2 Samuel 13

¹ And it comes to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David has a fair sister, and her name [is] Tamar, and Amnon son of David loves her. ² And Amnon has distress - even to become sick, because of Tamar his sister, for she [is] a virgin, and it is hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her. ³ And Amnon has a friend, and his name [is] Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab [is] a very wise man, ⁴ and said to him, "Wherefore [are] you thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? do you not declare to me?" And Amnon said to him, "Tamar - sister of Absalom my brother - I am loving." ⁵ And Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your couch, and feign yourself sick, and your father has come in to see you, and you have said unto him, 'Let, I pray you, Tamar my sister come in and give me bread to eat; and she has made the food before mine eyes so that I see [it], and have eaten from her hand.'" ⁶ And Amnon lies down, and feigns himself sick, and the king comes in to see him, and Amnon said unto the king, "Let, I pray you, Tamar my sister come, and she makes before mine eyes two cakes, and I eat from her hand." ⁷ And David sends unto Tamar, to the house, saying, "Go, I pray you, to the house of Amnon your brother, and make for him food." ⁸ And Tamar goes to the house of Amnon her brother, and he is lying down, and she takes the dough, and kneads, and makes cakes before his eyes, and cooks the cakes, ⁹ and takes the frying-pan, and pours out before him, and he refuses to eat, and Amnon said, "Take you out every one from me"; and they go out every one from him. ¹⁰ And Amnon said unto Tamar, "Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from your hand"; and Tamar takes the cakes that she has made, and brings in to Amnon her brother, into the inner chamber, ¹¹ and she brings nigh unto him to eat, and he lays hold on her, and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister." ¹² And she said to him, "Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly. ¹³ And I - whither do I cause my reproach to go? and you - you are as one of the fools in Israel; and now, speak, I pray you, unto the king; for he does not withhold me from you." ¹⁴ And he has not been willing to hearken to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbles her, and lies with her. ¹⁵ And Amnon hates her - a very great hatred - that greater [is] the hatred with which he has hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon said to her, "Rise, go." ¹⁶ And she said to him, "Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that you have done with me - to send me away"; and he has not been willing to hearken to her, ¹⁷ and calls his young man, his servant, and said, "Send away, I pray you, this one from me without, and bolt the door after her"; ¹⁸ and upon her [is] a long coat, for such upper robes do daughters of the king who [are] virgins put on, and his servant takes her out without, and has bolted the door after her. ¹⁹ And Tamar takes ashes for her head, and the long coat that [is] on her she has rent, and puts her hand on her head, and goes, going on and crying; ²⁰ and Absalom her brother said unto her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? and now, my sister, keep silent, he [is] your brother; set not your heart to this thing"; and Tamar dwells - but desolate - in the house of Absalom her brother. ²¹ And king David has heard all these things, and it is very displeasing to him; ²² and Absalom has not spoken with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom is hating Amnon, because that he humbled Tamar his sister. ²³ And it comes to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom has shearers in Baal-Hazor, which [is] with Ephraim, and Absalom calls for all the sons of the king. ²⁴ And Absalom comes unto the king, and said, "Lo, I pray you, your servant has shearers, let the king go, I pray you, and his servants, with your servant." ²⁵ And the king said unto Absalom, "Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray you, and we are not too heavy on you"; and he presses on him, and he has not been willing to go, and he blesses him. ²⁶ And Absalom said, "If not - let, I pray you, Amnon my brother go with us"; and the king said to him, "Why does he go with you?" ²⁷ and Absalom urges on him, and he sends with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king. ²⁸ And Absalom commands his young men, saying, "See, I pray you, when the heart of Amnon [is] glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that you have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valor." ²⁹ And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and rise do all the sons of the king, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee. ³⁰ And it comes to pass - they [are] in the way - and the report has come unto David, saying, "Absalom has smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one"; ³¹ and the king rises, and rends his garments, and lies on the earth, and all his servants are standing by [with] rent garments. ³² And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answers and said, "Let not my lord say, The whole of the young men, the sons of the king, they have put to death; for Amnon alone [is] dead, for by the command of Absalom it has been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister; ³³ and now, let not my lord the king lay unto his heart the word, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone [is] dead." ³⁴ And Absalom flees, and the young man who is watching lifts up his eyes and looks, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill. ³⁵ And Jonadab said unto the king, "Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of your servant, so it has been." ³⁶ And it comes to pass at his finishing to speak, that lo, the sons of the king have come, and they lift up their voice, and weep, and also the king and all his servants have wept - a very great weeping. ³⁷ And Absalom has fled, and goes unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and [David] mourns for his son all the days. ³⁸ And Absalom has fled, and goes to Geshur, and is there three years; ³⁹ and [the soul of] king David determines to go out unto Absalom, for he has been comforted for Amnon, for [he is] dead.