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 Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

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 Amnon was so distressed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do any thing unto 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,

But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle 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 unto him: 'Why, O son of the king, art thou thus becoming leaner from day to day? wilt thou not tell me?' And Amnon said unto him: 'I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'

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 unto him: 'Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself sick; and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him: Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and 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 feigned himself sick; and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king: 'Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, 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 Tamar, saying: 'Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him food.'

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,

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.

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 she took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said: 'Have out all men from me.' And they went out every man from him.

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,

And Amnon said unto Tamar: 'Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat of thy hand.' And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

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 brought them near unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her: '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.

And she answered him: 'Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this wanton deed.

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.”

And I, whither shall I carry my shame? and as for thee, thou wilt be as one of the base men in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from 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.

Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced 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 exceeding great hatred; for the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her: 'Arise, be 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,

And she said unto him: 'Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is worse than the other that thou didst unto me.' But he would not hearken unto 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.”

Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said: 'Put now this woman out from me, and bolt 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.

Now she had a garment of many colours upon her; for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. — And his servant brought her out, and bolted 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 Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of many colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

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 unto her: 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but now hold thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart.' So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

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

But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

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

And Absalom spoke unto Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced 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.

And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside 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 Absalom 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 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, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome unto thee.' And he pressed him; howbeit he would not go, but 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?”

Then said Absalom: 'If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us.' And the king said unto him: 'Why should he 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, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

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 commanded his servants, saying: 'Mark ye now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine; and when I say unto you: Smite Amnon, then kill him, fear not; have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.'

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 unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up 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 it came to pass, while they were in the way, that the tidings 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 arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

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;

And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said: 'Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced 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 take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; 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. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people in a roundabout way by the hill-side.

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 unto 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 it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.

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 Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

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

So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and 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 the soul of king David failed with longing for Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.