2 Samuel 13
1 And it cometh to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David hath a fair sister, and her name [is] Tamar, and Amnon son of David loveth her.
David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and another of David's sons, Amnon, fell in love with her.
2 And Amnon hath 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.
Amnon became so infatuated with his sister Tamar that he felt sick. She was a virgin, and Amnon saw it was impossible for him to have her.
3 And Amnon hath a friend, and his name [is] Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab [is] a very wise man,
However, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, and he was the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very cunning man.
4 and saith to him, 'Wherefore [art] thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, 'Tamar — sister of Absalom my brother — I am loving.'
He asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king's son, so down every morning? Why don't you tell me what's wrong?” “I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister,” Amnon replied.
5 And Jonadab saith to him, 'Lie down on thy couch, and feign thyself sick, and thy father hath come in to see thee, and thou hast said unto him, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come in and give me bread to eat; and she hath made the food before mine eyes so that I see [it], and have eaten from her hand.'
“Lie down on your bed and pretend you're sick,” Jonadab told him. “When your father comes to see you, tell him, ‘Please have my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat. She can make it as I watch and she can hand it to me.’”
6 And Amnon lieth down, and feigneth himself sick, and the king cometh in to see him, and Amnon saith unto the king, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come, and she maketh before mine eyes two cakes, and I eat from her hand.'
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please have my sister Tamar come and make a couple of pancakes as I watch, and she can hand them to me to eat.”
7 And David sendeth unto Tamar, to the house, saying, 'Go, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and make for him food.'
Then David sent a message to Tamar at the palace: “Please be so kind as to go to the house of your brother Amnon and make him some food.”
8 And Tamar goeth to the house of Amnon her brother, and he is lying down, and she taketh the dough, and kneadeth, and maketh cakes before his eyes, and cooketh the cakes,
So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon to where he was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, and cooked the pancakes as he watched.
9 and taketh the frying-pan, and poureth out before him, and he refuseth to eat, and Amnon saith, 'Take ye out every one from me;' and they go out every one from him.
Then she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. “Everybody leave me!” Amnon shouted. Everyone left.
10 And Amnon saith unto Tamar, 'Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from thy hand;' and Tamar taketh the cakes that she hath made, and bringeth in to Amnon her brother, into the inner chamber,
Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so you can hand it to me to eat.” So Tamar took the pancakes she had made to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.
11 and she bringeth nigh unto him to eat, and he layeth hold on her, and saith to her, 'Come, lie with me, my sister.'
But as she handed him the food, he grabbed hold of her, and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister!”
12 And she saith to him, 'Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly.
“No, you're my brother!” she exclaimed. “Don't rape me! That's not what we do in Israel! Don't do something so shameful!
13 And I — whither do I cause my reproach to go? and thou — thou art as one of the fools in Israel; and now, speak, I pray thee, unto the king; for he doth not withhold me from thee.'
Stop and think about me! How could I bear such a disgrace? Think about yourself too! You'd be treated with contempt as a complete fool in Israel! Please talk with the king, for he won't stop you marrying me.”
14 And he hath not been willing to hearken to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbleth her, and lieth with her.
But Amnon wouldn't to listen to her, and because he was stronger than she was, he raped her.
15 And Amnon hateth her — a very great hatred — that greater [is] the hatred with which he hath hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon saith to her, 'Rise, go.'
Then Amnon hated Tamar with immense hatred. His hatred was so strong that it was greater than the love he'd had before. “Get up! Get lost!” he told her.
16 And she saith to him, 'Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that thou hast done with me — to send me away;' and he hath not been willing to hearken to her,
“No! Don't do this!” she answered. “Sending me away in disgrace would be an even greater evil than what you've already done to me.” But he wouldn't listen to her.
17 and calleth his young man, his servant, and saith, 'Send away, I pray thee, this one from me without, and bolt the door after her;'
He called for his servant and said, “Get rid of this woman and lock the door behind 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 taketh her out without, and hath bolted the door after her.
