Matthew(i)
1 And it chaunsed that Absalom Dauids sonne had a fayre sister named Thamar, whom afterwarde Amnon another sonne of Dauid loued.
2 And this Amnon was so vexed that he fell sicke for the loue of his sister Thamar: for it thought him harde to come by his purpose of her, seyng she was yet a virgyn.
3 But Amnon had a companyon called Ionadab the sonne of Samah the brother of Dauid: which Ionadab was a very wyse man.
4 And he said vnto him: howe cometh it that thou beynge the kynges sonne arte thus consumed euery mornynge? maiest thou not tell it me? And Amnon aunswered him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister.
5 Then sayde Ionadab vnto him: lye on thy bedde & fayne thy selfe sicke. And when thy father is come to se the, saye vnto hym: let my sister Thamar come & geue me meate, & dresse it in my sight, that I maye se it and eate it of her hande.
6 And Amnon laye doune & made hym selfe sicke. And when the king was come to se hym Ammon said vnto him: let Thamar my syster come & make me a couple of frytters in my syght, that I maye eat of her hande.
7 And Dauid sent home to Thamar sayinge: go to thy brother Amnons house and dresse him meate.
8 When Thamar came to her brother Amnons house he laye. And she toke flour & made past & made frytters in hys sight, & dyd bake them,
9 & toke a platter & powred them out before hym. And Amnon wolde not eate,
10 but commaunded to haue out all men from hym. And they went all out from hym. Then sayde Amnon vnto Thamar: bryng the meat into the chambre that I maye eate of thyne hand. And Thamar toke the frytters which she had made, & broughte them into the chambre to Amnon her brother
11 & set them before hym to eate. And he toke her & said vnto her: come lye wt me my sister.
12 And she aunswered him: naye, my brother do not force me, for it ought not to be so in Israel do not this follye.
13 For whether shal I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the foles in Israel. But speake vnto the kynge & he shall not denye me vnto the.
14 Howe be it he wolde not herken vnto her voyce, but was to strong for her & forced her & laye wyth her.
15 And then Amnon hated her excedynglye: so that the hate wherewyth he hated her, was greater then the loue with which he before loued her. And he sayd vnto her: vp & away.
16 Then she sayde vnto him: this greate cruelnesse that thou puttest me awaye, passeth the other that thou dyddest vnto me. Neuerthelesse he wolde not heare her,
17 but called his lad that wayted vpon him, & said: put her out at the dores from me & bolt the dore after her.
18 And she had a kirtell of dyuerse colours vpon her: for with such were the kynges doughters that were virgins apparelled, made strayt vnto them. Then his seruaunt brought her oute at the dores, & locked the dores after her.
19 And Thamar put asshes on her head and rent her gaye kyrtell that was on her, & put her hande on her head & so went, & as she wente, cryed.
20 Then Absalom her brother sayd vnto her: hath Amnon, thy brother bene with the? Now then be styll my syster: for he is thy brother. And let not this thynge greue thyne herte. And so Thamar remayned discomforted in her brother Absaloms house.
21 And Kyng Dauid heard of all these thynges, & was very wroth.
22 And Absalom sayde vnto hys brother Amnon neyther good nor bad. Howe be it Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his syster Thamar.
23 And it happened two yeare after that Absalom had a shepesheryng in Baal Hazor besydes the trybe of Ephraim, & bad all the kynges sonnes,
24 & he came to the kinge & saide: beholde thy seruaunt hath a shepesheryng, let the kyng & hys seruauntes come with thy seruaunt.
25 And the kyng sayd vnto Absalom: Oh nay my sonne, let vs not go euerye one of vs that we be not chargeable vnto the. And Absalom laye sore vpon hym: howe be it he wolde not go, but blessed hym.
26 Then sayd Absalom: then let my brother Amnon go wyth vs. And the kynge aunswered what nedeth it that he go with the
27 But Absalom made such instaunce that he let Amnon go wyth hym, & al the kynges chyldren.
28 Then Absalom commaunded hys younge men sayinge: marke when Amnons herte is mery wyth wyne, & when I byd you smyte Amnon then kyll him: feare not, for it is I that byd you, be bolde therfore, & playe the lustye bloudes.
29 And the young men of Absalom serued Amnon euen as Absalom commaunded them. And al the kynges sonnes arose & toke eche man hys Mule & fled.
30 And whyle they were yet in the waye, tydynges came to Dauid that Absalom had slayne all the kynges sonnes, so that none was left a lyue.
31 Then the king arose, & tare his garmentes, & laye a longe on the earth: & all hys seruauntes stode by wyth theyr clothes rent.
32 Then Ionadab the sonne of Samah Dauids brother aunswered & sayd: let not my Lorde suppose that they haue slayne all the younge men the kynges sonnes, saue Amnon onelye is dead. For that hath ben euer in Absaloms mouthe sence he forced his sister Thamar.
33 Now therfore let not my Lorde the kynge take the thyng so greuouslye to thinck that all the kynges sonnes were deade, when Amnon onelye is dead.
34 But Absalom fled. And the younge man that kepe the watche, lyfte vp hys eyes and loked aboute. And beholde there came much people by a waye that was behynde his backe a long by an hylles syde.
35 Then sayd Ionadab vnto the kynge: beholde, the kynges sonnes are come, and as thy seruaunt sayde, so it is.
36 And as sone as he had lefte speakyng: behold, the kinges sonnes came and lyfte vp theyr voyces, & wept. And therto the kynge and all hys seruauntes wept excedynglye.
37 But Absalom escaped and went to Tholmai the sonne of Amihud kynge of Gesur. And the kynge mourned for hys sonne contynually.
38 And so Absalom escaped and went to Gesur, & was there thre yeares.
39 And by that tyme the kynge turned hys mynde from pursuynge Absalom. For he had lefte mournynge for the death of Amnon.