1 ARST David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Another of David’s sons, Amnon, was attracted to Tamar, with whom he was a half-brother. BSB BSB: After some time, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom.
2 ARST He wanted to sleep with Tamar very much, so much that he felt sick with desire. But it seemed impossible for Amnon to get her, because she was a virgin, so they kept men away from her. BSB BSB: Amnon was sick with frustration over his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed implausible for him to do anything to her.
3 ARST But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was a nephew to David, son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jehonadab was a very crafty man. BSB BSB: Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,
4 ARST One day Jehonadab said to Amnon, “You are the king’s son, but every day I see that you seem very depressed. What is your problem?” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, my half-brother Absalom’s sister.” BSB BSB: and he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the son of the king, so depressed morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
5 ARST Jehonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend that you are sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let your half-sister Tamar come and give you some food to eat. Ask for her to cook the food while you are watching her. Then she can serve it to you herself.” BSB BSB: Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare it in my sight so I may watch her and eat it from her hand.’”
6 ARST So Amnon lay down and pretended that he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I am sick. Please allow Tamar to come and make a couple breadcakes for me while I am watching, and then she can serve them to me.” BSB BSB: So Amnon lay down and feigned illness. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.”
7 ARST So David sent a message to Tamar in the palace saying, “Amnon is sick; he wants you to go to his house and prepare some food for him.” BSB BSB: Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare a meal for him.”
8 ARST So Tamar went to Amnon’s house, where he was lying in bed. She took some dough and kneaded it, and formed them into some breadcakes while he was watching her. Then she baked them. BSB BSB: So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked them.
9 ARST She took them out of the pan and put them on a plate in front of him, but he refused to eat them. Then he said to his servants in the room, “All the rest of you, leave me!” So they all left. BSB BSB: Then she brought the pan and set it down before him, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone away!” said Amnon. And everyone went out.
10 ARST Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food to my bed and serve it to me.” So Tamar took into his room the breadcakes that she had made. BSB BSB: Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat it from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon’s bedroom.
11 ARST But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me!” BSB BSB: And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come lie with me, my sister!”
12 ARST She replied, “No, do not force me to do such a disgraceful thing! We never do things like that in Israel! That would be shameful! BSB BSB: “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not violate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
13 ARST I would not be able to endure being disgraced by having done that. And as for you, everyone in Israel would condemn you for having done such a disgraceful deed. So I plead with you, talk to the king. I am sure that he will allow me to marry you.” BSB BSB: Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”
14 ARST But he paid no attention to her. He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to sleep with him. BSB BSB: But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.
15 ARST Then Amnon hated her very much. He hated her much more than he had desired her. He said to her, “Get up and get out of here!” BSB BSB: Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!”
16 ARST But she said to him, “No! It would be very wrong for you to send me away. It would be worse than what you just did to me!” But again he paid no attention to her. BSB BSB: “No,” she replied, “sending me away is worse than this great wrong you have already done to me!” But he refused to listen to her.
17 ARST He summoned his personal servant and said to him, “Take this woman outside, away from me, and lock the door so that she cannot come in again!” BSB BSB: Instead, he called to his attendant and said, “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!”
18 ARST So the servant put her outside and locked the door. Now Tamar was wearing a decorated long robe, which was the clothing that was usually worn by the unmarried daughters of the king at that time. BSB BSB: So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.
19 ARST But Tamar tore the long robe that she was wearing, and put ashes on her head to show that she was very sad. Then she put her hands on her head to show that she was grieving, and she went away crying. BSB BSB: And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying aloud.
20 ARST Her brother Absalom saw her and said to her, “Has your half-brother Amnon forced you to sleep with him? Please, my sister, do not tell anyone, and do not become depressed.” So Tamar went to live in Absalom’s house, and she was very sad and lonely. BSB BSB: Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom.
21 ARST When King David heard about all this, he became very angry. BSB BSB: When King David heard all this, he was furious.
22 ARST And Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister to sleep with him, so he would not speak to Amnon about anything. BSB BSB: And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for violating his sister Tamar.
23 ARST However, two years later, Absalom hired men to shear his sheep at Baal Hazor, which is near the tribal land of Ephraim. They were going to celebrate when they finished shearing the sheep, so Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come and celebrate with him. BSB BSB: Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king.
24 ARST Absalom went to the king and said to him, “Sir, my workers have been shearing my sheep. Please come with your officials to celebrate with us!” BSB BSB: And he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired shearers. Will the king and his servants please come with me?”
25 ARST But the king replied, “No, my son, it would not be good for all of us to go, because we are so many people; we would cost you too much.” Absalom continued urging him, but the king would not go. Instead, he said that he hoped that God would bless them while they celebrated. BSB BSB: “No, my son,” the king replied, “we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he was not willing to go, but gave him his blessing.
26 ARST Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, please allow my half-brother Amnon to go with us.” But the king replied, “Why do you want him to go with you?” BSB BSB: “If not,” said Absalom, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked.
27 ARST But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David’s other sons to go with Absalom. BSB BSB: But Absalom urged him, so the king sent Amnon and the rest of his sons.
28 ARST So they all went. At the celebration, Absalom commanded his servants, “Notice when Amnon has become a bit drunk from the wine. Then when I signal to you, kill him. Do not be afraid. You will be doing this only because I told you to do it. So be courageous and do it!” BSB BSB: Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!”
29 ARST So Absalom’s servants did what Absalom told them to do. They killed Amnon. All the rest of David’s sons saw what happened and fled, riding on their mules. BSB BSB: So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule.
30 ARST While they were on their way home, someone quickly went and reported to David, “Absalom has killed all of your other sons. None of them is alive!” BSB BSB: While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king; not one of them is left!”
31 ARST The king stood up, tore his clothes because he was extremely sad, and then he threw himself down on the ground. All the servants who were there also tore their clothes. BSB BSB: Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground. And all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32 ARST But Jehonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Your Majesty, I am sure that they have not killed all your sons. I am sure that only Amnon is dead, because Absalom has been determined to do this ever since the day that Amnon raped Tamar. BSB BSB: But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the sons of the king, for only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar.
33 ARST So, your Majesty, do not believe the report that all your sons are dead. I am sure that only Amnon is dead.” BSB BSB: So now, my lord the king, do not take to heart the report that all the sons of the king are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34 ARST In the meantime, Absalom ran away. Just then, a soldier keeping guard on the city wall saw a large crowd of people coming down the hill along the road to the west. He ran and told the king what he had seen. BSB BSB: Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.”
35 ARST Jonadab said to the king, “Look there! What I told you is true. Your other sons are alive and have come!” BSB BSB: So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.”
36 ARST And as soon as he said that, David’s sons came in. They all started crying, and David and all his officials also cried very much. BSB BSB: And as he finished speaking, the sons of the king came in, wailing loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.
37 ARST But Absalom had fled. He went to stay with the king of the region of Geshur. His name was Talmai son of Ammihud. Absalom stayed there for three years. But King David mourned for his son Amnon for a long time, BSB BSB: Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.
39 ARST but after that, he desired very much to see Absalom, because he was no longer grieving about Amnon being dead. BSB BSB: And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon’s death.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.