2 Samuel 13:1-38
Amnon and Tamar
1 In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
2 Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
3 Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”
Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
5 “Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’”
6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”
7 David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. 9 Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat.
“Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
12 “No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. 13 What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” 14 But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
16 “No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.”
But he refused to listen to her. 17 He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” 18 So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
21 When King David heard all this, he was furious. 22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?”
25 “No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.
26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.”
The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.
28 Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” 29 So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
30 While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.” 31 The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn.
32 But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled.
Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”
35 Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said.”
36 As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly.
37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son.
38 After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.
David had a son named Absalom...Absalom had a very beautiful sister named Tamar...Another one of David’s sons, Amnon, was in love with Tamar...She was a virgin...Amnon wanted her very much, but he did not think it was possible for him to have her...He thought about her so much that he made himself sick...Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah....(Shimeah was David’s brother.)...Jonadab was a very clever man...He said to Amnon, “You are the king’s son. So why do you always look so sad?...Tell me what the trouble is!”...Amnon told Jonadab, “I love Tamar...But she is the sister of my half-brother Absalom.”...Jonadab said to Amnon, “Go to bed...Pretend you are sick...Then your father will come to see you...Tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat...Let her make the food in front of me...Then I will see it and eat it from her hand.’”...So Amnon lay down in bed and pretended to be sick...King David came in to see Amnon...He said to King David, “Please let my sister Tamar come in...Let her make two cakes for me while I watch...Then I can eat from her hands.”...David sent messengers to Tamar’s house...They told her, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and make some food for him.”...So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon...He was in bed...Tamar took some dough, pressed it together with her hands, and cooked the cakes...She did this while he watched...Then Tamar took the cakes out of the pan and set them out for him...But he refused to eat...He said to his servants, “Get out of here...Leave me alone!”...So all of his servants left the room...Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom and feed me by hand.”...So Tamar took the cakes she had made and went into her brother’s bedroom...She started to feed Amnon, but he grabbed her hand...He said to her, “Sister, come and sleep with me.”...Tamar said to Amnon, “No, brother!...Don’t force me to do this...Don’t do this shameful thing!...Terrible things like this should never be done in Israel!...I would never get rid of my shame, and people would think that you are just a common criminal...Please, talk with the king...He will let you marry me.”...But Amnon refused to listen to Tamar...He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to have sexual relations with him...Then Amnon began to hate Tamar...He hated her much more than he had loved her before. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out of here!”...Tamar said to Amnon, “No!...Don’t send me away like this...That would be even worse than what you did before!”...But Amnon refused to listen to Tamar...He called his servant and said, “Get this girl out of this room, now!...And lock the door after her.”...So Amnon’s servant led Tamar out of the room and locked the door....Tamar was wearing a long robe with many colors....
The king’s virgin daughters wore robes like this...Tamar tore her robe of many colors and put ashes on her head...Then she put her hand on her head and began crying...Then Tamar’s brother Absalom said to her, “Have you been with your brother Amnon?...Did he hurt you?...Now, calm down sister...Amnon is your brother, so we will take care of this...Don’t let it upset you too much.”...So Tamar did not say anything...She quietly went to live at Absalom’s house...King David heard the news and became very angry, but he did not want to say anything to upset Amnon, because he loved him since he was his firstborn son...Absalom began to hate Amnon...Absalom did not say one word, good or bad, to Amnon, but he hated him because Amnon had raped his sister Tamar...
Two years later, Absalom had some men come to Baal Hazor to cut the wool from his sheep...He invited all the king’s sons to come and watch...Absalom went to the king and said, “I have some men coming to cut the wool from my sheep...Please come with your servants and watch.”...King David said to Absalom, “No, son...We will not all go...It will be too much trouble for you.”...Absalom begged David to go...David did not go, but he did give his blessing...Absalom said, “If you don’t want to go, please let my brother Amnon go with me.”...King David asked Absalom, “Why should he go with you?”...Absalom kept begging David...Finally, David let Amnon and all the king’s other sons go with Absalom...
Then Absalom gave this command to his servants, “Watch Amnon...When he is drunk and feeling good from the wine, I will give you the command...You must attack Amnon and kill him...Don’t be afraid of being punished...After all, you will only be obeying my command...Now, be strong and brave.”...So Absalom’s young soldiers did what he said...They killed Amnon...But all of David’s other sons escaped...Each son got on his mule and escaped...
The king’s sons were still on their way into town...But King David got a message about what happened...But the message was, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons!...Not one of the sons was left alive.”...King David tore his clothes and lay on the ground...All of David’s officers standing near him also tore their clothes...But then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “Don’t think that all the king’s sons were killed!...Only Amnon is dead...Absalom has been planning this from the day that Amnon raped his sister Tamar...My lord and king, don’t think that all of your sons are dead...Only Amnon is dead.”...
Absalom ran away...There was a guard standing on the city wall...He saw many people coming from the other side of the hill, and went to tell the king...So Jonadab said to King David, “Look, I was right!...The king’s sons are coming.”...The king’s sons came in just after Jonadab said that...They were crying loudly...David and all of his officers began crying...They all cried very hard...David cried for his son every day...
Absalom ran away to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur...After Absalom had run away to Geshur, he stayed there for three years...King David was comforted after Amnon died, but he missed Absalom very much...