2 Samuel 13
1 And it came to pass, after this, that, Absolom, son of David, having a beautiful sister, whose name, was Tamar, Amnon son of David loved her.
Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Amon, the sone of Dauid, louyde the faireste sistir, Thamar bi name, of Absolon, sone of Dauid.
2 And it so troubled Amnon, that he made himself ill on account of Tamar his sister, for, a virgin, was she, and it was monstrous in Amnon’s own eyes, to do, anything, unto her.
And Amon perischide greetli for hir, so that he was sijk for `the loue of hir. For whanne she was a virgyn, it semyde hard to hym, that he schulde do ony thing vnonestli with hir.
3 But, Amnon, had a friend, whose name, was Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David’s brother, —and, Jonadab, was a very cunning man.
Forsothe a freend, Jonadab bi name, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, `was to Amon; Jonadab was a ful prudent man.
4 So he said to him, —Why art thou looking so wretched—a king’s son too—morning by morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, With Tamar, my brother Absolom’s sister, am I in love.
Which seide to Amon, Sone of the kyng, whi art thou maad feble so bi leenesse bi alle daies? whi schewist thou not to me? And Amon seide to him, Y loue Thamar, the sister of my brother Absolon.
5 And Jonadab said unto him: Take to thy bed, and feign thyself ill, —and, when thy father cometh in to see thee, then shalt thou say unto him—I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, that she may give me food, and let her prepare, before mine eyes, some delicacy, to the end that I may see [it made], and so eat at her hand.
And Jonadab answeride to hym, Li thou on thi bed, and feyne thou sikenesse; and whanne thi fadir cometh, that he visyte thee, seie thou to hym, Y preye, come Thamar, my sister, that sche yyue mete to me, and make a seew, that Y ete of hir hond.
6 So Amnon took to his bed, and feigned himself ill, —and, when the king came in to see him, Amnon said unto the king—I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make ready before mine eyes a couple of cakes, that I may eat at her hand.
Therfor Amon lay doun, and `bigan as to be sijk. And whanne the kyng hadde come to visite him, Amon seide to the kyng, Y biseche, come Thamar, my sistir, that sche make twei soupyngis bifor my iyen, and that Y take of hir hond meete maad redi.
7 So David sent unto Tamar, in the house—saying, —Come, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and prepare him enticing food.
Therfor Dauid sente to the hows of Thamar, and seide, Come thou in to the hows of Amon, thi brother, and make thou seew to hym.
8 And Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, he having taken to his bed, —and took dough and kneaded it, and folded it before his eyes, and baked the cakes.
And Thamar cam in to the hows of Amon, hir brother. Sotheli he lai; and sche took mele, and medlide, and made moist bifor hise iyen, and sethide soupyngis;
9 Then took she the pan and put them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said—Have forth every one from me. And they went out every one from him.
and sche took that, that sche hadde sode, and helde out, and settide byfor hym, and he nolde ete. And Amon seide, Putte ye out alle men fro me. And whanne thei hadden put out alle men,
10 Then said Amnon unto Tamar—Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat out of thine own hand. So Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them in to Amnon her brother, in the chamber.
Amon seide to Thamar, Bere the mete in to the closet, that Y ete of thin hond. Therfor Thamar took the soupingis whiche sche hadde maad, and brouyte in to Amon, hir brother, in the closet.
11 And, when she brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister!
And whanne sche hadde proferid mete to hym, he took hir, and seide, Come thou, my sistir, li thou with me.
12 But she said to him—Nay! my brother, do not force me, for it should not be done so in Israel, —do not commit this vileness.
And sche answeride to hym, My brother, nyle thou, nyle thou oppresse me, for this is not leueful in Israel; nyle thou do this foli.
13 And, I,—whither could I take my reproach? Thou, too, wouldest be as one of the vile fellows, in Israel. Now, therefore, speak, I pray thee, unto the king, for he would not withhold me from thee.
For Y schal not mow bere my schenschip, and thou schalt be as oon of the vnwise men in Israel; but rather speke thou to the kyng, and he schal not denye me to thee.
