2 Samuel, 13

1. Some time later the following incident occurred. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David's son Amnon loved her.

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.

2. He was in such straits over his sister Tamar that he became sick; since she was a virgin, Amnon thought it impossible to carry out his designs toward 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.

3. Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, who was very clever.

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

4. He asked him, "Prince, why are you so dejected morning after morning? Why not tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

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.'

5. Then Jonadab replied, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to visit you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and encourage me to take food. If she prepares something appetizing in my presence, for me to see, I will eat it from her hand.'"

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." '

6. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to visit him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and prepare some fried cakes before my eyes, that I may take nourishment 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.'

7. David then sent home a message to Tamar, "Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some nourishment for him."

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

8. Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was in bed. Taking dough and kneading it, she twisted it into cakes before his eyes and fried the cakes.

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.

9. Then she took the pan and set out the cakes before him. But Amnon would not eat; he said, "Have everyone leave me." When they had all left him,

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.

10. Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the nourishment into the bedroom, that I may have it from your hand." So Tamar picked up the cakes she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.

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.

11. But when she brought them to him to eat, he seized her and said to her, "Come! Lie with me, my sister!"

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

12. But she answered him, "No my brother! Do not shame me! That is an intolerable crime in Israel. Do not commit this insensate deed.

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

13. Where would I take my shame? And you would be a discredited man in Israel. So please, speak to the king; he will not keep me from you."

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.'

14. Not heeding her plea, he overpowered her; he shamed her and had relations with her.

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

15. Then Amnon conceived an intense hatred for her, which far surpassed the love he had had for her. "Get up and leave," he said to 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.

16. She replied, "No, brother, because to drive me out would be far worse than the first injury you have done me." He would not listen to her,

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.

17. but called the youth who was his attendant and said, "Put her outside, away from me, and bar the door after her."

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

18. Now she had on a long tunic, for that is how maiden princesses dressed in olden days. When his attendant put her out and barred 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.

19. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long tunic in which she was clothed. Then, putting her hands to her head, she went away crying loudly.

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.

20. Her brother Absalom said to her: "Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be still now, my sister; he is your brother. Do not take this affair to heart." But Tamar remained grief-stricken and forlorn in the house of her brother Absalom.

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.

21. King David, who got word of the whole affair, became very angry. He did not, however, spark the resentment of his son Amnon, whom he favored because he was his first-born.

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.

22. Absalom, moreover, said nothing at all to Amnon, although he hated him for having shamed his sister Tamar.

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

23. After a period of two years, Absalom had shearers in Baalhazor near Ephraim, and he invited all the princes.

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

24. Absalom went to the king and said: "Your servant is having shearers. Please, your majesty, come with all your retainers to your servant."

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?'

25. But the King said to Absalom, "No, my son, all of us should not go lest we be a burden to you." And though Absalom urged him, he refused to go and began to bid him good-bye.

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.

26. Absalom then said, "If you will not come yourself, please let my brother Amnon come to us." The king asked him, "Why should he go to you?"

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

27. At Absalom's urging, however, he sent Amnon and all the other princes with him. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for royalty.

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

28. But he had instructed his servants: "Now watch! When Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you, 'Kill Amnon,' put him to death. Do not be afraid, for it is I who order you to do it. Be resolute and act manfully."

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!'

29. When the servants did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded, all the other princes rose, mounted their mules, and fled.

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

30. While they were still on the road, a report reached David that Absalom had killed all the princes and that not one of them had survived.

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

31. The king stood up, rent his garments, and then lay on the ground. All his servants standing by him also rent their garments.

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

32. But Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, spoke up: "Let not my lord think that all the young princes have been killed! Amnon alone is dead, for Absalom was determined on this ever since Amnon shamed his sister Tamar.

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.

33. So let not my lord the king put faith in the report that all the princes are dead. Amnon alone is dead."

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

34. Meanwhile, Absalom had taken flight. Then the servant on watch looked about and saw a large group coming down the slope from the direction of Bahurim. He came in and reported this, telling the king that he had seen some men coming down the mountainside from the direction of Bahurim.

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.'

35. So Jonadab said to the king: "There! The princes have come. It is as your servant said."

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

36. No sooner had he finished speaking than the princes came in, weeping aloud. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.

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

37. But Absalom, who had taken flight, went to Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur,

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

38. and stayed in Geshur for three years.

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

39. The king continued during all that time to mourn over his son; but his longing reached out for Absalom as he became reconciled to the death of Amnon.

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