1 And it happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister whose name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 And Amnon was so frustrated 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. And Jonadab was a very sly man. 4 And he said to him, Why, O son of the king, are you emaciated this way from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
5 And Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come, I beseech you 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 pretend to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Let my sister Tamar come, I beseech you 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's house and make food for him.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house and he was laid down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have all men out from me. And they went out every man from him.
10 And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber that I may eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
11 And 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 And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this senselessness. 13 And I, where shall I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I beseech you, speak to the king, because he will not withhold me from you. 14 However he would not listen to her voice, but being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with exceedingly 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, Arise, be gone. 16 And she said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is worse than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her. 17 Then he called his servant who ministered to him and said, Put this woman out from me now and bolt the door after her.
18 And she had a garment of various colors upon her, for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her garment of various colors that was on her.
20 And 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. 22 And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 And it happened after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold now, your servant has sheep-shearers. Let the king, I beseech you and his servants go with your servant. 25 And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we are burdensome to you. And he pressed him. However he would not go, but blessed him.
26 Then Absalom said, If not, I beseech you, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you? 27 But Absalom pressed him and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.
28 And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, Notice you* now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and when I say to you*, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you*? Be courageous and be valiant. 29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose and every man got up upon his mule and fled.
30 And it happened, while they were in the way, that the news came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons and there is not one of them left. 31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Do not let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead. 34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came many people by the way of the hill-side behind him. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it is. 36 And it happened, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very much.
37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur and was there three years. 39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth to Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very sly man. 4 And he said to him, Why, O son of the king, are you emaciated this way from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
5 And Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come, I beseech you 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 pretend to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Let my sister Tamar come, I beseech you 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's house and make food for him.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house and he was laid down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have all men out from me. And they went out every man from him.
10 And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber that I may eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. And she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
11 And 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 And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not do this senselessness. 13 And I, where shall I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I beseech you, speak to the king, because he will not withhold me from you. 14 However he would not listen to her voice, but being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with exceedingly 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, Arise, be gone. 16 And she said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is worse than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her. 17 Then he called his servant who ministered to him and said, Put this woman out from me now and bolt the door after her.
18 And she had a garment of various colors upon her, for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her garment of various colors that was on her.
20 And 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. 22 And Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 And it happened after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold now, your servant has sheep-shearers. Let the king, I beseech you and his servants go with your servant. 25 And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we are burdensome to you. And he pressed him. However he would not go, but blessed him.
26 Then Absalom said, If not, I beseech you, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you? 27 But Absalom pressed him and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.
28 And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, Notice you* now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and when I say to you*, Strike Amnon, then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you*? Be courageous and be valiant. 29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose and every man got up upon his mule and fled.
30 And it happened, while they were in the way, that the news came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons and there is not one of them left. 31 Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the earth and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Do not let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore do not let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead. 34 But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came many people by the way of the hill-side behind him. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it is. 36 And it happened, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very much.
37 But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled and went to Geshur and was there three years. 39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth to Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.