2 Samuel, 13

1. After this, the following events took place. Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; Amnon son of David fell in love with her.

1. Now Ab'salom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her.

2. Amnon was so obsessed with his sister Tamar that it made him ill, since she was a virgin and Amnon thought it impossible to do anything to her.

2. And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.

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

3. But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jon'adab, the son of Shim'e-ah, David's brother; and Jon'adab was a very crafty man.

4. 'Son of the king,' he said, 'tell me why, morning after morning, you look so worn? Won't you tell me?' Amnon replied, 'I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'

4. And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Ab'salom's sister."

5. Then Jonadab said, 'Take to your bed, pretend to be ill and, when your father comes to visit you, say, "Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat; let her prepare the food where I can see. What she gives me I shall eat." '

5. Jon'adab said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, `Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.'"

6. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. The king then came to visit him and Amnon said to the king, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and make a cake or two where I can watch. What she gives me, I shall eat.'

6. So Amnon lay down, and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Pray let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."

7. David then sent word to Tamar at the palace, 'Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare some food for him.'

7. Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him."

8. Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon who was lying there in bed. She took dough and kneaded it, and she made some cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes.

8. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

9. She then took the pan and dished them up in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, 'Let everyone leave me!' So everyone withdrew.

9. And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Send out every one from me." So every one went out from him.

10. Amnon then said to Tamar, 'Bring the food to the inner room, so that I can eat what you give me.' So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the inner room.

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

11. And as she was offering the food to him, he caught hold of her and said, 'Come to bed with me, sister!'

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

12. She replied, 'No, brother! Do not force me! This is no way to behave in Israel. Do not do anything so disgraceful!

12. She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this wanton folly.

13. Wherever should I go? I should be marked with this shame, while you would become disgraced in Israel. Why not go and speak to the king? He will not refuse to give me to you.'

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

14. But he would not listen to her; he overpowered her and raped her.

14. But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her.

15. Amnon was then seized with extreme hatred for her; the hatred he now felt for her was greater than his earlier love. 'Get up and go!' he said.

15. Then Amnon hated her with very great 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, "Arise, be gone."

16. She said, 'No, brother! To send me away would be worse than the other wrong you have done me!' But he would not listen to her.

16. But she said to him, "No, my brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other which you did to me." But he would not listen to her.

17. He called his personal servant. 'Rid me of this woman!' he said. 'Throw her out and bolt the door behind her!'

17. He called the young man who served him and said, "Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her."

18. (She was wearing a magnificent dress, for this was what the king's unmarried daughters wore in days gone by.) So the servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

18. Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for thus were the virgin daughters of the king clad of old. So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her.

19. Tamar put dust on her head, tore the magnificent dress which she was wearing, laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.

19. And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent the long robe which she wore; and she laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20. Her brother Absalom said to her, 'Has Amnon your brother been with you? Sister, be quiet; he is your brother; do not take the matter to heart!' Tamar, however, went back to her brother Absalom's house inconsolable.

20. And her brother Ab'salom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this to heart." So Tamar dwelt, a desolate woman, in her brother Ab'salom's house.

21. When King David heard the whole story, he was very angry; but he had no wish to harm his son Amnon, whom he loved because he was his first-born.

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

22. Absalom, however, would not so much as speak to Amnon, since he hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

22. But Ab'salom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Ab'salom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

23. Two years later, when Absalom had the sheep-shearers at Baal-Hazor, which is near Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons.

23. After two full years Ab'salom had sheepshearers at Ba'al-ha'zor, which is near E'phraim, and Ab'salom invited all the king's sons.

24. Absalom went to the king and said, 'Now sir, your servant has the sheep-shearers. Will the king and his retinue be pleased to come with your servant?'

24. And Ab'salom came to the king, and said, "Behold, your servant has sheepshearers; pray let the king and his servants go with your servant."

25. 'No, my son,' the king replied, 'we must not all come and be a burden to you.' And though Absalom was insistent, he would not go but dismissed him.

25. But the king said to Ab'salom, "No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you." He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing.

26. Absalom persisted, 'Then at least let my brother Amnon come with us.' The king said, 'Why should he go with you?'

26. Then Ab'salom said, "If not, pray let my brother Amnon go with us." And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

27. On Absalom's insistence, however, he let Amnon and all the king's sons to go with him. Absalom prepared a royal banquet

27. But Ab'salom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

28. and then gave this order to the servants, 'Listen carefully; when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and I say, "Strike Amnon down", then kill him. Don't be afraid. Have I not myself given you the order? Use your strength and show your mettle!'

28. Then Ab'salom commanded his servants, "Mark when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, `Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Fear not; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant."

29. Absalom's servants treated Amnon as Absalom had ordered. The king's sons all leapt to their feet, mounted their mules and fled.

29. So the servants of Ab'salom did to Amnon as Ab'salom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30. While they were on the road, word reached David, 'Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one of them is left.'

30. While they were on the way, tidings came to David, "Ab'salom has slain all the king's sons, and not one of them is left."

31. The king stood up, tore his clothes and threw himself on the ground. All his officers tore their clothes too.

31. Then the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants who were standing by rent their garments.

32. Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, then spoke up and said, 'Do not let my lord take to heart the report that all the young men, the king's sons, have been killed, since only Amnon is dead: for Absalom has been promising himself to do this since the day when Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

32. But Jon'adab the son of Shim'e-ah, David's brother, said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead, for by the command of Ab'salom this has been determined from the day he forced his sister Tamar.

33. So my lord the king must not imagine that all the king's sons are dead; only Amnon is dead

33. Now therefore let not my lord the king so take it to heart as to suppose that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon alone is dead."

34. and Absalom has fled.' The man on sentry duty looked up and saw a large troop coming along the road from Bahurim. The sentry came to tell the king, 'I have seen some people coming down the Bahurim road on the mountainside.'

34. But Ab'salom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the Horona'im road by the side of the mountain.

35. Jonadab then said to the king, 'These are the king's sons arriving: what your servant said is exactly what happened.'

35. And Jon'adab said to the king, "Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about."

36. He had scarcely finished speaking when the king's sons arrived and wept aloud; the king and all his retinue wept aloud too.

36. And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37. Absalom had gone to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. The king mourned for his son every day.

37. But Ab'salom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammi'hud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day.

38. When Absalom had gone to Geshur, he stayed there for three years.

38. So Ab'salom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

39. Once the king was consoled over Amnon's death, his anger against Absalom subsided.

39. And the spirit of the king longed to go forth to Ab'salom; for he was comforted about Amnon, seeing he was dead.