13Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her.H310H53H1121H1732H3303H269H8034H8559H550H1121H1732H157 2Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.H550H3334H2470H269H8559H1330H550H5869H6381H6213H3972 3But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother Shimea.H550H7453H8034H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H3122H3966H2450H376 4One day Jonadab said to Amnon, "What's the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?" So Amnon told him, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."H559H4428H1121H1800H1242H1242H5046H550H559H157H8559H251H53H269 5"Well," Jonadab said, "I'll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you'll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands."H3082H559H7901H4904H2470H1H935H7200H559H269H8559H935H1262H3899H6213H1279H5869H7200H398H3027 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, "Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands."H550H7901H2470H4428H935H7200H550H559H4428H8559H269H935H3823H8147H3834H5869H1262H3027 7So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him.H1732H7971H1004H8559H559H3212H251H550H1004H6213H1279 8When Tamar arrived at Amnon's house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for him.H8559H3212H251H550H1004H7901H3947H1217H3888H3823H5869H1310H3834 9But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. "Everyone get out of here," Amnon told his servants. So they all left.H3947H4958H3332H6440H3985H398H550H559H3318H376H3318H376 10Then he said to Tamar, "Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here." So Tamar took his favorite dish to him.H550H559H8559H935H1279H2315H1262H3027H8559H3947H3834H6213H935H2315H550H251 11But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, "Come to bed with me, my darling sister."H5066H398H2388H559H935H7901H269 12"No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! Such wicked things aren't done in Israel.H559H251H6031H3651H6213H3478H6213H5039 13Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me."H2781H3212H259H5036H3478H1696H4428H4513 14But Amnon wouldn't listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her.H14H8085H6963H2388H6031H7901 15Then suddenly Amnon's love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. "Get out of here!" he snarled at her.H550H8130H3966H1419H8135H8130H1419H160H157H550H559H6965H3212 16"No, no!" Tamar cried. "Sending me away now is worse than what you've already done to me." But Amnon wouldn't listen to her.H559H182H7451H7971H1419H312H6213H14H8085 17He shouted for his servant and demanded, "Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!"H7121H5288H8334H559H7971H2351H5274H1817H310 18So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king's virgin daughters.H3801H6446H4598H4428H1323H1330H3847H8334H3318H2351H5274H1817H310 19But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.H8559H3947H665H7218H7167H3801H6446H7760H3027H7218H3212H1980H2199 20Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, "Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he's your brother. Don't you worry about it." So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom's house.H53H251H559H550H251H2790H269H251H7896H3820H1697H8559H3427H8074H251H53H1004 21When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry.H4428H1732H8085H1697H3966H2734 22And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.H53H1696H550H2896H7451H53H8130H550H1697H6031H269H8559 23Two years later, when Absalom's sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king's sons to come to a feast.H3117H8141H53H1494H1178H669H53H7121H4428H1121 24He went to the king and said, "My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?"H53H935H4428H559H5650H1494H3212H4428H5650H3212H5650 25The king replied, "No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you." Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.H4428H559H53H1121H3212H3513H6555H14H3212H1288 26"Well, then," Absalom said, "if you can't come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?" "Why Amnon?" the king asked.H559H53H251H550H3212H4428H559H3212 27But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.H53H6555H550H4428H1121H7971 28Absalom told his men, "Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don't be afraid. I'm the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!"H53H6680H5288H559H7200H550H3820H2896H3196H559H5221H550H4191H3372H6680H2388H1121H2428 29So at Absalom's signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.H5288H53H6213H550H53H6680H4428H1121H6965H376H7392H6505H5127 30As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one is left alive!"H1870H8052H935H1732H559H53H5221H4428H1121H259H3498 31The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.H4428H6965H7167H899H7901H776H5650H5324H899H7167 32But just then Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimea, arrived and said, "No, don't believe that all the king's sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar.H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H6030H559H113H559H4191H5288H4428H1121H550H4191H6310H53H7760H3117H6031H269H8559 33No, my lord the king, your sons aren't all dead! It was only Amnon."H113H4428H7760H1697H3820H559H4428H1121H4191H550H4191 34Meanwhile Absalom escaped. Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, "I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill."H53H1272H5288H6822H5375H5869H7200H1980H7227H5971H1870H2022H6654H310 35"Look!" Jonadab told the king. "There they are now! The king's sons are coming, just as I said."H3122H559H4428H4428H1121H935H5650H1697 36They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them.H3615H1696H4428H1121H935H5375H6963H1058H4428H5650H1058H3966H1065H1419 37And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.H53H1272H3212H8526H1121H5991H5989H4428H1650H56H1121H3117 38He stayed there in Geshur for three years.H53H1272H3212H1650H7969H8141 39And King David, now reconciled to Amnon's death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.H4428H1732H3615H3318H53H5162H550H4191
14Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom.H3097H1121H6870H3045H4428H3820H53 2So he sent for a woman from Tekoa who had a reputation for great wisdom. He said to her, "Pretend you are in mourning; wear mourning clothes and don't put on lotions. Act like a woman who has been mourning for the dead for a long time.H3097H7971H8620H3947H2450H802H559H56H3847H60H899H5480H8081H802H7227H3117H56H4191 3Then go to the king and tell him the story I am about to tell you." Then Joab told her what to say.H935H4428H1696H1697H3097H7760H1697H6310 4When the woman from Tekoa approached the king, she bowed with her face to the ground in deep respect and cried out, "O king! Help me!"H802H8621H559H4428H5307H639H776H7812H559H3467H4428 5"What's the trouble?" the king asked."Alas, I am a widow!" she replied. "My husband is dead.H4428H559H559H61H490H802H376H4191 6My two sons had a fight out in the field. And since no one was there to stop it, one of them was killed.H8198H8147H1121H8147H5327H7704H5337H259H5221H259H4191 7Now the rest of the family is demanding, 'Let us have your son. We will execute him for murdering his brother. He doesn't deserve to inherit his family's property.' They want to extinguish the only coal I have left, and my husband's name and family will disappear from the face of the earth."H4940H6965H8198H559H5414H5221H251H4191H5315H251H2026H8045H3423H3518H1513H7760H7604H376H8034H7611H6440H127 8"Leave it to me," the king told her. "Go home, and I'll see to it that no one touches him."H4428H559H802H3212H1004H6680 9"Oh, thank you, my lord the king," the woman from Tekoa replied. "If you are criticized for helping me, let the blame fall on me and on my father's house, and let the king and his throne be innocent."H802H8621H559H4428H113H4428H5771H1H1004H4428H3678H5355 10"If anyone objects," the king said, "bring him to me. I can assure you he will never complain again!"H4428H559H1696H935H5060H3254 11Then she said, "Please swear to me by the LORD your God that you won't let anyone take vengeance against my son. I want no more bloodshed." "As surely as the LORD lives," he replied, "not a hair on your son's head will be disturbed!"H559H4428H2142H3068H430H1350H1818H7843H7235H8045H1121H559H3068H2416H8185H1121H5307H776 12"Please allow me to ask one more thing of my lord the king," she said."Go ahead and speak," he responded.H802H559H8198H1696H1697H113H4428H559H1696 13She replied, "Why don't you do as much for the people of God as you have promised to do for me? You have convicted yourself in making this decision, because you have refused to bring home your own banished son.H802H559H2803H5971H430H4428H1696H1697H818H4428H7725H5080 14All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.H4191H4191H4325H5064H776H622H430H5375H5315H2803H4284H5080H5080 15"I have come to plead with my lord the king because people have threatened me. I said to myself, 'Perhaps the king will listen to meH935H1696H1697H113H4428H5971H3372H8198H559H1696H4428H4428H6213H1697H519 16and rescue us from those who would cut us off from the inheritance God has given us.H4428H8085H5337H519H3709H376H8045H1121H3162H5159H430 17Yes, my lord the king will give us peace of mind again.' I know that you are like an angel of God in discerning good from evil. May the LORD your God be with you."H8198H559H1697H113H4428H4496H4397H430H113H4428H8085H2896H7451H3068H430 18"I must know one thing," the king replied, "and tell me the truth." "Yes, my lord the king," she responded.H4428H6030H559H802H3582H1697H7592H802H559H113H4428H1696 19"Did Joab put you up to this?" And the woman replied, "My lord the king, how can I deny it? Nobody can hide anything from you. Yes, Joab sent me and told me what to