1Now it came about after this: Absalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, and her name was Tamar; and Amnon, David’s son, loved her.
2And Amnon was so distressed on account of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible in Amnon’s eyes to do anything to her.
3Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
4And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, so wasted away morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”
5And Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food to eat, and let her prepare the food before my eyes, so that I may see it and eat from her hand.’”
6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes before my eyes, so that I may be fed from her hand.”
7Then David sent word to Tamar at the house, saying, “Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare the food for him.”
8So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, and he was lying down; and she took the dough, kneaded it, made the cakes before his eyes, and cooked the cakes.
9And she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send everyone out from me!” So everyone went out from him.
10Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the inner room, so that I may be fed from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the inner room.
11And when she brought them near to him to eat, he seized her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”
12But she said to him, “No, my brother! Do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this outrageous folly!
13And I—where could I carry my disgrace? And you—you would be like one of the fools in Israel. So now, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”
14But he would not listen to her voice; and being stronger than she, he overpowered her and lay with her.
15Then 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, be gone!”
16But she said to him, “No! This great wrong—sending me away—is worse than the other you have done to me!” But he would not listen to her.
17Then he called his young man who served him and said, “Send this woman away from me, outside, and bolt the door behind her!”
18Now she was wearing a long ornamented tunic, for this is how the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. And his attendant put her out and bolted the door behind her.
19And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long ornamented tunic that was on her, and she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.
20And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? For now, my sister, keep quiet; he is your brother. Do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained, and desolate, in the house of her brother Absalom.
21Now when King David heard of all these things, he became very angry.
22But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, neither bad nor good; for Absalom hated Amnon on account of the matter that he had violated his sister Tamar.
23Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
24And Absalom came to the king and said, “Look, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.”
25But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, or we will be a burden to you.” And though he urged him, he was not willing to go, but he blessed him.
26Then Absalom said, “If not, please 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 sent Amnon with him, along with all the king’s sons.
28Now Absalom had commanded his young men, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not be afraid. Have I not myself commanded you? Be strong and be valiant.”
29So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons rose up, and each mounted his mule and fled.
30Now while they were on the way, the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”
31Then the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants were standing by with their garments torn.
32But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, spoke up and said, “Let my lord not think that they have killed all the young men, the sons of the king; for Amnon alone is dead. For this has been determined by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he raped his sister Tamar.
33So now, let my lord the king not take to heart the report that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”
34Meanwhile Absalom had fled. And the young man on watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him, from the side of the hill.
35And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons have come! It has happened just as your servant said.”
36And it happened, as soon as he had finished speaking, that the king’s sons came in and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept a very great weeping.
37But Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And he mourned for his son all the days.
38So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years.
39And King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon, since he was dead.
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