2 Samuel 13

1 And it comes to pass afterward that Absalom son of David has a beautiful sister, and her name [is] Tamar, and Amnon son of David loves her.

Now after these things, it happened that Amnon, the son of David, was in love with the very beautiful sister of Absalom, the son of David, and she was called Tamar.

2 And Amnon has distress—even to become sick, because of his sister Tamar, for she [is] a virgin, and it is hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her.

And he pined for her exceedingly, so much so that, out of love for her, he became ill. For, since she was a virgin, it seemed a difficulty to him that he would do anything dishonest with her.

3 And Amnon has a friend, and his name [is] Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David’s brother, and Jonadab [is] a very wise man,

Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, the brother of David: a very prudent man.

4 and says to him, “Why [are] you thus lean, O king’s son, morning by morning? Do you not declare [it] to me?” And Amnon says to him, “Tamar—sister of my brother Absalom—I am loving.”

And he said to him: “Why are you becoming so thin from day to day, O son of the king? Why won’t you tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”

5 And Jonadab says to him, “Lie down on your bed, and feign yourself sick, and your father has come in to see you, and you have said to him: Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me bread to eat; and she has made the food before my eyes so that I see [it], and have eaten from her hand.”

And Jonadab said to him: “Lie down upon your bed, and feign sickness. And when your father will come to visit you, say to him: ‘I ask you to let my sister Tamar come to me, so that she may give me food, and may make a small meal, so that I may eat it from her hand.’”

6 And Amnon lies down, and feigns himself sick, and the king comes in to see him, and Amnon says to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come, and she makes two cakes before my eyes, and I eat from her hand.”

And so, Amnon lay down, and he began to act as if he were ill. And when the king had come to visit him, Amnon said to the king, “I beg you to let my sister Tamar come to me, and make in my sight two little portions of food, so that I take it from her hand.”

7 And David sends to Tamar, to the house, saying, “Now go to the house of your brother Amnon and make food for him.”

Therefore, David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Come to the house of your brother Amnon, and make a small meal for him.”

8 And Tamar goes to the house of her brother Amnon, and he is lying down, and she takes the dough, and kneads, and makes cakes before his eyes, and cooks the cakes,

And Tamar went into the house of her brother Amnon. But he was lying down. And taking flour, she mixed it. And dissolving it in his sight, she cooked little portions of food.

9 and takes the frying-pan, and pours out before him, and he refuses to eat, and Amnon says, “Have everyone go out from me”; and everyone goes out from him.

And taking what she had cooked, she poured it out, and she set it before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send everyone away from me.” And when they had sent everyone away,

10 And Amnon says to Tamar, “Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from your hand”; and Tamar takes the cakes that she has made and brings [them] to her brother Amnon [in] the inner chamber,

Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat from your hand.” Therefore, Tamar took the little portions of food that she had made, and she brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.

11 and she brings [them] near to him to eat, and he lays hold on her, and says to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

And when she had presented the food to him, he took hold of her, and he said, “Come lie with me, my sister.”

12 And she says to him, “No, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not do this folly.

She answered him: “Do not do so, my brother! Do not force me. For no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not choose to do this senseless act.

13 And I—to where do I cause my reproach to go? And you are as one of the fools in Israel; and now, please speak to the king; for he does not withhold me from you.”

For I will not be able to bear my shame. And you will be like one of the foolish in Israel. For it is better to speak to the king, and he will not deny me to you.”

14 And he has not been willing to listen to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbles her, and lies with her.

But he was not willing to agree to her petition. Instead, prevailing by strength, he forced her, and he lay with her.

15 And Amnon hates her—a very great hatred—that greater [is] the hatred with which he has hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon says to her, “Rise, go.”

And Amnon held hatred for her with an exceedingly great hatred, so much so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before. And Amnon said to her, “Rise up, and go away.”

16 And she says to him, “Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that you have done with me—to send me away”; and he has not been willing to listen to her,

And she answered him, “This evil is greater, which you are now doing against me in driving me away, than what you did before.” But he was not willing to listen to her.

17 and calls his young man, his servant, and says, “Now send this one away from me outside, and bolt the door after her.”

Instead, calling the servants who were ministering to him, he said, “Cast this woman out from me, and close the door behind her.”

18 And a long coat [is] on her, for such upper robes daughters of the king who [are] virgins put on—and his servant takes her outside, and has bolted the door after her.

Now she was clothed with an ankle-length robe. For the virgin daughters of the king made use of this kind of garment. And so, his servant cast her out, and he closed the door behind her.

19 And Tamar takes ashes for her head, and has torn the long coat that [is] on her, and puts her hand on her head, and goes, going on and crying;

And she sprinkled ashes upon her head, and she tore her ankle-length robe. And placing her hands upon her head, she went forth, walking and crying out.

20 and her brother Absalom says to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? And now, my sister, keep silent, he [is] your brother; do not set your heart to this thing”; and Tamar dwells—but desolate—in the house of her brother Absalom.

