CHAPTER 13
After some time,
David’s
son
Amnon
fell in love
with Tamar,
the beautiful
sister
of David’s
son
Absalom.
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.
Now Amnon
had a friend
named
Jonadab,
the son
of David’s
brother
Shimeah.
Jonadab
was a very
shrewd
man,
so 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.”
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.'"
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.”
Then David
sent
word to
Tamar
at the palace:
“Please
go
to the house
of Amnon
your brother
and prepare
a meal
for him.”
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.
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.
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.
And when she had brought them
to him
to eat,
he took hold
of her
and said,
“Come,
lie
with me,
my sister!”
“No,
my brother!”
she cried.
“Do not
humiliate me,
for
such
a thing should never
be done
in Israel.
Do not
do
this
disgraceful thing!
Where
could I
ever take
my shame?
And as for you,
you would be
like one
of the fools
in Israel!
Please
speak
to
the king,
for
he will not
withhold me
from you.”
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!”
“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.
Instead, he called
to his attendant
and said,
“Throw
this woman
out
and bolt
the door
behind her!”
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.
And Tamar
put
ashes
on
her head
and tore
her robe.
And putting
her hand
on
her head,
she went away
crying bitterly.
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.
And Absalom
never
said a word
to
Amnon,
either good
or bad,
because
he
hated
Amnon
for
disgracing
his sister
Tamar.
Two years later,
when Absalom’s
sheepshearers
were
at Baal-hazor
near
Ephraim,
he
invited
all
the king’s
sons.
And he
went
to
the king
and said,
“Your servant
has just
hired shearers.
Will the king
and his servants
please
come
with
me?”
“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.
“If not,”
said
Absalom,
“please
let my brother
Amnon
go
with us.”
“Why
should he go
with you?”
the king
asked.
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!"
So Absalom’s
young men
did
to Amnon
just as
Absalom
had ordered.
Then all
the rest of the king’s
sons
got up,
and each one
fled
on
his mule.
While they
were
on the way,
a report
reached
David:
“Absalom
has struck down
all
the king’s
sons;
not
one
of them
is left!”
Then the king
stood up,
tore
his clothes,
and lay down
on the ground;
and all
his servants
stood
by with their clothes
torn.
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.
So now,
my lord
the king,
do not
take
to
heart
the report that
all
the king’s
sons
are dead.
Only
Amnon
is dead.”
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
So Jonadab
said
to
the king,
“Look,
the king’s
sons
have arrived!
It is just as
your servant
said.”
And as he finished
speaking,
the king’s
sons
came in,
wailing
loudly.
Then the king
and all
his servants
also
wept
very
bitterly.
Now Absalom
fled
and went
to
Talmai
son
of Ammihud,
the king
of Geshur.
But David mourned
for
his son
every
day.
Then the spirit
of the king
longed
to go
to
Absalom,
for
he had been consoled
over
Amnon’s
death.