2 Samuel 13

1 And it cometh to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David hath a fair sister, and her name [is] Tamar, and Amnon son of David loveth her.

It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 And Amnon hath distress — even to become sick, because of Tamar his sister, for she [is] a virgin, and it is hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her.

Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.

3 And Amnon hath 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. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.

4 and saith to him, 'Wherefore [art] thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, 'Tamar — sister of Absalom my brother — I am loving.'

He said to him, "Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

5 And Jonadab saith to him, 'Lie down on thy couch, and feign thyself sick, and thy father hath come in to see thee, and thou hast said unto him, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come in and give me bread to eat; and she hath made the food before mine eyes so that I see [it], and have eaten from her hand.'

Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.'"

6 And Amnon lieth down, and feigneth himself sick, and the king cometh in to see him, and Amnon saith unto the king, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come, and she maketh before mine eyes two cakes, and I eat from her hand.'

So Amnon lay down and faked being sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."

7 And David sendeth unto Tamar, to the house, saying, 'Go, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and make for him food.'

Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon and prepare food for him."

8 And Tamar goeth to the house of Amnon her brother, and he is lying down, and she taketh the dough, and kneadeth, and maketh cakes before his eyes, and cooketh 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 while he watched, and baked the cakes.

9 and taketh the frying-pan, and poureth out before him, and he refuseth to eat, and Amnon saith, 'Take ye out every one from me;' and they go out every one from him.

She took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Have all men leave me." Every man went out from him.

10 And Amnon saith unto Tamar, 'Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from thy hand;' and Tamar taketh the cakes that she hath made, and bringeth in to Amnon her brother, into the inner chamber,

Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the room, that I may eat from your hand." Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

11 and she bringeth nigh unto him to eat, and he layeth hold on her, and saith to her, 'Come, lie with me, my sister.'

When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."

12 And she saith to him, 'Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly.

She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me. For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this folly.

13 And I — whither do I cause my reproach to go? and thou — thou art as one of the fools in Israel; and now, speak, I pray thee, unto the king; for he doth not withhold me from thee.'

I, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you."

14 And he hath not been willing to hearken to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbleth her, and lieth with her.

However he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.

15 And Amnon hateth her — a very great hatred — that greater [is] the hatred with which he hath hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon saith to her, 'Rise, go.'

Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up, go away."

16 And she saith to him, 'Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that thou hast done with me — to send me away;' and he hath not been willing to hearken to her,

And Tamar said to him, "Don't, my brother, for this latter evil in sending me away is greater than the former thing that you did to me." But he would not listen to her.

17 and calleth his young man, his servant, and saith, 'Send away, I pray thee, this one from me without, and bolt the door after her;'

Then he called the young man who served him, and said, "Send this one away from me, and bolt the door after her."

18 — and upon her [is] a long coat, for such upper robes do daughters of the king who [are] virgins put on, — and his servant taketh her out without, and hath bolted the door after her.

Now she was wearing an ornamented robe, for this was what the king's virgin daughters used to wear. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

19 And Tamar taketh ashes for her head, and the long coat that [is] on her she hath rent, and putteth her hand on her head, and goeth, going on and crying;

And Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and tore the long robe she was wearing. And she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 and Absalom her brother saith unto her, 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, keep silent, he [is] thy brother; set not thy heart to this thing;' and Tamar dwelleth — but desolate — in the house of Absalom her brother.

And her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this too seriously." So Tamar, devastated, lived in her brother Absalom's house.

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

But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry. But he did not inflict pain on the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.

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

Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

23 And it cometh to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom hath shearers in Baal-Hazor, which [is] with Ephraim, and Absalom calleth for all the sons of the king.

It happened after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

24 And Absalom cometh unto the king, and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath shearers, let the king go, I pray thee, and his servants, with thy servant.'

Absalom came to the king, and said, "See now, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant."

25 And the king saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray thee, and we are not too heavy on thee;' and he presseth on him, and he hath not been willing to go, and he blesseth him.

The king said to Absalom, "No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you." But he pleaded with him; however he would not go, but blessed him.

26 And Absalom saith, 'If not — let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us;' and the king saith to him, 'Why doth he go with thee?'

Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

27 and Absalom urgeth on him, and he sendeth with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king.

But Absalom pleaded with him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom prepared a feast like a king's feast.

28 And Absalom commandeth his young men, saying, 'See, I pray thee, when the heart of Amnon [is] glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that ye have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valour.'

And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine, and when I tell you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not be afraid. Haven't I commanded you? Be strong and brave."

29 And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and rise do all the sons of the king, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee.

So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons got up, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 And it cometh to pass — they [are] in the way — and the report hath come unto David, saying, 'Absalom hath smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one;'

And it happened, while they were on the way, that the news came to David, saying, "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left."

31 and the king riseth, and rendeth his garments, and lieth on the earth, and all his servants are standing by [with] rent garments.

Then the king got up and tore his clothes and lay down on the ground. And all the servants who were standing around him also tore their clothes.

32 And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answereth and saith, 'Let not 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 by the command of Absalom it hath been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister;

But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord the king must not think that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for only Amnon is dead. For this has been Absalom's plan since the day that he raped his sister Tamar.

33 and now, let not my lord the king lay unto his heart the word, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone [is] dead.'

Now therefore do not let 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 fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and he saw many men coming on the road behind him from the side of the mountain in the descent. And the watchman came and told the king, and said, "I have seen many men coming from the Horonan road by the side of the mountain."

35 And Jonadab saith unto the king, 'Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of thy servant, so it hath been.'

Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the king's sons are coming. It is as your servant said."

36 And it cometh to pass at his finishing to speak, that lo, 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.

It happened, as soon as he had finished speaking, that look, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept. The king also and all his servants wept bitterly.

37 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and [David] mourneth for his son all the days.

And David mourned for his son every day.

38 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth to Geshur, and is there three years;

And Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and was there three years.

39 and [the soul of] king David determineth to go out unto Absalom, for he hath been comforted for Amnon, for [he is] dead.

And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled about the death of Amnon.