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, Absolom, son of David, having a beautiful sister, whose name, was Tamar, Amnon 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 it so troubled Amnon, that he made himself ill on account of Tamar his sister, for, a virgin, was she, and it was monstrous in Amnon’s own eyes, to do, anything, 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, son of Shimeah, David’s brother, —and, Jonadab, was a very cunning 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.”

So he said to him, —Why art thou looking so wretched—a king’s son too—morning by morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, With Tamar, my brother Absolom’s sister, am I in love.

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: Take to thy bed, and feign thyself ill, —and, when thy father cometh in to see thee, then shalt thou say unto him—I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, that she may give me food, and let her prepare, before mine eyes, some delicacy, to the end that I may see [it made], and so eat 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 took to his bed, and feigned himself ill, —and, when the king came in to see him, Amnon said unto the king—I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make ready before mine eyes a couple of cakes, 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.”

So David sent unto Tamar, in the house—saying, —Come, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and prepare him enticing 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,

And Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, he having taken to his bed, —and took dough and kneaded it, and folded it before his eyes, and baked 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.

Then took she the pan and put them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said—Have forth every one from me. And they went out every one 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,

Then said Amnon unto Tamar—Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat out of thine own hand. So Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them in to Amnon her brother, 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 brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to 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.

But she said to him—Nay! my brother, do not force me, for it should not be done so in Israel, —do not commit this vileness.

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 could I take my reproach? Thou, too, wouldest be as one of the vile fellows, in Israel. Now, therefore, speak, I pray thee, unto the king, for he would 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.

But he would not hearken unto her voice, —and, being stronger than she, 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 did Amnon hate her with a very great hatred, for, greater, was the hatred wherewith he hated her, than the love wherewith he had loved her, —so Amnon said to her—Rise—begone!

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,

But she said to him—No occasion for this greater wrong, after what thou hast done with me, to put me away! Nevertheless 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.”

but called his young man who waited on him, and said—I pray you, put forth this woman from me, outside, —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 upon her a long tunic, for, so, used king’s daughters to apparel themselves, when they were virgins, in robes. And his attendant took her forth, outside, 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 upon her head, and, the long tunic that was upon her, she rent, —and put her hand upon her head, and went her way, crying out 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 Absolom her brother said unto her—Hath, Amnon thy brother, been with thee? Now, therefore, my sister, hold thy peace—thy brother, he is, do not lay to thy heart, this thing. But Tamar remained, and was desolate in the house of Absolom her brother.

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

And, King David, heard all these things, —and it angered him greatly.

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 Absolom spake not with Amnon, either bad or good, —though Absolom hated Amnon, because he had forced Tamar his sister.

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 of days, that Absolom had, sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephron, —and Absolom 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.”

Absolom came also unto the king, and said, See, I pray thee, thy servant hath, sheepshearers, —I pray thee, let the king 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 unto Absolom—Nay! my son, do not, I pray thee, let us all go, lest we be burdensome upon thee. And, though he urged him, 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 Absolom, If not, then, I pray thee, let Amnon my brother go with us. And the king said unto him, Wherefore should he go with thee?

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

And Absolom urged him, —so 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.”

Now Absolom had commanded his young men, saying—Mark, I pray you, when the heart of Amnon is merry with wine, and I say unto you—Smite ye Amnon, then shall ye put him to death, do not fear, —have not, I myself, commanded you? Be bold, and show yourselves to be sons of valour.

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.

So Absolom’s young men did to Amnon as Absolom had commanded. Then arose all the king’s sons, and rode away—each man on 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 yet on the road, that, the report, reached David, saying, —Absolom hath smitten all the king’s sons, and there is not left of them, one.

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 the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the ground, —and all his servants who stood by 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;

Then responded Jonadab son of Shimeah David’s brother, and said—Let not my lord say that they have put, all the young men—the king’s sons, to death; for, Amnon alone, is dead; for, by the bidding of Absolom, was it appointed, from the day that he forced Tamar his sister.

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 lay to his heart such a thing—to say, All the king’s sons, are dead, —but, Amnon alone, 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 Absolom had fled. And the young man that was watching lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! much people, coming on the road behind him, on the mountain-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.”

So Jonadab said unto the king, Lo! the king’s sons, are come, —according to the word of thy servant, so hath it come to pass.

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 so it was, as he made an end of speaking, that lo! the king’s sons, came, and lifted up their voice and wept, —the king also, and all his servants, wept with an exceeding 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, Absolom, had fled, and had taken his journey unto Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David the king mourned for his son continually,

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

But, Absolom, had fled, and had taken his journey to Geshur, —and it came to pass that he 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 spirit of the king pined to go forth unto Absolom, —for he had consoled himself over Amnon, in that he was dead.