2 Samuel 13

¹And it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her.

²And Amnon was so distressed that he made himself sick on account of Tamar his sister, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.

³Now Amnon had a friend, and his name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

⁴And he said to him, 'Why are you, O son of the king, so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?' And Amnon said to him, 'Tamar, the sister of Absalom my brother -- I love her.'

⁵Jonadab said to him, 'Lie down on your bed and feign sickness. When your father comes to see you, say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight so that I may see it and eat from her hand.'

⁶So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, 'Please let Tamar my sister come and make two heart-shaped cakes before my eyes, that I may eat from her hand.'

⁷And David sent to Tamar at the house, saying, 'Go now to the house of Amnon your brother, and prepare food for him.'

⁸So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took dough and kneaded it and made the cakes before his eyes and baked the cakes.

⁹And she took the cooking pan and poured it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, 'Send everyone away from me.' So every man went out from beside him.

¹⁰And Amnon said to Tamar, 'Bring the food into the inner room, that I may eat from your hand.' So Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon into the inner room.

¹¹But when she brought it near him to eat, he seized her and said to her, 'Come, lie with me, my sister.'

¹²She said to him, 'No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this outrageous thing.'

¹³And I -- where could I carry my disgrace? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.

¹⁴But he would not listen to her voice. Since he was stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

¹⁵Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, for greater was the hatred with which he hated her than the love with which he had loved her; and Amnon said to her, 'Get up and go.'

¹⁶She said to him, 'No, because this great wrong is worse than the other that you have done to me, by sending me away.' But he was not willing to listen to her.

¹⁷And he called his attendant who served him and said, 'Send this woman away from me outside, and lock the door behind her.'

¹⁸Now she had on a long-sleeved garment, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed in robes. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

¹⁹And Tamar took ashes upon her head, and the tunic of many colors that was on her she tore; and she put her hand on her head, and went away crying out as she went.

²⁰And Absalom her brother said to her, 'Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now, my sister, be silent. He is your brother; do not set your heart to this matter.' So Tamar remained, desolate, in the house of her brother Absalom.

²¹And King David heard all these things, and he was very angry.

²²Absalom did not speak to Amnon a word, either bad or good, for Absalom hated Amnon because of the matter in which he had violated his sister Tamar.

²³And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had shearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

²⁴And Absalom came to the king and said, 'Now, your servant has shearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.'

²⁵And the king said to Absalom, 'No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be a burden to you.' But he pressed him, yet he was not willing to go; and he blessed him.

²⁶Then Absalom said, 'If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.' And the king said to him, 'Why should he go with you?'

²⁷But Absalom pressed him, and he sent with him Amnon and all the king's sons.

²⁸And Absalom commanded his servants, saying, 'Mark now, when the heart of Amnon is merry with wine, and I say to you, "Strike Amnon," then kill him; do not fear. Is it not I who commanded you? Be strong and act courageously.'

²⁹And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

³⁰And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that the report came to David, saying, 'Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left.'

³¹Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants were standing by with their garments torn.

³²But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, 'Let not my lord suppose that all the young men, the king's sons, have been killed; for only Amnon is dead -- for by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar.'

³³And now, let not my lord the king take to heart the matter, saying, 'All the king's sons are dead,' for Amnon alone is dead.

³⁴And Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming along the road from the hillside behind him.

³⁵And Jonadab said to the king, 'Behold, the king's sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come to pass.'

³⁶And it came to pass when he had finished speaking that, behold, the king's sons arrived and lifted up their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very greatly.

³⁷And Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur; and David mourned for his son all the days.

³⁸So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

³⁹And King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he had been comforted concerning Amnon, for he was dead.