2Samuel 13

The Rape of Tamar

13Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her.H310H53H1121H1732H3303H269H8034H8559H550H1121H1732H1572Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.H550H3334H2470H269H8559H1330H550H5869H6381H6213H39723But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother Shimea

.H550H7453H8034H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H3122H3966H2450H3764One 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."H559H4428H1121H1800H1242H1242H5046H550H559H157H8559H251H53H2695"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."H3082H559H7901H4904H2470H1H935H7200H559H269H8559H935H1262H3899H6213H1279H5869H7200H398H30276So 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."H550H7901H2470H4428H935H7200H550H559H4428H8559H269H935H3823H8147H3834H5869H1262H30277So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him.H1732H7971H1004H8559H559H3212H251H550H1004H6213H12798When 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.H8559H3212H251H550H1004H7901H3947H1217H3888H3823H5869H1310H38349But 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.H3947H4958H3332H6440H3985H398H550H559H3318H376H3318H37610Then 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.H550H559H8559H935H1279H2315H1262H3027H8559H3947H3834H6213H935H2315H550H25111But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, "Come to bed with me, my darling sister."H5066H398H2388H559H935H7901H26912"No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! Such wicked things aren't done in Israel.H559H251H6031H3651H6213H3478H6213H503913Where 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."H2781H3212H259H5036H3478H1696H4428H451314But Amnon wouldn't listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her.H14H8085H6963H2388H6031H790115Then 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.H550H8130H3966H1419H8135H8130H1419H160H157H550H559H6965H321216"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.H559H182H7451H7971H1419H312H6213H14H808517He shouted for his servant and demanded, "Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!"H7121H5288H8334H559H7971H2351H5274H1817H31018So 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.H3801H6446H4598H4428H1323H1330H3847H8334H3318H2351H5274H1817H31019But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.H8559H3947H665H7218H7167H3801H6446H7760H3027H7218H3212H1980H219920Her 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.H53H251H559H550H251H2790H269H251H7896H3820H1697H8559H3427H8074H251H53H100421When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry

.H4428H1732H8085H1697H3966H273422And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.H53H1696H550H2896H7451H53H8130H550H1697H6031H269H8559

Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon

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.H3117H8141H53H1494H1178H669H53H7121H4428H112124He 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?"H53H935H4428H559H5650H1494H3212H4428H5650H3212H565025The 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.H4428H559H53H1121H3212H3513H6555H14H3212H128826"Well, then," Absalom said, "if you can't come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?" "Why Amnon?" the king asked.H559H53H251H550H3212H4428H559H321227But 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

.H53H6555H550H4428H1121H797128Absalom 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!"H53H6680H5288H559H7200H550H3820H2896H3196H559H5221H550H4191H3372H6680H2388H1121H242829So at Absalom's signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.H5288H53H6213H550H53H6680H4428H1121H6965H376H7392H6505H512730As 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!"H1870H8052H935H1732H559H53H5221H4428H1121H259H349831The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.H4428H6965H7167H899H7901H776H5650H5324H899H716732But 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.H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H6030H559H113H559H4191H5288H4428H1121H550H4191H6310H53H7760H3117H6031H269H855933No, my lord the king, your sons aren't all dead! It was only Amnon."H113H4428H7760H1697H3820H559H4428H1121H4191H550H419134Meanwhile 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."

H53H1272H5288H6822H5375H5869H7200H1980H7227H5971H1870H2022H6654H31035"Look!" Jonadab told the king. "There they are now! The king's sons are coming, just as I said."H3122H559H4428H4428H1121H935H5650H169736They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them.H3615H1696H4428H1121H935H5375H6963H1058H4428H5650H1058H3966H1065H141937And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.H53H1272H3212H8526H1121H5991H5989H4428H1650H56H1121H311738He stayed there in Geshur for three years.H53H1272H3212H1650H7969H814139And King David

, now reconciled to Amnon's death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.H4428H1732H3615H3318H53H5162H550H4191