Then her brother Absalom said to her: “Has your brother Amnon lain with you? But now, sister, be quiet. For he is your brother. And you should not afflict your heart because of this matter.” And so, Tamar remained, wasting away in the house of her brother Absalom.

21 And King David has heard all these things, and it is very displeasing to him;

And when king David had heard about these things, he was deeply grieved. But he was not willing to afflict the spirit of his son Amnon. For he loved him, since he was his firstborn.

22 and Absalom has not spoken with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom is hating Amnon, because that he humbled his sister Tamar.

Yet Absalom did not speak to Amnon, neither good nor evil. For Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

23 And it comes to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom has shearers in Ba‘al-Hazor, which [is] near Ephraim, and Absalom calls for all the sons of the king.

Then, after the time of two years, it happened that the sheep of Absalom were being shorn in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim. And Absalom invited all the sons of the king.

24 And Absalom comes to the king and says, “Now behold, your servant has shearers, please let the king go—and his servants—with your servant.”

And he went to the king, and he said to him: “Behold, the sheep of your servant are being shorn. I ask that the king, with his servants, may come to his servant.”

25 And the king says to Absalom, “No, my son, please let us not all go, and we are not too heavy on you”; and he presses on him, and he has not been willing to go, and he blesses him.

And the king said to Absalom: “Do not, my son, do not choose to ask that we may all come and be a burden to you.” Then, after he urged him, and he had refused to go, he blessed him.

26 And Absalom says, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us”; and the king says to him, “Why does he go with you?”

And Absalom said, “If you are not willing to come, I beg you, at least let my brother Amnon come with us.” And the king said to him, “It is not necessary that he go with you.”

27 And Absalom urges for him, and he sends Amnon and all the sons of the king with him.

But Absalom pressed him, and so he sent with him Amnon and all the sons of the king. And Absalom made a feast, like the feast of a king.

28 And Absalom commands his young men, saying, “Now see, when the heart of Amnon [is] glad with wine, and I have said to you, Strike Amnon, that you have put him to death; do not fear; is it not because I have commanded you? Be strong, indeed, become sons of valor.”

Then Absalom commanded his servants, saying: “Observe when Amnon will have become drunk with wine. And when I say to you, ‘Strike and kill him!’ do not be afraid. For it is I who commands you. Be strong and valiant men.”

29 And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and all the sons of the king rise, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee.

Therefore, the servants of Absalom acted against Amnon, just as Absalom had commanded them. And all the sons of the king rose up, and each one climbed upon his mule and fled.

30 And it comes to pass—they [are] in the way—and the report has come to David, saying, “Absalom has struck all the sons of the king, and there is not left [even] one of them”;

And while they were still traveling on the journey, a rumor reached David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king, and there is not one of them remaining.”

31 and the king rises, and tears his garments, and lies on the earth, and all his servants are standing by [with] torn garments.

And so the king rose up, and he tore his garments, and he fell upon the ground. And all his servants, who were standing near him, tore their garments.

32 And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answers and says, “Do not let my lord say, The whole of the young men, the sons of the king, they have put to death; for Amnon alone [is] dead, for it has been appointed by the command of Absalom from the day of his humbling his sister Tamar;

But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, responding, said: “My lord the king should not consider that all the sons of the king have been slain. Amnon alone is dead. For he was set against by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he raped his sister Tamar.

33 and now, do not let my lord the king lay the word to his heart, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone [is] dead.”

Now therefore, let not my lord the king set this word in his heart, saying, ‘All the sons of the king have been slain.’ For only Amnon is dead.”

34 And Absalom flees, and the young man who is watching lifts up his eyes and looks, and behold, many people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

Now Absalom fled. And the young man keeping watch, lifted up his eyes and gazed out. And behold, many people were arriving along a remote road at the side of the mountain.

35 And Jonadab says to the king, “Behold, the sons of the king have come; as the word of your servant, so it has been.”

And Jonadab said to the king: “Behold, the sons of the king are here. In accord with the word of your servant, so it has happened.”

36 And it comes to pass at his finishing to speak, that behold, the sons of the king have come, and they lift up their voice, and weep, and also the king and all his servants have wept—a very great weeping.

And when he had ceased speaking, the sons of the king also appeared. And entering, they lifted up their voice, and they wept. And the king also, and all his servants, wept with an exceedingly great weeping.

37 And Absalom has fled, and goes to Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and [David] mourns for his son all the days.

But Absalom, fleeing, went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Then David mourned for his son every day.

38 And Absalom has fled, and goes to Geshur, and is there [for] three years;

Now after he had fled and had arrived in Geshur, Absalom was in that place for three years.

39 and King David determines to go out to Absalom, for he has been comforted for Amnon, for [he is] dead.

And king David ceased to pursue Absalom, because he had been consoled over the passing of Amnon.