2 Samuel
Chapter 13
1 After this, David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David’s son Amnon loved her.
2 Amnon was so upset that he became sick because of his sister Tamar; she was a virgin, and Amnon found it difficult to do anything to her.
3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, and Jonadab was very clever.
4 He asked him, “Why are you, the king’s son, getting thinner every day? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
5 Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food. Let her prepare the food in front of me so I can watch and eat from her hand.’”
6 Amnon laid down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to visit him, Amnon asked the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make some cakes where I can see her, so I can eat from her hand.”
7 David sent a message to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare food for him.”
8 Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house where he was lying down. She mixed flour, shaped it, and cooked cakes where he could see her.
9 She got a pan and put the food in front of him, but he wouldn’t eat. Amnon said, “Send everyone away from me.” So everyone left him.
10 Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food to the room so I can eat from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she made and brought them to the room for her brother Amnon.
11 When she brought him the food, he grabbed her and said, “Come sleep with me, my sister.”
12 She replied, “No, my brother, don’t force me. Such things should not happen in Israel. Don’t do this foolish act.”
13 Where can I hide my shame? And you will be like a fool in Israel. So please, ask the king; he won’t keep me from you.
14 However, he refused to listen to her and, being stronger than her, overpowered her and slept with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her very much; the hate he felt for her was stronger than his previous love. Amnon said to her, “Get up and leave.”
16 She told him, “No reason for this; sending me away is worse than what you did before.” But he didn’t listen to her.
17 He called his servant who worked for him and said, “Now take this woman out of here and lock the door behind her.”
18 She wore a robe of many colors because that’s what unmarried princesses wore. Afterward, his servant took her out and locked the door behind her.
19 Tamar put ash on her head, tore her colorful robe, placed her hand on her head, and walked away crying.
20 Absalom, her brother, asked her, “Did Amnon, your brother, hurt you? Stay quiet now, my sister; he’s your brother. Don’t worry about this.” So Tamar stayed alone in her brother Absalom’s home.
21 When King David heard about all this, he was very angry.
22 Absalom said nothing, good or bad, to his brother Amnon because Absalom hated Amnon for hurting their sister Tamar.
23 Two years later, Absalom held a sheep shearing event in Baalhazor, near Ephraim, and he invited all the king’s sons.
24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Look, I have people who are shearing sheep. Please let the king and his servants join me.”
25 The king told Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go now, so we don’t become a burden to you.” Even though he urged him, he did not go, but gave him his blessing.
26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king asked, “Why should he go with you?”
27 But Absalom insisted until he convinced Amnon and all the king’s sons to go with him.
28 Absalom told his servants, “Watch when Amnon gets happy from drinking wine, and when I tell you to hit Amnon, then kill him. Don’t be afraid; haven’t I given you orders? Be brave and strong.”
29 Absalom’s servants did to Amnon what Absalom ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, each one mounted his mule, and they all ran away.
30 While they were traveling, news reached David that Absalom had killed all the king’s sons and not one of them had survived.
31 Then the king got up, tore his clothes, and lay on the ground; all his servants stood nearby with their clothes torn.
32 Jonadab, Shimeah’s son and David’s nephew, said, “My lord should not think that all the young princes have been killed. Only Amnon is dead. This was planned by Absalom since the day he hurt his sister Tamar.”
33 So now, let the king not worry, thinking all his sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.
34 Absalom ran away. The young man on guard looked up and saw many people coming from the hillside behind him.
35 Jonadab told the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming; it’s just as your servant said.”
36 After he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, cried loudly, and wept, and the king and all his servants also wept bitterly.
37 Absalom ran away and went to Talmai, son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. David grieved for his son every day.
38 Absalom ran away to Geshur and stayed there for three years.
39 King David deeply wanted to see Absalom because he felt better about Amnon now that he was dead.