2Samuel 13

Amnon and Tamar

13Some time passed. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; and David's son Amnon fell in love with her.H310H53H1121H1732H3303H269H8034H8559H550H1121H1732H1572Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.H550H3334H2470H269H8559H1330H550H5869H6381H6213H39723But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah; and Jonadab was a very crafty man.H550H7453H8034H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H3122H3966H2450H3764He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."H559H4428H1121H1800H1242H1242H5046H550H559H157H8559H251H53H2695Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'"H3082H559H7901H4904H2470H1H935H7200H559H269H8559H935H1262H3899H6213H1279H5869H7200H398H30276So Amnon lay down, and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand."H550H7901H2470H4428H935H7200H550H559H4428H8559H269H935H3823H8147H3834H5869H1262H30277Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him."H1732H7971H1004H8559H559H3212H251H550H1004H6213H12798So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.H8559H3212H251H550H1004H7901H3947H1217H3888H3823H5869H1310H38349Then she took the pan and set them out before him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Send out everyone from me." So everyone went out from him.H3947H4958H3332H6440H3985H398H550H559H3318H376H3318H37610Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the chamber, so that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.H550H559H8559H935H1279H2315H1262H3027H8559H3947H3834H6213H935H2315H550H25111But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."H5066H398H2388H559H935H7901H26912She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do anything so vile!H559H251H6031H3651H6213H3478H6213H503913As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the scoundrels in Israel. Now therefore, I beg you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you."H2781H3212H259H5036H3478H1696H4428H451314But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.H14H8085H6963H2388H6031H790115Then Amnon was seized with a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing was even greater than the lust he had felt for her. Amnon said to her, "Get out!"H550H8130H3966H1419H8135H8130H1419H160H157H550H559H6965H321216But she said to him, "No, my brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me." But he would not listen to her.H559H182H7451H7971H1419H312H6213H14H808517He called the young man who served him and said, "Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her."H7121H5288H8334H559H7971H2351H5274H1817H31018(Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in earlier times.) So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her.H3801H6446H4598H4428H1323H1330H3847H8334H3318H2351H5274H1817H31019But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.H8559H3947H665H7218H7167H3801H6446H7760H3027H7218H3212H1980H219920Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this to heart." So Tamar remained, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house.H53H251H559H550H251H2790H269H251H7896H3820H1697H8559H3427H8074H251H53H100421When King David heard of all these things, he became very angry, but he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.H4428H1732H8085H1697H3966H273422But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister Tamar.H53H1696H550H2896H7451H53H8130H550H1697H6031H269H8559

Absalom Avenges the Violation of His Sister

23After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.H3117H8141H53H1494H1178H669H53H7121H4428H112124Absalom came to the king, and said, "Your servant has sheepshearers; will the king and his servants please go with your servant?"H53H935H4428H559H5650H1494H3212H4428H5650H3212H565025But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son, let us not all go, or else we will be burdensome to you." He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing.H4428H559H53H1121H3212H3513H6555H14H3212H128826Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?"H559H53H251H550H3212H4428H559H321227But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. Absalom made a feast like a king's feast.H53H6555H550H4428H1121H797128Then Absalom commanded his servants, "Watch when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then kill him. Do not be afraid; have I not myself commanded you? Be courageous and valiant."H53H6680H5288H559H7200H550H3820H2896H3196H559H5221H550H4191H3372H6680H2388H1121H242829So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons rose, and each mounted his mule and fled.H5288H53H6213H550H53H6680H4428H1121H6965H376H7392H6505H512730While they were on the way, the report came to David that Absalom had killed all the king's sons, and not one of them was left.H1870H8052H935H1732H559H53H5221H4428H1121H259H349831The king rose, tore his garments, and lay on the ground; and all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.H4428H6965H7167H899H7901H776H5650H5324H899H716732But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; Amnon alone is dead. This has been determined by Absalom from the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H6030H559H113H559H4191H5288H4428H1121H550H4191H6310H53H7760H3117H6031H269H855933Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take it to heart, as if all the king's sons were dead; for Amnon alone is dead."H113H4428H7760H1697H3820H559H4428H1121H4191H550H419134But Absalom fled. When the young man who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming from the Horonaim road by the side of the mountain.H53H1272H5288H6822H5375H5869H7200H1980H7227H5971H1870H2022H6654H31035Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about."H3122H559H4428H4428H1121H935H5650H169736As soon as he had finished speaking, the king's sons arrived, and raised their voices and wept; and the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.H3615H1696H4428H1121H935H5375H6963H1058H4428H5650H1058H3966H1065H141937But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son day after day.H53H1272H3212H8526H1121H5991H5989H4428H1650H56H1121H311738Absalom, having fled to Geshur, stayed there three years.H53H1272H3212H1650H7969H814139And the heart of the king went out, yearning for Absalom; for he was now consoled over the death of Amnon.H4428H1732H3615H3318H53H5162H550H4191