Amnon and Tamar 1 ULT And it happened after this that to Absalom, the son of David,{ was} a beautiful sister, and her name{ was} Tamar, and Amnon, the son of David, loved her. BSB BSB: After some time, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom.
2 ULT And it narrowed to Amnon, so that he made himself sick over Tamar his sister. For she{ was} a virgin, so it was difficult in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to 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 ULT Now to Amnon{ was} a friend, and his name{ was} Jonadab, the son of Shimeah the brother of David. And Jonadab{ was} a very cunning man. BSB BSB: Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,
4 ULT And he said to him,“Why{ are} you so weak, son of the king, by morning, by morning? Will you not declare to me?” And Amnon said to him,“I am loving Tamar, the sister of Absalom my brother.” 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 ULT And Jonadab said to him,“Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. And your father will come to see you, and you shall say to him,‘Please let Tamar my sister come and let her serve me bread, and let her make the food to my eyes so that I may see, and I will eat from her hand.’” 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 ULT So Amnon lay down, and he pretended to be sick. And the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king,“Please let Tamar my sister come, and let her make to my eyes a couple of pancakes, and I will eat from her hand.” 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 ULT So David sent to Tamar at the house, saying,“Please go{ to} the house of Amnon your brother and make 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 ULT So Tamar went{ to} the house of Amnon her brother, and he was lying down. And she took the dough, and she kneaded{ it}, and she made pancakes to his eyes, and she cooked the pancakes. 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 ULT And she took the pan, and she poured{ them} out to his face, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said,“Make every man go out from me.” So every man went out from him. 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 ULT Then Amnon said to Tamar,“Bring the food{ to} the bedroom, and I will eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the pancakes that she had made and brought{ them} into the bedroom to Amnon her brother. 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 ULT And she brought{ them} near to him to eat, and he seized her, and he said to her,“Come, lie with me, my sister.” 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 ULT And she said to him,“No, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done thus in Israel. Do not do this wickedness! 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 ULT And I, where would I bring my shame? And you, you would be like one of the wicked{ ones} in Israel. And now, please, speak to the king, for he would not withhold me from 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 ULT But he was not willing to listen to her voice. And he was stronger than she, and he humbled her, and he lay with her. BSB BSB: But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.
15 ULT Then Amnon hated her{ with} very great hatred, so that the hatred{ with} which he hated her{ was} greater than the love{ with} which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her,“Arise, go.” 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 ULT But she said to him,“No, because this great evil, to send me away, than the other that you did to me.” But he was not willing to listen 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 ULT And he called his young man, the one attending him, and he said,“Now send this{ one} away from me outside, and lock the door behind her.” BSB BSB: Instead, he called to his attendant and said, “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!”
18 ULT Now a long robe{ was} on her, for thus the virgin daughters of the king dressed{ in} garments. And the one attending him brought her outside, and he locked the door behind her. 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 ULT And Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore the long robe that{ was} on her, and she put her hand on her head, and she went, going and she cried out. 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 ULT And Absalom her brother said to her,“Has Amnon your brother been with you? And now, my sister, keep silent, he{ is} your brother. Do not set your heart to this matter.” And Tamar dwelled and was desolate{ in} the house of Absalom her brother. 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 ULT And King David heard all of these things, and it burned to him greatly. BSB BSB: When King David heard all this, he was furious.
22 ULT But Absalom did not speak with Amnon to evil or to good, for Absalom hated Amnon for the reason that he had humbled Tamar his sister. BSB BSB: And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for violating his sister Tamar.
Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon 23 ULT And it happened after two years of days that shearers were to Absalom in Baal Hazor, which{ is} near Ephraim. And Absalom called to all of the sons of the king. BSB BSB: Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king.
24 ULT And Absalom went to the king, and he said,“Behold, please, shearers{ are} to your servant. May the king and his servants please go with your servant.” 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 ULT And the king said to Absalom,“No, my son, please let not all of us go, and let us not be heavy to you.” Then he urged him, but he was not willing to go, but he blessed him. 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 ULT And Absalom said,“If not, may Amnon my brother please go with us.” And the king said to him,“Why should he 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 ULT But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all of the sons of the king with him. BSB BSB: But Absalom urged him, so the king sent Amnon and the rest of his sons.
28 ULT And Absalom commanded his young men, saying,“See, now, when Amnon{ is} good of heart with wine, and I say to you,‘Strike Amnon!’ then you shall kill him. Do not fear.{ Is it} not that I, I have commanded you? Be courageous and be sons of valor.” 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 ULT And the young men of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. And all of the sons of the king arose, and they rode, a man on his mule, and they fled. 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 ULT And it happened, they{ were} on the road, and the report came to David, saying,“Absalom has struck all of the sons of the king, and not one of them is left.” 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 ULT And the king arose, and he tore his clothes, and he lay on the ground, and all of his servants were standing, torn of 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 ULT But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah the brother of David, answered and said,“May my lord not say,‘All of the young men, the sons of the king, have been killed,’ for Amnon alone has died. For it was placed on the mouth of Absalom from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister. 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 ULT And now, may my lord the king not put the matter to his heart, saying,‘All of the sons of the king have died,’ for only Amnon has died.” 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.”
Absalom Flees to Geshur 34 ULT (Now Absalom had fled.) And the young man watching lifted his eyes, and he saw, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him, from the side of the mountain. 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 ULT And Jonadab said to the king,“Behold, the sons of the king are coming. As your servant spoke, thus it is.” BSB BSB: So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.”
36 ULT And it happened, as he finished speaking, that behold, the sons of the king came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And the king and all of his servants also wept a very great weeping. 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 ULT But Absalom fled, and he went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son all of the days. BSB BSB: Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.
38 ULT And Absalom fled, and he went{ to} Geshur, and he was there three years. BSB BSB: After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years.
39 ULT And it ceased, David the king to go out against Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, that he had died. BSB BSB: And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon’s death.
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