2Samuel 13

Amnon and Tamar

13David's son Absalom had a beautiful unmarried sister named Tamar. Amnon, another of David's sons, fell in love with her.H310H53H1121H1732H3303H269H8034H8559H550H1121H1732H1572He was so much in love with her that he became sick, because it seemed impossible for him to have her; as a virgin, she was kept from meeting men.H550H3334H2470H269H8559H1330H550H5869H6381H6213H39723But he had a friend, a very shrewd man named Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah.H550H7453H8034H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H3122H3966H2450H3764Jonadab said to Amnon, "You are the king's son, yet day after day I see you looking sad. What's the matter?" "I'm in love with Tamar, the sister of my half brother Absalom," he answered.H559H4428H1121H1800H1242H1242H5046H550H559H157H8559H251H53H2695Jonadab said to him, "Pretend that you are sick and go to bed. When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please ask my sister Tamar to come and feed me. I want her to fix the food here where I can see her, and then serve it to me herself.' "H3082H559H7901H4904H2470H1H935H7200H559H269H8559H935H1262H3899H6213H1279H5869H7200H398H30276So Amnon pretended that he was sick and went to bed. King David went to see him, and Amnon said to him, "Please let Tamar come and make a few cakes here where I can see her, and then serve them to me herself."H550H7901H2470H4428H935H7200H550H559H4428H8559H269H935H3823H8147H3834H5869H1262H30277So David sent word to Tamar in the palace: "Go to Amnon's house and fix him some food."H1732H7971H1004H8559H559H3212H251H550H1004H6213H12798She went there and found him in bed. She took some dough, prepared it, and made some cakes there where he could see her. Then she baked the cakesH8559H3212H251H550H1004H7901H3947H1217H3888H3823H5869H1310H38349and emptied them out of the pan for him to eat, but he wouldn't. He said, "Send everyone away" - and they all left.H3947H4958H3332H6440H3985H398H550H559H3318H376H3318H37610Then he said to her, "Bring the cakes here to my bed and serve them to me yourself." She took the cakes and went over to him.H550H559H8559H935H1279H2315H1262H3027H8559H3947H3834H6213H935H2315H550H25111As she offered them to him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me!"H5066H398H2388H559H935H7901H26912"No," she said. "Don't force me to do such a degrading thing! That's awful!H559H251H6031H3651H6213H3478H6213H503913How could I ever hold up my head in public again? And you - you would be completely disgraced in Israel. Please, speak to the king, and I'm sure that he will give me to you."H2781H3212H259H5036H3478H1696H4428H451314But he would not listen to her; and since he was stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.H14H8085H6963H2388H6031H790115Then Amnon was filled with a deep hatred for her; he hated her now even more than he had loved her before. He said to her, "Get out!"H550H8130H3966H1419H8135H8130H1419H160H157H550H559H6965H321216"No," she answered. "To send me away like this is a greater crime than what you just did!" But Amnon would not listen to her;H559H182H7451H7971H1419H312H6213H14H808517he called in his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!"H7121H5288H8334H559H7971H2351H5274H1817H31018The servant put her out and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves, the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.H3801H6446H4598H4428H1323H1330H3847H8334H3318H2351H5274H1817H31019She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying.H8559H3947H665H7218H7167H3801H6446H7760H3027H7218H3212H1980H219920When her brother Absalom saw her, he asked, "Has Amnon molested you? Please, sister, don't let it upset you so much. He is your half brother, so don't tell anyone about it." So Tamar lived in Absalom's house, sad and lonely.H53H251H559H550H251H2790H269H251H7896H3820H1697H8559H3427H8074H251H53H100421When King David heard what had happened, he was furious.H4428H1732H8085H1697H3966H273422And Absalom hated Amnon so much for having raped his sister Tamar that he would no longer even speak to him.H53H1696H550H2896H7451H53H8130H550H1697H6031H269H8559

Absalom’s Revenge

23Two years later Absalom was having his sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim, and he invited all the king's sons to be there.H3117H8141H53H1494H1178H669H53H7121H4428H112124He went to King David and said, "Your Majesty, I am having my sheep sheared. Will you and your officials come and take part in the festivities?"H53H935H4428H559H5650H1494H3212H4428H5650H3212H565025"No, my son," the king answered. "It would be too much trouble for you if we all went." Absalom insisted, but the king would not give in, and he asked Absalom to leave.H4428H559H53H1121H3212H3513H6555H14H3212H128826But Absalom said, "Well, then, will you at least let my brother Amnon come?" "Why should he?" the king asked.H559H53H251H550H3212H4428H559H321227But Absalom kept on insisting until David finally let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a kingH53H6555H550H4428H1121H797128and instructed his servants: "Notice when Amnon has had too much to drink, and then when I give the order, kill him. Don't be afraid. I will take the responsibility myself. Be brave and don't hesitate!"H53H6680H5288H559H7200H550H3820H2896H3196H559H5221H550H4191H3372H6680H2388H1121H242829So the servants followed Absalom's instructions and killed Amnon. All the rest of David's sons mounted their mules and fled.H5288H53H6213H550H53H6680H4428H1121H6965H376H7392H6505H512730While they were on their way home, David was told: "Absalom has killed all your sons - not one of them is left!"H1870H8052H935H1732H559H53H5221H4428H1121H259H349831The king stood up, tore his clothes in sorrow, and threw himself to the ground. The servants who were there with him tore their clothes also.H4428H6965H7167H899H7901H776H5650H5324H899H716732But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah, said, "Your Majesty, they haven't killed all your sons. Only Amnon is dead. You could tell by looking at Absalom that he had made up his mind to do this from the time that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.H3122H1121H8093H1732H251H6030H559H113H559H4191H5288H4428H1121H550H4191H6310H53H7760H3117H6031H269H855933So don't believe the news that all your sons are dead; only Amnon was killed."H113H4428H7760H1697H3820H559H4428H1121H4191H550H419134In the meantime Absalom had fled. Just then the soldier on sentry duty saw a large crowd coming down the hill on the road from Horonaim. He went to the king and reported what he had seen.H53H1272H5288H6822H5375H5869H7200H1980H7227H5971H1870H2022H6654H31035Jonadab said to David, "Those are your sons coming, just as I said they would."H3122H559H4428H4428H1121H935H5650H169736As soon as he finished saying this, David's sons came in; they started crying, and David and his officials also cried bitterly.H3615H1696H4428H1121H935H5375H6963H1058H4428H5650H1058H3966H1065H141937Absalom fled and went to the king of Geshur, Talmai son of Ammihud, and stayed there three years.H53H1272H3212H8526H1121H5991H5989H4428H1650H56H1121H311738David mourned a long time for his son Amnon;H53H1272H3212H1650H7969H814139but when he got over Amnon's death, he was filled with longing for his son Absalom.H4428H1732H3615H3318H53H5162H550H4191