14 But he would not hearken unto her voice, —and, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
Sotheli he nolde assente to hir preieris; but he was strengere in myytis, and oppresside hir, and lay with hir.
15 Then did Amnon hate her with a very great hatred, for, greater, was the hatred wherewith he hated her, than the love wherewith he had loved her, —so Amnon said to her—Rise—begone!
And `Amon hadde hir hateful bi ful grete haterede, so that the hatrede was gretter, bi which he hatide hir, than the loue bi which he louyde hir bifor. And Amon seide to hir, Rise thou, and go.
16 But she said to him—No occasion for this greater wrong, after what thou hast done with me, to put me away! Nevertheless he would not hearken unto her;
And sche answeride to hym, This yuel is more which thou doist now ayens me, and puttist me out, than that, that thou didist bifore. And he nolde here hir; but whanne the child was clepide,
17 but called his young man who waited on him, and said—I pray you, put forth this woman from me, outside, —and bolt the door after her.
that mynystride to hym, he seide, Putte thou out this womman fro me, and close thou the dore aftir hir.
18 Now she had upon her a long tunic, for, so, used king’s daughters to apparel themselves, when they were virgins, in robes. And his attendant took her forth, outside, and bolted the door, after her.
And sche was clothid with a coote doun to the heele; for the kyngis douytris virgyns vsiden siche clothis. Therfor the mynystre of Amon puttide hir out, and closide the dore aftir hir.
19 And Tamar put ashes upon her head, and, the long tunic that was upon her, she rent, —and put her hand upon her head, and went her way, crying out as she went.
And sche spreynte aische to hir heed, whanne the coote to `the heele was to-rent, and whanne the hondis weren put on hir heed, and sche yede entrynge and criynge.
20 And Absolom her brother said unto her—Hath, Amnon thy brother, been with thee? Now, therefore, my sister, hold thy peace—thy brother, he is, do not lay to thy heart, this thing. But Tamar remained, and was desolate in the house of Absolom her brother.
Forsothe Absolon, hir brother, seide to hir, Whether Amon, thi brothir, hath leyn with thee? But `now, sister, be stille; he is thi brother, and turmente not thin herte for this thing. Therfor Thamar dwellide morenynge in the hows of Absolon, hir brothir.
21 And, King David, heard all these things, —and it angered him greatly.
Forsothe whanne `kyng Dauid hadde herd these wordis, he was ful sori, and he nolde make sore the spyrit of Amon, his sone; for he louyde Amon, for he was the firste gendrid `to hym.
22 And Absolom spake not with Amnon, either bad or good, —though Absolom hated Amnon, because he had forced Tamar his sister.
Forsothe Absolon spak not to Amon, nether yuel nether good; for Absolon hatide Amon, for he hadde defoulid Thamar, his sistir.
23 And it came to pass, after two years of days, that Absolom had, sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephron, —and Absolom invited all the king’s sons.
Forsothe it was doon aftir the tyme of twei yeer, that the scheep of Absolon weren shorun in Baalasor, which is bisidis Effraym. And Absolon clepide alle the sones of the kyng.
24 Absolom came also unto the king, and said, See, I pray thee, thy servant hath, sheepshearers, —I pray thee, let the king and his servants go with thy servant.
And he cam to the kyng, and seide to hym, Lo! the scheep of thi seruaunt ben schorun; Y preye, come the king with hise seruauntis to his seruaunt.
25 And the king said unto Absolom—Nay! my son, do not, I pray thee, let us all go, lest we be burdensome upon thee. And, though he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him.
And the kyng seide to Absolon, Nyle thou, my sone, nyle thou preye, that alle we come, and greeue thee. Forsothe whanne he constreynede Dauid, and he nolde go, he blesside Absolon.
26 Then said Absolom, If not, then, I pray thee, let Amnon my brother go with us. And the king said unto him, Wherefore should he go with thee?
