1 GLT And it happened after thus, and to Absalom the son of David{ belonged} 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 GLT And there was distress to Amnon so that he made himself sick for the sake of Tamar his sister, for she{ was} a virgin. But 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 GLT But to Amnon{ belonged} a friend, and his name{ was} Jonadab the son of Shimeah the brother of David. And Jonadab was a very clever man. BSB BSB: Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,
4 GLT And he said to him,“Why{ are} you so poor, son of the king, morning by morning? Will you not inform me?” And Amnon said to him,“Tamar the sister of Absalom my brother I am loving.” 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 GLT And Jonadab said to him,“Lie down on your bed and make yourself sick. And your father comes to see you, and you will say to him,‘Please, let Tamar my sister come, and let her provide me{ with} 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 GLT And Amnon lay down, and he made himself 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 cakes, so that I may 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 GLT And David sent to Tamar at the house, saying,“Now, 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 GLT And 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 cakes to his eyes, and she boiled the cakes. 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 GLT And she took the tray, and she poured{ it} out to his face, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said,“Make every person go away from me.” And every person went away 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 GLT And Amnon said to Tamar,“Bring the food{ to} the bedroom so that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes that she made, and she brought{ them} to Amnon her brother, into the bedroom 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 GLT And she brought{ them} close to him to eat. And he grabbed her, and he said to her,“Come, lay down 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 GLT And she said to him,“No, my brother, do not humiliate me, for thus it is not done in Israel. Do not do this atrocity!” 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 GLT But I— where will I bring my shame? And you— you would be like one of the godless fools in Israel. But now, please, speak to the king, for he will 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 GLT But he was not willing to listen to her voice. And he was stronger than she, and he humiliated her, and he laid down with her. BSB BSB: But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.
15 GLT And Amnon hated her{ with} a 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,“Get up, 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 GLT And she said to him,“No, because this great evil{ is worse} than the other thing that you did with me, to send me away.” 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 GLT And he called his young man who served him, and he said,“Now, send this{ woman} 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 GLT And on her{ was} a long robe that thus the daughters of the king, the virgins, wore{ as} an outer garment. And the person who served 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 GLT And Tamar put ashes on her head, and the long robe which{ was} on her she tore. And she put her hands on her hand, and she walked, walking, 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 GLT And Absalom her brother said to her,“Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now, my sister, keep silent— he{ is} your brother. Do not put your heart to this matter.” And Tamar lived— 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 GLT And King David heard all these things, and it grew very hot to him. BSB BSB: When King David heard all this, he was furious.
22 GLT But Absalom did not speak with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom hated Amnon for the reason that he humiliated 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.
23 GLT And it happened after two years of days, and sheep shearers belonged to Absalom in Baal- Hazor, which{ is} near Ephraim. And Absalom called to all 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 GLT And Absalom went to the king, and he said,“Look, please. Sheep shearers{ belong} to your servant. Please, let the king and his servants 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 GLT And the king said to Absalom,“No, my son, now, let us not go— all of us, and let us not be heavy to you.” And he urged him, but he was not willing to go, and 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 GLT And Absalom said,“But{ if} not, please, let Amnon my brother 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 GLT And Absalom urged him, and he sent Amnon and all 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 GLT And Absalom commanded his young men, saying,“Now, see, when Amnon{ is} good of heart with the wine, and I say to you,‘Strike Amnon!’ Then you will murder him. Do not be afraid. Is it not that I myself have commanded you? Be courageous and be as sons of military prowess.” 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 GLT And the young men of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom commanded. And all the sons of the king got up, and they rode, each 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 GLT And it happened, they{ were} on the road, and the news came to David, saying,“Absalom has struck all the sons of the king, and not one from 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 GLT And the king got up, and he tore his clothes, and he laid down on the ground, and all his servants who were standing were tearing{ 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 GLT And Jonadab the son of Shimeah the brother of David answered, and he said,“Let my lord not say,‘All the young men, the sons of the king, have been mudered,’ because Amnon alone is dead. For it was placed on the mouth of Absalom from the day of his humiliating 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 GLT And now, let my lord, the king, not put the matter to his heart, saying,‘All the sons of the king are dead,’ except 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 GLT And Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch raised his eyes, and he saw, and look— 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 GLT And Jonadab said to the king,“Look, 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 GLT And it happened, as he finished speaking, and look— the sons of the king came, and they raised their voice, and they wept. And also the king and all his servants 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 GLT But Absalom fled, and he went to Talmai the son of Ammihud the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 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 GLT And Absalom fled, and he went{ to} Geshur. And he was there{ for} three years. BSB BSB: After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years.
39 GLT And David the king longed to go out to Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, because he died. BSB BSB: And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon’s death.
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