2 Samuel 13
1 David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Another of David’s sons, Amnon, was attracted to Tamar.
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 He wanted [to have sex with] [EUP] his half-sister very much, with the result that he made himself sick [thinking about her all the time]. But it was not possible for Amnon to get her, because she was a virgin, [so they kept men away from 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 But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty/shrewd man.
But, Amnon, had a friend, whose name, was Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David’s brother, —and, Jonadab, was a very cunning man.
4 [One day] Jonadab said to Amnon, “You are the king’s son, but every day I see that [RHQ] you seem very depressed/sad. What is your problem?” Amnon replied, “I (am in love/want to sleep) [EUP] with Tamar, my half-brother Absalom’s sister.”
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 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend that you are sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Allow my half-sister Tamar to come and give me some food to eat. She can prepare the food while I am watching her. Then she can serve it to me herself.’”
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 So Amnon lay down, and pretended that he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “[I am sick; ] please allow my half-sister Tamar to come and make a couple scones/dumplings for me while I am watching, and then she can serve them to me.”
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 So David sent a message to Tamar in the palace, saying “Amnon [is sick and he wants you to] go to his house and prepare some 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 So Tamar went to Amnon’s house, where he was lying in bed. She took some dough and kneaded it, and formed it into some scones/dumplings while he was watching her. Then she baked them.
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 She took them out of the pan and put them [on a plate] in front of him, but he refused to eat them. Then he said to everyone else in the room, “All the rest of you, leave me now!” So all the others left his [room].
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 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into my room and serve it to me.” So Tamar took into his room the scones/dumplings that she had made.
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 But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me!”
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 She replied, “No, do not force me to do such a disgraceful thing! We never do things like that in Israel! That would be awful/terrible!
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 As for me, if I did that, I would not be able to [RHQ] endure being disgraced by having done that. And as for you, everyone in Israel would condemn you for having done such a disgraceful deed. So I plead with you, talk to the king. I am sure that he will allow me to marry 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 But he would not listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to have sex with him.
But he would not hearken unto her voice, —and, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her very much. He hated her much more than he had desired her. He said to her, “Get up and get out of here!”
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 But she said to him, “No! It would be very wrong for you to send me away. It would be worse than what you just did to me!” But he would not 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 He summoned his personal servant and said to him, “Take this woman outside, away from me, and lock the door [so that she cannot come in again]!”
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 So the servant put her outside and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with long sleeves, which was the clothing that was usually worn by the unmarried daughters of the king at that time.
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 But Tamar tore the long robe that she was wearing, and put ashes on her head [to show that she was very sad]. Then she put her hands on her head [to show that she was grieving], and she went away, 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 Her brother Absalom [saw her and] said to her, “Has your half-brother Amnon [DOU] forced you to have sex with him [EUP]? Please, my sister, do not tell anyone, and do not become depressed/sad.” So Tamar went to live in Absalom’s house, and she was very sad and lonely.
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 When King David heard about all that, he became very angry.
And, King David, heard all these things, —and it angered him greatly.
22 And Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister, so he would not speak to Amnon about anything.
And Absolom spake not with Amnon, either bad or good, —though Absolom hated Amnon, because he had forced Tamar his sister.
23 Two years later, Absalom’s servants were shearing sheep at Baal-Hazor, which is near [a town named] Ephraim. [When they finished shearing the sheep, they celebrated], and Absalom invited all the king’s sons [to come and celebrate].
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 Absalom went to the king and said to him, “Sir, my servants have been shearing my sheep. Please come with your officials [to celebrate] with us!”
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 But the king replied, “No, my son, it would not be good for all of us to go, because it would cause you to do a lot of work and spend a lot of money for food.” Absalom continued urging him, but the king would not go. Instead, he said that he hoped/desired that God would bless them [while they celebrated].
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 Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, please allow my half-brother Amnon to go with us.” But the king replied, “Why [do you want] him to 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 But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David’s other sons to go with Absalom.
And Absolom urged him, —so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
28 [So they all went. And at the celebration], Absalom commanded his servants, “Notice when Amnon has become a bit drunk from the wine. Then when I signal to you, kill him. Do not be afraid; you will be doing this [only] because I told you [RHQ] to do it. So be courageous and do it!”
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 So Absalom’s servants did what Absalom told them to do. [They killed Amnon]. All the rest of David’s sons [saw what happened and] fled, riding on their mules.
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 While they were on their way home, someone [went quickly and] reported to David, “Absalom has killed all of your other sons; none of them is still alive!”
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 The king stood up, tore his clothes [because he was extremely sad], and then he threw himself down on the ground. All the servants who were there also tore their clothes.
And the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the ground, —and all his servants who stood by rent their garments.
32 But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “Your Majesty, [I am sure that] they have not killed all your sons. [I am sure that] only Amnon is dead, because Absalom has determined to do this ever since the day that Amnon raped [EUP] his half-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 So, your majesty, do not believe the report that all your sons are dead. [I am sure that] only Amnon 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 In the meantime, Absalom ran away. Just then, the soldier/sentry [who was standing on the city wall] saw a large crowd of people coming down the hill along the road from Horonaim. [He ran and told the king what he had seen].
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 Jonadab said to the king, “Aha! What I told you is true. Your other sons [are alive and] have come!”
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 as soon as he said that, David’s sons came in. They all started crying, and David and all his officials also cried very much.
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 But Absalom had fled. He went to stay with the king of [the] Geshur [region], who was Talmai the son of Ammihud. Absalom stayed there for three years. David mourned for his son Amnon for a long time,
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,
But, Absolom, had fled, and had taken his journey to Geshur, —and it came to pass that he was there three years.
39 but after that, he desired very much to see Absalom, because he was no longer grieving about Amnon being 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.
