13:1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
13:2 Amnon became frustrated to the point of illness on account of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
13:3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
13:4 He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
13:5 “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’”
13:6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”
13:7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.”
13:8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it.
13:9 Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him.
13:10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.
13:11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
13:12 “Don’t, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me. Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing.
13:13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.”
13:14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
13:15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
13:16 “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.” But he refused to listen to her.
13:17 He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of here and bolt the door after her.”
13:18 So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore.
13:19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
13:20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
13:21 When King David heard all this, he was furious.
13:22 Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
13:23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there.
13:24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his officials please join me?”
13:25 “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go, but gave him his blessing.
13:26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?”
13:27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.
13:28 Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Have not I given you this order? Be strong and brave.”
13:29 So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
13:30 While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.”
13:31 The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
13:32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s expressed intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
13:33 My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
13:34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”
13:35 Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons are here; it has happened just as your servant said.”
13:36 As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.
13:37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned for his son every day.
13:38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years.
13:39 And the spirit of the king longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.
13:1 And some time after this, it so happened that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
13:2 And Amnon was so distraught that he made himself sick because of Tamar his sister; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.
13:3 Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very crafty man.
13:4 And he said to him, Why are you, O son of the king, so downcast morning after morning? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
13:5 And Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be sick; and when your father comes to see you, tell him, Please let Tamar my sister come and give me bread to eat, and let her make me food in my sight that I may see it and eat from her hand.
13:6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat them from her hand.
13:7 Then David sent word home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and make him food.
13:8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes.
13:9 And she took the pan and emptied it before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, Have all the men go out from me. And all the men went out from him.
13:10 And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into my room so that I may eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother in his room.
13:11 And when she brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister.
13:12 And she said to him, No, my brother. Do not force me, for such a thing should not be done in Israel. Do not commit this folly.
13:13 And where will I carry my shame? And you, you will be like one of the foolish men in Israel. Now therefore, speak to the king, I beg you; for he will not withhold me from you.
13:14 But he would not listen to her voice. And being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.
13:15 Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred, for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, Rise up and go.
13:16 But she said to him, Do not cause this greater wrong by sending me away, greater than the other that you have done to me. But he would not listen to her.
13:17 And he called his young man who served him and said, Send this woman away from me outside, and bolt the door behind her.
13:18 Now she had a long garment with sleeves, for the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in such robes. So his servant brought her outside and bolted the door behind her.
13:19 And Tamar put ashes upon her head and rent the long garment with sleeves that was upon her, and she put her hand on her head and went off, crying aloud as she went.
13:20 Then Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? But be quiet now, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart. And Tamar remained in her brother Absalom’s house, desolate.
13:21 And when King David heard about all these things, he was very angry.
13:22 But Absalom did not speak anything good or evil to Amnon, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had forced Tamar his sister.
13:23 Then after two full years, while Absalom had sheep shearers in Baal-hazor, which is by Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
13:24 And Absalom came to the king and said, Your servant now has sheep shearers. May the king and his servants go now with your servant.
13:25 But the king said to Absalom, No, my son; let us not all go, or we will be a burden to you. And he pressed him, but he would not go; yet he gave him his blessing.
13:26 Then Absalom said, If not, then let Amnon my brother go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you?
13:27 But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
13:28 And Absalom commanded his attendants, saying, Watch now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Do not be afraid; is it not I who have commanded you? Be strong and valiant.
13:29 And Absalom’s attendants did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. And all the king’s sons rose up, and each mounted his mule and fled.
13:30 And while they were on the way, the report came to David, namely, Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.
13:31 And the king rose up and rent his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their garments rent.
13:32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord think that all the young men, the sons of the king, have been killed, for Amnon alone is dead. For this has been determined by Absalom since the day Amnon forced Tamar his sister.
13:33 Now therefore let my lord the king not take the matter to heart, thinking that all the king’s sons are dead; for only Amnon is dead.
13:34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and there they were, a multitude of people coming from the road behind him at the side of the mountain.
13:35 Then Jonadab said to the king, Here come the king’s sons; as your servant has said, so has it been.
13:36 And when he had finished speaking, there came the king’s sons, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And the king and all his servants also wept exceedingly.
13:37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
13:38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur. And he was there three years.
13:39 And David the king longed to go out to Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.