Ii Samuelis 13
1 Factum est autem post hæc ut Absalom filii David sororem speciosissimam, vocabulo Thamar, adamaret Amnon filius David,
David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Another of David’s sons, Amnon, was attracted to Tamar.
2 et deperiret eam valde, ita ut propter amorem ejus ægrotaret: quia cum esset virgo, difficile ei videbatur ut quippiam inhoneste ageret cum ea.
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 Erat autem Amnon amicus nomine Jonadab, filius Semmaa fratris David, vir prudens valde.
But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty/shrewd man.
4 Qui dixit ad eum: Quare sic attenuaris macie, fili regis, per singulos dies? cur non indicas mihi? Dixitque ei Amnon: Thamar sororem fratris mei Absalom amo.
[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 Cui respondit Jonadab: Cuba super lectum tuum, et languorem simula: cumque venerit pater tuus ut visitet te, dic ei: Veniat, oro, Thamar soror mea, ut det mihi cibum, et faciat pulmentum, ut comedam de manu ejus.
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 Accubuit itaque Amnon, et quasi ægrotare cœpit: cumque venisset rex ad visitandum eum, ait Amnon ad regem: Veniat, obsecro, Thamar soror mea, ut faciat in oculis meis duas sorbitiunculas, et cibum capiam de manu ejus.
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 Misit ergo David ad Thamar domum, dicens: Veni in domum Amnon fratris tui, et fac ei pulmentum.
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 Venitque Thamar in domum Amnon fratris sui: ille autem jacebat. Quæ tollens farinam commiscuit, et liquefaciens, in oculis ejus coxit sorbitiunculas.
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 Tollensque quod coxerat, effudit, et posuit coram eo, et noluit comedere: dixitque Amnon: Ejicite universos a me. Cumque ejecissent omnes,
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 dixit Amnon ad Thamar: Infer cibum in conclave, ut vescar de manu tua. Tulit ergo Thamar sorbitiunculas quas fecerat, et intulit ad Amnon fratrem suum in conclave.
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 Cumque obtulisset ei cibum, apprehendit eam, et ait: Veni, cuba mecum, soror mea.
But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me!”
12 Quæ respondit ei: Noli frater mi, noli opprimere me: neque enim hoc fas est in Israël: noli facere stultitiam hanc.
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 Ego enim ferre non potero opprobrium meum, et tu eris quasi unus de insipientibus in Israël: quin potius loquere ad regem, et non negabit me tibi.
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 Noluit autem acquiescere precibus ejus, sed prævalens viribus oppressit eam, et cubavit cum ea.
But he would not listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to have sex with him.
15 Et exosam eam habuit Amnon odio magno nimis: ita ut majus esset odium quo oderat eam, amore quo ante dilexerat. Dixitque ei Amnon: Surge, et vade.
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 Quæ respondit ei: Majus est hoc malum quod nunc agis adversum me, quam quod ante fecisti, expellens me. Et noluit audire eam:
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 sed vocato puero qui ministrabat ei, dixit: Ejice hanc a me foras, et claude ostium post eam.
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 Quæ induta erat talari tunica: hujuscemodi enim filiæ regis virgines vestibus utebantur. Ejecit itaque eam minister illius foras: clausitque fores post eam.
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 Quæ aspergens cinerem capiti suo, scissa talari tunica, impositisque manibus super caput suum, ibat ingrediens, et clamans.
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 Dixit autem ei Absalom frater suus: Numquid Amnon frater tuus concubuit tecum? sed nunc soror, tace: frater tuus est: neque affligas cor tuum pro hac re. Mansit itaque Thamar contabescens in domo Absalom fratris sui.
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 Cum autem audisset rex David verba hæc, contristatus est valde: et noluit contristare spiritum Amnon filii sui, quoniam diligebat eum, quia primogenitus erat ei.
When King David heard about all that, he became very angry.
22 Porro non est locutus Absalom ad Amnon nec malum nec bonum: oderat enim Absalom Amnon, eo quod violasset Thamar sororem suam.
And Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister, so he would not speak to Amnon about anything.
23 Factum est autem post tempus biennii ut tonderentur oves Absalom in Baalhasor, quæ est juxta Ephraim: et vocavit Absalom omnes filios regis,
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 venitque ad regem, et ait ad eum: Ecce tondentur oves servi tui: veniat, oro, rex cum servis suis ad servum suum.
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 Dixitque rex ad Absalom: Noli fili mi, noli rogare ut veniamus omnes et gravemus te. Cum autem cogeret eum, et noluisset ire, benedixit ei.
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 Et ait Absalom: Si non vis venire, veniat, obsecro, nobiscum saltem Amnon frater meus. Dixitque ad eum rex: Non est necesse ut vadat tecum.
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 Coëgit itaque Absalom eum, et dimisit cum eo Amnon et universos filios regis. Feceratque Absalom convivium quasi convivium regis.
But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David’s other sons to go with Absalom.
28 Præceperat autem Absalom pueris suis, dicens: Observate cum temulentus fuerit Amnon vino, et dixero vobis: Percutite eum, et interficite: nolite timere: ego enim sum qui præcipio vobis: roboramini, et estote viri fortes.
[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 Fecerunt ergo pueri Absalom adversum Amnon sicut præceperat eis Absalom. Surgentesque omnes filii regis ascenderunt singuli mulas suas, et fugerunt.
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 Cumque adhuc pergerent in itinere, fama pervenit ad David, dicens: Percussit Absalom omnes filios regis, et non remansit ex eis saltem unus.
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 Surrexit itaque rex, et scidit vestimenta sua, et cecidit super terram: et omnes servi illius qui assistebant ei, sciderunt vestimenta sua.
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 Respondens autem Jonadab filius Semmaa fratris David, dixit: Ne æstimet dominus meus rex quod omnes pueri filii regis occisi sint: Amnon solus mortuus est, quoniam in ore Absalom erat positus ex die qua oppressit Thamar sororem ejus.
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 Nunc ergo ne ponat dominus meus rex super cor suum verbum istud, dicens: Omnes filii regis occisi sunt: quoniam Amnon solus mortuus est.
So, your majesty, do not believe the report that all your sons are dead. [I am sure that] only Amnon is dead.”
34 Fugit autem Absalom. Et elevavit puer speculator oculos suos, et aspexit: et ecce populus multus veniebat per iter devium ex latere montis.
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 Dixit autem Jonadab ad regem: Ecce filii regis adsunt: juxta verbum servi tui, sic factum est.
Jonadab said to the king, “Aha! What I told you is true. Your other sons [are alive and] have come!”
36 Cumque cessasset loqui, apparuerunt et filii regis: et intrantes levaverunt vocem suam, et fleverunt: sed et rex et omnes servi ejus fleverunt ploratu magno nimis.
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 Porro Absalom fugiens abiit ad Tholomai filium Ammiud regem Gessur. Luxit ergo David filium suum cunctis diebus.
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 Absalom autem cum fugisset, et venisset in Gessur, fuit ibi tribus annis.
39 Cessavitque rex David persequi Absalom, eo quod consolatus esset super Amnon interitu.
but after that, he desired very much to see Absalom, because he was no longer grieving about Amnon being dead.
