1And after this, Absalom, the son of David, had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon, another son of David, loved her.
2And Amnon was so frustrated that he fell sick for his sister Tamar. She was a virgin; and Amnon thought he could never have her.
3But he had a friend, named Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother; and he was a very conniving kind of man.
4And he said to Amnon, “Why are you, the king's son, so haggard from day to day?” And Amnon told him, “I love Tamar, Absalom's sister”.
5And Jonadab said, “Lie on your bed, and pretend to be sick; and when your father comes to see you, tell him, “let my sister, Tamar, come, and prepare me food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand”.
6So Amnon lay down, and pretended that he was sick; and when the king had come to see him, Amnon said to David, “Please let Tamar, my sister, come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand”.
7Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare a meal for him”.
8So Tamar went to Amnon's house; and he was lying down. And she took flour, kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.
9And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send everyone out of here.” And everyone went out.
10And Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat of your hand”. And Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the bedroom to Amnon, her brother.
11And when she had brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her, and said to her, “Come lie with me, my sister”.
12And she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not do this wicked thing!
13And I, where shall I go rid myself of my shame? And as for you, you shall be like one of the fools in Israel. Now, therefore, I pray you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from marrying you”.
14However, he would not listen to her; but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with (raped) her.
15Then suddenly Amnon love turned to hate; such that the hatred for her was greater than the love he had felt for her. And Amnon said to her, “Get out of here”.
16And she said, “There is no reason for this; this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me!” But he would not listen to her.
17Then he called his servant, and said, “Put this woman out from me now, and bolt the door after her”.
18And she was wearing a garment of several colors; one of robes by which the king's virgin daughters were appareled. Then his servant pushed her out, and bolted the door after her.
19And Tamar put ashes on her head, tore her garment of several colors, and laid her hand on her head, and went on her way, crying.
20And Absalom, her brother, asked her, “Has Amnon, your brother, been with you? But hold your peace for now, my sister. He is your brother; do not regard this thing”. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
21But when king David heard of all these this, he was very angry.
22And Absalom spoke neither good nor bad to his brother, Amnon; but Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister, Tamar.
23And then, after two full years, Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim; and he invited all the king's sons.
24And Absalom came to the king, and said, “Look, I have sheepshearers; let the king and his servants go with me”.
25And David said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all now go, or we will be burdensome to you”. And though he pressed him; he would not go, but blessed him.
26Then Absalom said, “If not, let my brother Amnon go with us”. And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
27But Absalom urged him, so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.
28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Mark you now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon’, then kill him; fear not, because I have commanded you. Be courageous, and be valiant.”
29And the servants of Absalom dispatched Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and each mounted his mule, and fled.
30And, while they were on their way, the word came to David that said, “Absalom has killed all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left”.
31Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32But Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, spoke up and said, “Do not let my lord the king suppose that they have killed all of your sons; for only Amnon is dead; for this has been the intent of Absalom ever since the day that he raped his sister, Tamar.
33No, my lord, the king, all your sons are not dead; for only Amnon is dead.”
34But Absalom fled. And the watchman looked, and saw many people coming by the way of the hillside behind him.
35And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, here come the king's sons, as I said.”
36And as soon as he had finished speaking, the king's sons arrived, and wept aloud; as did the king and all his servants a very great deal.
37But Absalom fled to Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur in Syria. And David mourned for his son each day.
38Then Absalom went to Geshur, and was there three years.
39And the soul of king David wanted to go to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. Easy Reader Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2023 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |
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