be as one of the fooles in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, speake to the King, for he will not denie me vnto thee.
For Y schal not mow bere my schenschip, and thou schalt be as oon of the vnwise men in Israel; but rather speke thou to the kyng, and he schal not denye me to thee.
14 Howbeit he would not hearken vnto her voyce, but being stronger then she, forced her, and lay with her.
Sotheli he nolde assente to hir preieris; but he was strengere in myytis, and oppresside hir, and lay with hir.
15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her, was greater then the loue, wherewith hee had loued her: and Amnon sayde vnto her, Vp, get thee hence.
And `Amon hadde hir hateful bi ful grete haterede, so that the hatrede was gretter, bi which he hatide hir, than the loue bi which he louyde hir bifor. And Amon seide to hir, Rise thou, and go.
16 And she answered him, There is no cause: this euill (to put mee away) is greater then the other that thou diddest vnto me: but he would not heare her,
And sche answeride to hym, This yuel is more which thou doist now ayens me, and puttist me out, than that, that thou didist bifore. And he nolde here hir; but whanne the child was clepide,
17 But called his seruant that serued him, and sayd, Put this woman now out from me, and locke the doore after her.
that mynystride to hym, he seide, Putte thou out this womman fro me, and close thou the dore aftir hir.
18 (And she had a garment of diuers coulours vpon her: for with such garments were the Kings daughters that were virgins, apparelled) Then his seruant brought her out, and locked the doore after her.
And sche was clothid with a coote doun to the heele; for the kyngis douytris virgyns vsiden siche clothis. Therfor the mynystre of Amon puttide hir out, and closide the dore aftir hir.
19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and rent the garment of diuers colours which was on her, and layde her hand on her head, and went her way crying.
And sche spreynte aische to hir heed, whanne the coote to `the heele was to-rent, and whanne the hondis weren put on hir heed, and sche yede entrynge and criynge.
20 And Absalom her brother sayd vnto her, Hath Amnon thy brother bene with thee? Now yet be still, my sister: he is thy brother: let not this thing grieue thine heart. So Tamar remayned desolate in her brother Absaloms house.
Forsothe Absolon, hir brother, seide to hir, Whether Amon, thi brothir, hath leyn with thee? But `now, sister, be stille; he is thi brother, and turmente not thin herte for this thing. Therfor Thamar dwellide morenynge in the hows of Absolon, hir brothir.
21 But when King Dauid heard all these things, he was very wroth.
Forsothe whanne `kyng Dauid hadde herd these wordis, he was ful sori, and he nolde make sore the spyrit of Amon, his sone; for he louyde Amon, for he was the firste gendrid `to hym.
22 And Absalom sayde vnto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
Forsothe Absolon spak not to Amon, nether yuel nether good; for Absolon hatide Amon, for he hadde defoulid Thamar, his sistir.
23 And after the time of two yeeres, Absalom had sheepesherers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim, and Absalom called all the Kings sonnes.
Forsothe it was doon aftir the tyme of twei yeer, that the scheep of Absolon weren shorun in Baalasor, which is bisidis Effraym. And Absolon clepide alle the sones of the kyng.
24 And Absalom came to the King and sayd, Beholde now, thy seruant hath sheepesherers: I pray thee, that the King with his seruants would goe with thy seruant.
And he cam to the kyng, and seide to hym, Lo! the scheep of thi seruaunt ben schorun; Y preye, come the king with hise seruauntis to his seruaunt.
25 But the King answered Absalom, Nay my sonne, I pray thee, let vs not goe all, lest we be chargeable vnto thee. Yet Absalom lay sore vpon him: howbeit he would not go, but thanked him.
And the kyng seide to Absolon, Nyle thou, my sone, nyle thou preye, that alle we come, and greeue thee. Forsothe whanne he constreynede Dauid, and he nolde go, he blesside Absolon.
26 Then sayd Absalom, But, I pray thee, shall not my brother Amnon goe with vs? And the king answered him, Why should he go with thee?
