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.

It came about after this that Amnon son of David was very attracted to his beautiful half-sister Tamar, who was a full sister of Absalom, another of David's sons.

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.

Amnon was so frustrated that he became sick because of his sister Tamar. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to 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. Jonadab was a very shrewd 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.”

Jonadab said to Amnon, “Why, son of the king, are you depressed every morning? Will you not tell me?” So Amnon answered 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.”

Then Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him, 'Would you please send my sister Tamar to give me something to eat and cook it before me, so that I may see it and 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.”

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please send my sister Tamar to make some food for my sickness in front of me so that I may eat 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.”

Then David sent word to Tamar at his palace, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food 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,

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house where he was lying down. She took dough and kneaded it and formed bread in his sight, and then she baked it.

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.

She took the pan and gave the bread to him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said to the others present, “Send everyone out, away from me.” So everyone went out 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,

So Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into my room that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the bread that she had made, and brought it into the room of 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.”

When she had brought the food to him, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, sleep 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, “No, my brother, do not force me, for nothing like this should be done in Israel. Do not do this appalling thing!

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.”

How could I be rid of my shame? What about you? You would be like one of the fools in Israel! Now, please speak to the king, for he would not keep me from 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.

However Amnon would not listen to her. Since he was stronger than Tamar, he seized her and he slept 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 Tamar with extreme hatred. He hated her even more than he had desired her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and go.”

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 responded to him, “No! Because this great evil of making me leave is even worse than what you did to me!” But Amnon did not 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, he called his personal servant and said, “Take this woman away 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.

Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. Tamar was wearing a very decorated robe because the king's daughters who were virgins dressed that way.

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;

Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. She put her hands on her head and walked away, 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.

Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained alone 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 angry.

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

Absalom said nothing to Amnon, for Absalom hated him for what he had done to her and how he had disgraced 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.

It came about after two full years that Absalom had sheep shearers working at Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons to visit there.

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.”

Absalom went to the king and said, “Look now, your servant has sheep shearers. Please, may the king and his servants go with me, your 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.

The king answered Absalom, “No, my son, all of us should not go because we would be a burden to you.” Absalom begged the king, but he would not go, but he gave him his blessing.

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 Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” So the king said to him, “Why should Amnon go with you?”

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

Absalom pressed David, and 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.”

Absalom commanded his servants saying, “Listen closely. When Amnon begins to be affected by the wine, and when I say to you, 'Attack Amnon,' then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and brave.”

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 Absalom's servants did to Amnon as he had commanded them. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man mounted 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”;

So it came about, while they were on the road, that the news came to David saying, “Absalom has killed 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 tore his clothes, and lay on the floor; all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

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;

Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, “Let not my master believe that they have killed all the young men who are the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead. Absalom has planned this from the day that Amnon violated 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.”

So therefore let not my master the king take this report to heart, so as to believe 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.

Absalom fled away. A servant keeping watch raised his eyes and saw many people coming on the road on the hillside west of him.

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.”

Then Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king's sons are coming. It is just as your servant said.”

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.

So it came about when he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived and raised their voices and wept. The king and all his servants also wept bitterly.

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 son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. 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, where he was for three years.

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

The mind of King David longed to go out to see Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon and his death.