say.H4428H559H3027H3097H802H6030H559H5315H2416H113H4428H376H786H3231H8041H113H4428H1696H5650H3097H6680H7760H1697H6310H8198 20He did it to place the matter before you in a different light. But you are as wise as an angel of God, and you understand everything that happens among us!"H5668H5437H6440H1697H5650H3097H6213H1697H113H2450H2451H4397H430H3045H776 21So the king sent for Joab and told him, "All right, go and bring back the young man Absalom."H4428H559H3097H6213H1697H3212H7725H5288H53H7725 22Joab bowed with his face to the ground in deep respect and said, "At last I know that I have gained your approval, my lord the king, for you have granted me this request!"H3097H5307H776H6440H7812H1288H4428H3097H559H3117H5650H3045H4672H2580H5869H113H4428H4428H6213H1697H5650 23Then Joab went to Geshur and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.H3097H6965H3212H1650H935H53H3389 24But the king gave this order: "Absalom may go to his own house, but he must never come into my presence." So Absalom did not see the king.H4428H559H5437H1004H7200H6440H53H5437H1004H7200H4428H6440 25Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.H3478H376H3966H1984H53H3303H3709H7272H6936H3971 26He cut his hair only once a year, and then only because it was so heavy. When he weighed it out, it came to five pounds!H1548H7218H3117H3117H7093H1548H3513H1548H8254H8181H7218H3967H8255H4428H68 27He had three sons and one daughter. His daughter's name was Tamar, and she was very beautiful.H53H3205H7969H1121H259H1323H8034H8559H802H3303H4758 28Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but he never got to see the king.H53H3427H3117H8141H3389H7200H4428H6440 29Then Absalom sent for Joab to ask him to intercede for him, but Joab refused to come. Absalom sent for him a second time, but again Joab refused to come.H53H7971H3097H7971H4428H14H935H7971H8145H14H935 30So Absalom said to his servants, "Go and set fire to Joab's barley field, the field next to mine." So they set his field on fire, as Absalom had commanded.H559H5650H7200H3097H2513H413H3027H8184H3212H3341H784H53H5650H3341H2513H784 31Then Joab came to Absalom at his house and demanded, "Why did your servants set my field on fire?"H3097H6965H935H53H1004H559H5650H3341H2513H784 32And Absalom replied, "Because I wanted you to ask the king why he brought me back from Geshur if he didn't intend to see me. I might as well have stayed there. Let me see the king; if he finds me guilty of anything, then let him kill me."H53H559H3097H7971H559H935H7971H4428H559H935H1650H2896H7200H4428H6440H3426H5771H4191 33So Joab told the king what Absalom had said. Then at last David summoned Absalom, who came and bowed low before the king, and the king kissed him.H3097H935H4428H5046H7121H53H935H4428H7812H639H776H6440H4428H4428H5401H53
15After this, Absalom bought a chariot and horses, and he hired fifty bodyguards to run ahead of him.H310H53H6213H4818H5483H2572H376H7323H6440 2He got up early every morning and went out to the gate of the city. When people brought a case to the king for judgment, Absalom would ask where in Israel they were from, and they would tell him their tribe.H53H7925H5975H3027H1870H8179H376H7379H935H4428H4941H53H7121H559H335H5892H559H5650H259H7626H3478 3Then Absalom would say, "You've really got a strong case here! It's too bad the king doesn't have anyone to hear it.H53H559H7200H1697H2896H5228H4428H8085 4I wish I were the judge. Then everyone could bring their cases to me for judgment, and I would give them justice!"H53H559H7760H8199H776H376H7379H4941H935H6663 5When people tried to bow before him, Absalom wouldn't let them. Instead, he took them by the hand and kissed them.H376H7126H7812H7971H3027H2388H5401 6Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all the people of Israel.H1697H6213H53H3478H935H4428H4941H53H1589H3820H582H3478 7After four years, Absalom said to the king, "Let me go to Hebron to offer a sacrifice to the LORD and fulfill a vow I made to him.H7093H705H8141H53H559H4428H3212H7999H5088H5087H3068H2275 8For while your servant was at Geshur in Aram, I promised to sacrifice to the LORD in Hebron if he would bring me back to Jerusalem."H5650H5087H5088H3427H1650H758H559H3068H7725H7725H3389H5647H3068 9"All right," the king told him. "Go and fulfill your vow." So Absalom went to Hebron.H4428H559H3212H7965H6965H3212H2275 10But while he was there, he sent secret messengers to all the tribes of Israel to stir up a rebellion against the king. "As soon as you hear the ram's horn," his message read, "you are to say, 'Absalom has been crowned king in Hebron.'"H53H7971H7270H7626H3478H559H8085H6963H7782H559H53H4427H2275 11He took 200 men from Jerusalem with him as guests, but they knew nothing of his intentions.H53H1980H3967H376H3389H7121H1980H8537H3045H1697 12While Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel, one of David's counselors who lived in Giloh. Soon many others also