Amnon loving Tamar, by Jonadab's cousel feigning himself sick, ravisheth her.

1 ¶ And it came to pass² afterº this,² that Absalomº the sonº of Davidº had a fairº sister,º whose nameº [was] Tamar;º and Amnonº the sonº of Davidº lovedºª her. 2 And Amnonº was so vexed,¹ª² that he fell sickºª for² his sisterº Tamar;º for² she² [was] a virgin;º and Amnonº thoughtº it hardºª for him to doºª any thingº to her. 3 But Amnonº had a friend,º whose nameº [was] Jonadab,º the sonº of Shimeahº David'sº brother:º and Jonadabº [was] a veryº subtilº man.º 4 And he saidºª unto him, Why² [art] thou,² [being] the king'sº son,º leanº² from dayº to day?º wilt thou not² tellºª me? And Amnonº saidºª unto him, I² loveºª² Tamar,º my brotherº Absalom'sº sister.º 5 And Jonadab¹² saidºª unto him, Lay thee downºª on² thy bed,º and make thyself sick:ºª and when thy fatherº comethºª to seeºª thee, sayºª unto² him, I pray thee,² let my sisterº Tamarº come,ºª and giveºª me meat,º and dressºª² the meatº in my sight,º that²² I may seeºª [it], and eatºª [it] at her hand.º²

6 ¶ So Amnonº lay down,ºª and made himself sick:ºª and when the kingº was comeºª to seeºª him, Amnonº saidºª unto² the king,º I pray thee,² let Tamarº my sisterº come,ºª and makeºª me a coupleº of cakesº in my sight,º that I may eatºª at her hand.º² 7 Then Davidº sentºª homeº to² Tamar,º saying,ºª Go¹ª² now² to thy brotherº Amnon'sº house,º and dressºª him meat.º 8 So Tamarº went¹ª² to her brotherº Amnon'sº house;º and he² was laid down.ºª And she tookºª² flour,º and kneadedºª [it], and made cakesºª in his sight,º and did bakeºª² the cakes.º 9 And she tookºª² a pan,º and poured [them] outºª beforeº him; but he refusedºª to eat.ºª And Amnonº said,ºª Have outºª all² menº from²² me. And they went outºª every² manº from²² him. 10 And Amnonº saidºª unto² Tamar,º Bringºª the meatº into the chamber,º that I may eatºª of thine hand.º² And Tamarº tookºª² the cakesº which² she had made,ºª and broughtºª [them] into the chamberº to Amnonº her brother.º 11 And when she had broughtºª [them] unto² him to eat,ºª he took holdºª of her, and saidºª unto her, Comeºª lieºª with² me, my sister.º 12 And she answeredºª him, Nay,² my brother,º do not² forceºª me; for² no² such thing² ought¹ to be doneºª in Israel:º doºª not² thou² this² folly.º 13 And I,² whither² shall I cause² my shameº to go?¹ª² and as for thee,² thou shalt be² as oneº of the foolsº in Israel.º Now² therefore, I pray thee,² speakºª unto² the king;º for² he will not² withholdºª me from² thee. 14 Howbeit he wouldºª not² hearkenºª unto her voice:º but, being strongerºª than she, forcedºª her, and lay¹ª with² her.

He hateth her, and shamefully turneth her away.

15 ¶ Then Amnonº hatedºª her exceedingly;ºº² so that² the hatredº wherewith² he hatedºª her [was] greaterº than the loveº² wherewith² he had lovedºª her. And Amnonº saidºª unto her, Arise,ºª be gone.¹ª² 16 And she saidºª unto him, [There is] no² cause:º this² evilº in sending me awayºª [is] greaterº than the otherº² that² thou didstºª unto² me. But he wouldºª not² hearkenºª unto her. 17 Then he calledºª² his servantº that ministeredºª unto him, and said,ºª Putºª now²² this² [woman] out¹ from me,²²² and boltºª the doorº afterº her. 18 And [she had] a garmentº of divers coloursº upon² her: for² with such² robesº were the king'sº daughtersº [that were] virginsº apparelled.ºª Then his servantºª broughtºª her out,º and boltedºª the doorº afterº her.

Absalom entertaineth her, and concealeth his purpose.

