2 Samuel 13:1-22 It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

NHEB⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. ² Amnon was so troubled that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. ³ But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. Now Jonadab was very crafty. ⁴ He said to him, "Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." ⁵ Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.'" ⁶ So Amnon lay down and faked being sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand." ⁷ Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon and prepare food for him." ⁸ So Tamar went to her brother Amnonʼs house; and he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes. ⁹ She took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Have all men leave me." Every man went out from him. ¹⁰ Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the room, that I may eat from your hand." Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother. ¹¹ When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister." ¹² She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me. For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this folly. ¹³ I, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you." ¹⁴ However he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her. ¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her with intense 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, "Get up, go away." ¹⁶ And Tamar said to him, "Don't, my brother, for this latter evil in sending me away is greater than the former thing that you did to me." But he would not listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called the young man who served him, and said, "Send this one away from me, and bolt the door after her." ¹⁸ Now she was wearing an ornamented robe, for this was what the king's virgin daughters used to wear. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her. ¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her ornamented robe that she wore. And she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. ²⁰ Absalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart." So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. ²¹ But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry. But he did not inflict pain on the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn. ²² Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.