So his servant threw her out and locked the door behind her. Tamar was wearing the long robe of a princess, which is what the king's virgin daughters wore.
19 And Tamar taketh ashes for her head, and the long coat that [is] on her she hath rent, and putteth her hand on her head, and goeth, going on and crying;
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long robe. She put her hands on her head, she went away crying loudly.
20 and Absalom her brother saith unto her, 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, keep silent, he [is] thy brother; set not thy heart to this thing;' and Tamar dwelleth — but desolate — in the house of Absalom her brother.
Her brother Absalom found her and asked, “Has brother Amnon been with you? Keep quiet for the moment, my sister. He's your brother. Don't be so upset about it.” So Tamar lived as a ruined and abandoned woman in her brother Absalom's home.
21 And king David hath heard all these things, and it is very displeasing to him;
When King David heard about it, he was very angry.
22 and Absalom hath not spoken with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom is hating Amnon, because that he humbled Tamar his sister.
Absalom didn't talk to Amnon at all because he hated Amnon for raping his sister Tamar.
23 And it cometh to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom hath shearers in Baal-Hazor, which [is] with Ephraim, and Absalom calleth for all the sons of the king.
Some two years later, when his sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king's sons to join the celebrations.
24 And Absalom cometh unto the king, and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath shearers, let the king go, I pray thee, and his servants, with thy servant.'
He went to the king and said, “I, your servant, have hired shearers. Would the king and his servants please join me?”
25 And the king saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray thee, and we are not too heavy on thee;' and he presseth on him, and he hath not been willing to go, and he blesseth him.
“No, my son,” the king replied, “we can't all go. We would be a burden to you.” Even though Absalom went on asking, he was not willing to go, but he did give Absalom his blessing.
26 And Absalom saith, 'If not — let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us;' and the king saith to him, 'Why doth he go with thee?'
“Well then, at least let my brother Amnon join us,” Absalom responded. “Why do you want him to go?” the king asked.
27 and Absalom urgeth on him, and he sendeth with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king.
But Absalom kept on asking, so the king sent Amnon and his other sons.
28 And Absalom commandeth his young men, saying, 'See, I pray thee, when the heart of Amnon [is] glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that ye have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valour.'
Absalom gave orders to his men, saying, “Pay attention! When Amnon is feeling happy from drinking wine and I tell you, ‘Attack Amnon!’ then kill him. Don't be afraid. I myself am giving you this order. Be strong and be brave.”
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.
So Absalom's men did what Absalom had ordered and killed Amnon. Then all the rest of the king's sons jumped up, got on their mules, and ran away.
30 And it cometh to pass — they [are] in the way — and the report hath come unto David, saying, 'Absalom hath smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one;'
While they were on their way back, David received a message, “Absalom has killed all the king's sons—there's not a single one left!”
31 and the king riseth, and rendeth his garments, and lieth on the earth, and all his servants are standing by [with] rent garments.
The king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground. All his officials stood beside him with their clothes torn.
32 And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answereth and saith, '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 hath been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister;
But Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, told them: “Your Majesty must not think they have killed all the king's sons—only Amnon is dead. Absalom has been planning ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
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.'
So, Your Majesty, please don't believe the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34 And Absalom fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.
In the meantime, Absalom had run away. When the watchman in Jerusalem looked out, he saw a large crowd coming along the road west of him, down the side of the hill.
35 And Jonadab saith unto the king, 'Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of thy servant, so it hath been.'
Jonadab told the king, “Can you see? The king's sons are arriving! It's exactly as your servant said.”
36 And it cometh 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.
As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, crying and wailing. Then the king and all his officials also cried loudly.
37 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and [David] mourneth for his son all the days.
Absalom ran away to Talmai, son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Every day David mourned for his son Amnon.
38 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth to Geshur, and is there three years;
After Absalom had run away to Geshur, he remained there for three years.
39 and [the soul of] king David determineth to go out unto Absalom, for he hath been comforted for Amnon, for [he is] dead.
King David longed to go and see Absalom, for he had finished grieving over the death of Amnon.