And Absolon seide to Dauid, If thou nylt come, Y byseche, come nameli Amon, my brother, with vs. And the kyng seide to hym, It is no nede, that he go with thee.
27 And Absolom urged him, —so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
Therfor Absolon constreynede hym; and he delyuerede with him Amon, and alle the sones of the kyng. And Absolon hadde maad a feeste as the feeste of a kyng.
28 Now Absolom had commanded his young men, saying—Mark, I pray you, when the heart of Amnon is merry with wine, and I say unto you—Smite ye Amnon, then shall ye put him to death, do not fear, —have not, I myself, commanded you? Be bold, and show yourselves to be sons of valour.
Sotheli Absolon comaundide to hise children, and seide, Aspie ye, whanne Amon is drunkun of wyn, and Y seie to you, Smyte ye, and sle hym. Nyle ye drede, for Y am that comaunde to you; be ye strengthid, and be ye stronge men.
29 So Absolom’s young men did to Amnon as Absolom had commanded. Then arose all the king’s sons, and rode away—each man on his mule, and fled.
Therfor the children of Absolon diden ayens Amon, as Absolon hadde comaundide to hem; and alle the sones of the kyng risiden, and stieden ech on his mule, and fledden.
30 And it came to pass, while, they, were yet on the road, that, the report, reached David, saying, —Absolom hath smitten all the king’s sons, and there is not left of them, one.
And whanne thei yeden yit in the weie, fame cam to the kyng, and seide, Absolon hath kild alle the sones of the king, and `nameli not oon lefte of hem.
31 And the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the ground, —and all his servants who stood by rent their garments.
Therfor the kyng roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and felde doun on the erthe; and alle hise seruauntis that stoden nyy to hym, to-renten her clothis.
32 Then responded Jonadab son of Shimeah David’s brother, and said—Let not my lord say that they have put, all the young men—the king’s sons, to death; for, Amnon alone, is dead; for, by the bidding of Absolom, was it appointed, from the day that he forced Tamar his sister.
Sotheli Jonadab, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, gesse not, that alle the children, and sones of the kyng, ben slayn; Amon aloone is deed, for he was set in hatrede to Absolon, fro the day in which he oppresside Thamar, his sistir.
33 Now, therefore, let not my lord the king lay to his heart such a thing—to say, All the king’s sons, are dead, —but, Amnon alone, is dead.
Now therfor, my lord the kyng, set not this word on his herte, and seie, Alle the sones of the kyng ben slayn; for Amon aloone is deed.
34 Now Absolom had fled. And the young man that was watching lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo! much people, coming on the road behind him, on the mountain-side.
Forsothe Absolon fledde. And a child aspiere reiside hise iyen, and bihelde, and lo! myche puple cam bi a weye out of the comyn weie bi the side of the hil.
35 So Jonadab said unto the king, Lo! the king’s sons, are come, —according to the word of thy servant, so hath it come to pass.
And Jonadab seide to the kyng, Lo! the sones of the kyng comen; bi the word of thi seruaunt, so it is doon.
36 And so it was, as he made an end of speaking, that lo! the king’s sons, came, and lifted up their voice and wept, —the king also, and all his servants, wept with an exceeding great weeping.
And whanne he hadde ceessid to speke, also the sones of the kyng apperiden; and thei entriden, and reisiden her vois, and wepten; but also the kyng and alle his seruauntis wepten bi ful greet wepyng.
37 But, Absolom, had fled, and had taken his journey unto Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David the king mourned for his son continually,
Forsothe Absolon fledde, and yede to Tholmai, sone of Amyur, the kyng of Gessur. Therfor Dauid biweilide his sone Amon in many daies.
38 But, Absolom, had fled, and had taken his journey to Geshur, —and it came to pass that he was there three years.
Forsothe Absolon, whanne he hadde fled, and hadde come in to Gessur, was there thre yeer.
39 And the spirit of the king pined to go forth unto Absolom, —for he had consoled himself over Amnon, in that he was dead.
And Dauid ceesside to pursue Absolon, for he was coumfortid on the deeth of Amon.