19 ¶ And Tamarº putºª ashesº on² her head,º and rentºª her garmentº of divers coloursº that² [was] on² her, and laidºª her handº on² her head,º and went¹ª onºª crying.ºª 20 And Absalomº her brotherº saidºª unto² her, Hath Amnonº thy brotherº been² with² thee? but hold² now² thy peace,¹ª my sister:º he² [is] thy brother;º regardººª² not² this² thing.º So Tamarº remainedºª desolateºª in her brotherº Absalom'sº house.º

21 ¶ But when kingº Davidº heardºª of² all² these² things,º he was veryº wroth.ºª 22 And Absalomº spakeºª unto² his brother Amnonº neither² goodº nor² bad:º² for² Absalomº hatedºª² Amnon,º becauseº²² he had forcedºª² his sisterº Tamar.º

At the sheepshearing, among all the king's sons, he killeth Amnon.

23 ¶ And it came to pass² after two full¹ years,º² that Absalomº had² sheepshearersºª in Baalhazor,º which² [is] beside² Ephraim:º and Absalomº invitedºª all² the king'sº sons.º 24 And Absalomº cameºª to² the king,º and said,ºª Behold² now,² thy servantº hath sheepshearers;ºª let¹ª the king,º I beseech thee,² and his servantsº go¹ª² with² thy servant.º 25 And the kingº saidºª to² Absalom,º Nay,² my son,º let us not² all² now² go,¹ª² lest² we be chargeableºª unto² thee. And he pressedºª him: howbeit he wouldºª not² go,¹ª² but blessedºª him. 26 Then saidºª Absalom,º If not,² I pray thee,² let my brotherº Amnonº go¹ª² with² us. And the kingº saidºª unto him, Why² should he go¹ª² with² thee? 27 But Absalomº pressedºª him, that he let² Amnonº and all² the king'sº sonsº goºª with² him.

28 ¶ Now Absalomº had commandedºª² his servants,º saying,ºª Markºª ye now² when Amnon'sº heartº is merry¹² with wine,º and when I sayºª unto² you, Smiteºª² Amnon;º then killºª him, fearºª not:² have not² I² commandedºª you? be courageous,ºª and be² valiant.ºº 29 And the servantsº of Absalomº didºª unto Amnonº as² Absalomº had commanded.ºª Then all² the king'sº sonsº arose,ºª and every manº gat him upºª upon² his mule,º and fled.ºª

David grieving at the news is comforted by Jonadab.

30 ¶ And it came to pass,² while they² were in the way,º that tidingsº cameºª to² David,º saying,ºª Absalomº hath slainºª² all² the king'sº sons,º and there is not² oneº of² them left.ºª 31 Then the kingº arose,ºª and tareºª² his garments,º and layºª on the earth;º and all² his servantsº stood¹ª by² with their clothesº rent.ºª 32 And Jonadab,º the sonº of Shimeahº David'sº brother,º answeredºª and said,ºª Let not² my lordº supposeºª [that] they have slainºª² all² the young menº the king'sº sons;º for² Amnonº only² is dead:ºª for² by² the appointmentº of Absalomº this hath been² determinedºª from the dayº² that he forcedºª² his sisterº Tamar.º 33 Now² therefore let not² my lordº the kingº takeºª the thingº to² his heart,º to thinkºª that all² the king'sº sonsº are dead:ºª for²² Amnonº only² is dead.ºª 34 But Absalomº fled.ºª And the young manº that kept the watchºª lifted upºª² his eyes,º and looked,ºª and, behold,² there cameºª muchº peopleº by the wayº² of the hill¹ sideº²² behindº him. 35 And Jonadabº saidºª unto² the king,º Behold,² the king'sº sonsº come:ºª as thy servantº said,º so² it is.² 36 And it came to pass,² as soon as he had made an endºª of speaking,ºª that, behold,² the king'sº sonsº came,ºª and lifted upºª their voiceº and wept:ºª and the kingº also² and all² his servantsº weptºª veryº sore.º¹

Absalom fleeth to Talmai at Geshur.

37 ¶ But Absalomº fled,ºª and went¹ª² to² Talmai,º the sonº of Ammihud,º¹ª kingº of Geshur.º And [David] mournedºª for² his sonº every² day.º 38 So Absalomº fled,ºª and went¹ª² to Geshur,º and was² there² threeº years.º 39 And [the soul of] kingº Davidº longedºª to go forthºª unto² Absalom:º for² he was comfortedºª concerning² Amnon,º seeing² he was dead.ºª