And Absolon seide to Dauid, If thou nylt come, Y byseche, come nameli Amon, my brother, with vs. And the kyng seide to hym, It is no nede, that he go with thee.
27 But Absalom was instant vpon him, and he sent Amnon with him, and all the Kings children.
Therfor Absolon constreynede hym; and he delyuerede with him Amon, and alle the sones of the kyng. And Absolon hadde maad a feeste as the feeste of a kyng.
28 Now had Absalom commanded his seruants, saying, Marke now when Amnons heart is merry with wine, and when I say vnto you, Smite Amnon, kill him, feare not, for haue not I commanded you? be bold therefore, and play the men.
Sotheli Absolon comaundide to hise children, and seide, Aspie ye, whanne Amon is drunkun of wyn, and Y seie to you, Smyte ye, and sle hym. Nyle ye drede, for Y am that comaunde to you; be ye strengthid, and be ye stronge men.
29 And the seruantes of Absalom did vnto Amnon, as Absalom had commanded: and al the Kings sonnes arose, and euery man gate him vp vpon his mule, and fled.
Therfor the children of Absolon diden ayens Amon, as Absolon hadde comaundide to hem; and alle the sones of the kyng risiden, and stieden ech on his mule, and fledden.
30 And while they were in the way, tydings came to Dauid, saying, Absalom hath slaine al the Kings sonnes, and there is not one of them left.
And whanne thei yeden yit in the weie, fame cam to the kyng, and seide, Absolon hath kild alle the sones of the king, and `nameli not oon lefte of hem.
31 Then the King arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the ground, and all his seruants stoode by with their clothes rent.
Therfor the kyng roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and felde doun on the erthe; and alle hise seruauntis that stoden nyy to hym, to-renten her clothis.
32 And Ionadab the sonne of Shimeah Dauids brother answered and sayde, Let not my lord suppose that they haue slayne all the yong men the Kings sonnes: for Amnon onely is dead, because Absalom had reported so, since hee forced his sister Tamar.
Sotheli Jonadab, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, gesse not, that alle the children, and sones of the kyng, ben slayn; Amon aloone is deed, for he was set in hatrede to Absolon, fro the day in which he oppresside Thamar, his sistir.
33 Nowe therefore let not my lord the King take the thing so grieuously, to thinke that all ye Kings sonnes are dead: for Amnon only is dead.
Now therfor, my lord the kyng, set not this word on his herte, and seie, Alle the sones of the kyng ben slayn; for Amon aloone is deed.
34 Then Absalom fled: and the yong man that kept the watch, lift vp his eyes, and looked, and behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behinde him.
Forsothe Absolon fledde. And a child aspiere reiside hise iyen, and bihelde, and lo! myche puple cam bi a weye out of the comyn weie bi the side of the hil.
35 And Ionadab said vnto the King, Behold, ye Kings sonnes come: as thy seruant sayd, so it is.
And Jonadab seide to the kyng, Lo! the sones of the kyng comen; bi the word of thi seruaunt, so it is doon.
36 And assoone as hee had left speaking, behold, the Kings sonnes came, and lift vp their voyces, and wept: and the King also and all his seruants wept exceedingly sore.
And whanne he hadde ceessid to speke, also the sones of the kyng apperiden; and thei entriden, and reisiden her vois, and wepten; but also the kyng and alle his seruauntis wepten bi ful greet wepyng.
37 But Absalom fled away, and went to Talmai the sonne of Ammihur King of Geshur: and Dauid mourned for his sonne euery day.
Forsothe Absolon fledde, and yede to Tholmai, sone of Amyur, the kyng of Gessur. Therfor Dauid biweilide his sone Amon in many daies.
38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three yeeres.
Forsothe Absolon, whanne he hadde fled, and hadde come in to Gessur, was there thre yeer.
39 And King Dauid desired to go forth vnto Absalom, because he was pacified concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
And Dauid ceesside to pursue Absolon, for he was coumfortid on the deeth of Amon.

< 2 Samuel 13 >