2 Samuel 13

¹ Some time later, this happened. Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon son of David fell in love with her.

² Amnon was so tormented over his sister Tamar that he made himself sick, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.

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

⁴ He said to him, "Why are you, the king's son, so worn down morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."

⁵ Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and feed me some food. Let her prepare the meal where I can see it, so I can watch and eat from her hand.'"

⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes here in front of me, so I can eat from her hand."

⁷ Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Please go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare a meal for him."

⁸ So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house while he was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the cakes in front of him, and baked them.

⁹ She took the pan and emptied it out in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Send everyone out away from me." So everyone left him.

¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom, so I can eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.

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

¹² "No, my brother!" she said. "Do not force me. Such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this outrage.

¹³ And I, where would I carry my shame? And you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. So now, please, speak to the king; he will not keep me from you."

¹⁴ But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she was, he forced her and raped her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact the hatred he now felt for her was greater than the love he had felt for her. "Get up and get out!" Amnon said to her.

¹⁶ "No," she said to him, "sending me away would be a worse wrong than the other thing you did to me." But he would not listen to her.

¹⁷ He called the young man who served him and said, "Get this woman out of my sight, and bolt the door behind her."

¹⁸ She was wearing a long robe with sleeves, for this is what the king's virgin daughters wore as outer garments. So his servant put her outside and bolted the door behind her.

¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put 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? For now, my sister, keep quiet. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart." So Tamar lived on, desolate, in her brother Absalom's house.

²¹ When King David heard all about this, he became very angry.

²² And Absalom said nothing to Amnon, good or bad, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

²³ Two full years later, Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal Hazor, near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

²⁴ Absalom went to the king and said, "Look, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his attendants come with your servant."

²⁵ But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son. We should not all go; we would be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he would not go, but he gave him his blessing.

²⁶ Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"

²⁷ But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon and all the king's sons with him.

²⁸ Absalom ordered his young men, "Watch now: when Amnon's heart is merry with wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not myself commanded you? Be strong and act like brave men."

²⁹ So Absalom's young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, each mounted his mule, and fled.

³⁰ While they were still on the way, the report reached David: "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left."

³¹ Then the king got up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

³² But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, spoke up: "My lord should not think they have killed all the young men, the king's sons. Only Amnon is dead. This has been determined by Absalom's order ever since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar.

³³ So now my lord the king should not take it to heart and think that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead."

³⁴ Meanwhile Absalom had fled. The young man on watch looked up and saw a large crowd coming down the road on the hillside behind him.

³⁵ Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the king's sons have come. It is just as your servant said."

³⁶ As soon as he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived. They wept loudly, and the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.

³⁷ But Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

³⁸ So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years.

³⁹ And King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he was now consoled over Amnon, since he was dead.