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.

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.

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 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.

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 Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise 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 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.

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 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.

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.”

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.

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

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

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 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.

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 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,

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 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.

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 him the meat, he took hold of her, and 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 so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly.

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 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.

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 would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger overpowered her and 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.”

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.

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,

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:

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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:

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 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.

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: 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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.

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 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.

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 take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king’s sons are slain: for Amnon only 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.

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.

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 king’s sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.

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 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.

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

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

And Absalom after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there 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 after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Amnon.