2 Samuel 13

1 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.

David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Another of David’s sons, Amnon, was attracted to Tamar.

2 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.

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].

3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty/shrewd man.

4 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.”

[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.”

5 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?'”

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.’”

6 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.”

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.”

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

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.”

8 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.

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.

9 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.

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].

10 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.

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.

11 When she had brought the food to him, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, sleep with me, my sister.”

But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me!”

12 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!

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!

13 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.”

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.”

14 However Amnon would not listen to her. Since he was stronger than Tamar, he seized her and he slept with her.

But he would not listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to have sex with him.

15 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.”

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!”

16 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.

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.

17 Instead, he called his personal servant and said, “Take this woman away from me, and bolt the door after her.”

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]!”

18 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.

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.

19 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.

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.

20 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.

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.

21 But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.

When King David heard about all that, he became very angry.

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

And Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister, so he would not speak to Amnon about anything.

23 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.

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].

24 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.”

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!”

25 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.

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].

26 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?”

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?”

27 Absalom pressed David, and so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David’s other sons to go with Absalom.

28 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.”

[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!”

29 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.

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.

30 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.”

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!”

31 Then the king arose and tore his clothes, and lay on the floor; all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

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.

32 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.

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.

33 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.”

So, your majesty, do not believe the report that all your sons are dead. [I am sure that] only Amnon is dead.”

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

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].

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

Jonadab said to the king, “Aha! What I told you is true. Your other sons [are alive and] have come!”

36 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.

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.

37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. David mourned for his son every day.

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,

38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, where he was for three years.

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

but after that, he desired very much to see Absalom, because he was no longer grieving about Amnon being dead.