joined Absalom, and the conspiracy gained momentum.H53H7971H302H1526H1732H3289H5892H1542H2076H2077H7195H533H5971H7227H1980H53 13A messenger soon arrived in Jerusalem to tell David, "All Israel has joined Absalom in a conspiracy against you!"H935H5046H1732H559H3820H376H3478H310H53 14"Then we must flee at once, or it will be too late!" David urged his men. "Hurry! If we get out of the city before Absalom arrives, both we and the city of Jerusalem will be spared from disaster."H1732H559H5650H3389H6965H1272H6413H6440H53H4116H3212H5381H4116H5080H7451H5221H5892H6310H2719 15"We are with you," his advisers replied. "Do what you think is best."H4428H5650H559H4428H5650H113H4428H977 16So the king and all his household set out at once. He left no one behind except ten of his concubines to look after the palace.H4428H3318H1004H7272H4428H5800H6235H802H6370H8104H1004 17The king and all his people set out on foot, pausing at the last houseH4428H3318H5971H7272H5975H1004H4801H1023 18to let all the king's men move past to lead the way. There were 600 men from Gath who had come with David, along with the king's bodyguard.H5650H5674H3027H3774H6432H1663H8337H3967H376H935H7272H1661H5674H6440H4428 19Then the king turned and said to Ittai, a leader of the men from Gath, "Why are you coming with us? Go on back to King Absalom, for you are a guest in Israel, a foreigner in exile.H559H4428H863H1663H3212H7725H4725H3427H4428H5237H1540 20You arrived only recently, and should I force you today to wander with us? I don't even know where we will go. Go on back and take your kinsmen with you, and may the LORD show you his unfailing love and faithfulness."H935H8543H3117H3212H5128H5128H1980H7725H7725H251H2617H571 21But Ittai said to the king, "I vow by the LORD and by your own life that I will go wherever my lord the king goes, no matter what happens—whether it means life or death."H863H6030H4428H559H3068H2416H113H4428H2416H4725H113H4428H4194H2416H5650 22David replied, "All right, come with us." So Ittai and all his men and their families went along.H1732H559H863H3212H5674H863H1663H5674H582H2945 23Everyone cried loudly as the king and his followers passed by. They crossed the Kidron Valley and then went out toward the wilderness.H776H1058H1419H6963H5971H5674H4428H5674H5158H6939H5971H5674H6440H1870H4057 24Zadok and all the Levites also came along, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until everyone had passed out of the city.H6659H3881H5375H727H1285H430H3332H727H430H54H5927H5971H8552H5674H5892 25Then the king instructed Zadok to take the Ark of God back into the city. "If the LORD sees fit," David said, "he will bring me back to see the Ark and the Tabernacle again.H4428H559H6659H7725H727H430H5892H4672H2580H5869H3068H7725H7200H5116 26But if he is through with me, then let him do what seems best to him."H559H2654H6213H5869H2896 27The king also told Zadok the priest, "Look, here is my plan. You and Abiathar should return quietly to the city with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar's son Jonathan.H4428H559H6659H3548H7200H7725H5892H7965H8147H1121H290H1121H3083H1121H54 28I will stop at the shallows of the Jordan River and wait there for a report from you."H7200H4102H6160H5679H4057H935H1697H5046 29So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of God back to the city and stayed there.H6659H54H7725H727H430H7725H3389H3427 30David walked up the road to the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning. And the people who were with him covered their heads and wept as they climbed the hill.H1732H5927H4608H2132H1058H5927H7218H2645H1980H3182H5971H2645H376H7218H5927H1058H5927 31When someone told David that his adviser Ahithophel was now backing Absalom, David prayed, "O LORD, let Ahithophel give Absalom foolish advice!"H5046H1732H559H302H7194H53H1732H559H3068H6098H302H5528 32When David reached the summit of the Mount of Olives where people worshiped God, Hushai the Arkite was waiting there for him. Hushai had torn his clothing and put dirt on his head as a sign of mourning.H1732H935H7218H7812H430H2365H757H7125H3801H7167H127H7218 33But David told him, "If you go with me, you will only be a burden.H1732H559H5674H4853 34Return to Jerusalem and tell Absalom, 'I will now be your adviser, O king, just as I was your father's adviser in the past.' Then you can frustrate and counter Ahithophel's advice.H7725H5892H559H53H5650H4428H1H5650H227H5650H6565H6098H302 35Zadok and Abiathar, the priests, will be there. Tell them about the plans being made in the king's palace,H6659H54H3548H1697H8085H4428H1004H5046H6659H54H3548 36and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on."H8147H1121H290H6659H3083H54H3027H7971H1697H8085 37So David's friend Hushai returned to Jerusalem, getting there just as Absalom arrived.H2365H1732H7463H935H5892H53H935H3389
Dublin, OH
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