Conflict in David's family
1THE following occurred some time later. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David's son Amnon fell in love with her.
2Amnon was so tormented that he became ill with love for his half-sister; for he thought it an impossible thing to approach her since she was a virgin.
3But Amnon had a friend, a very shrewd man named Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah,
4and he said to Amnon, “Why are you, the king's son, so low-spirited morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon told him that he was in love with Tamar, his brother Absalom's sister.
5Jonadab said to him, “Take to your bed and pretend to be ill. When your father comes to visit you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me my food. Let her prepare it in front of me, so that I may watch her and then take it from her own hands.’”
6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to visit him, he said, “Sir, let my sister Tamar come and make a few bread-cakes in front of me, and serve them to me with her own hands.”
7David sent a message to Tamar in the palace: “Go to your brother Amnon's quarters and prepare a meal for him.”
8Tamar came to her brother and found him lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, and made cakes in front of him; having baked them,
9she took the pan and turned them out before him. But Amnon refused to eat and ordered everyone out of the room. When they had all gone,
10he said to Tamar, “Bring the food over to the recess so that I may eat from your own hands.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother in the recess.
11When she offered them to him, he caught hold of her and said, “Sister, come to bed with me.”
12She answered, “No, my brother, do not dishonour me. Such things are not done in Israel; do not behave so infamously.
13Where could I go and hide my disgrace? You would sink as low as the most infamous in Israel. Why not speak to the king for me? He will not refuse you leave to marry me.”
14But he would not listen; he overpowered and raped her.
15Then Amnon was filled with intense revulsion; his revulsion for her was stronger than the love he had felt; he said to her, “Get up and go.”
16She answered, “No, this great wrong, your sending me away, is worse than anything else you have done to me.” He would not listen to her;
17he summoned the servant who attended him and said, “Rid me of this woman; put her out and bolt the door after her.”
18The servant turned her out and bolted the door. She had on a long robe with sleeves, the usual dress of unmarried princesses.
19Tamar threw ashes over her head, tore the robe that she was wearing, put her hand on her head, and went away, sobbing as she went.
20Her brother Absalom asked her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Keep this to yourself; he is your brother. Do not take it to heart.” Forlorn and desolate, Tamar remained in her brother Absalom's house.
21When King David heard the whole story he was very angry; but he would not hurt Amnon because he was his eldest son and he loved him.
22Absalom did not speak a single word to Amnon, friendly or unfriendly, but he hated him for having dishonoured his sister Tamar.
23Two years later Absalom invited all the king's sons to his sheep-shearing at Baal-hazor, near Ephron.
24He approached the king and said, “Sir, I am shearing; will your majesty and your servants come?”
25The king answered, “No, my son, we must not all come and be a burden to you.” Absalom pressed him, but David was still unwilling to go and dismissed him with his blessing.
26Absalom said, “If you will not come, may my brother Amnon come with us?” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked;
27but Absalom pressed him again, so he let Amnon and all the other princes go with him.
28Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king, and gave this order to his servants: “Watch your chance, and when Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. You have nothing to fear; these are my orders. Be bold and resolute.”
29Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom had ordered, whereupon all the king's sons immediately mounted their mules and fled.
30While they were on their way, a rumour reached David that Absalom had murdered all the royal princes and that not one was left alive.
31The king stood up and tore his clothes and then threw himself on the ground; all his servants were standing round him with their clothes torn.
32Then Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, said, “My lord must not think that all the young princes have been murdered; only Amnon is dead. Absalom has gone about with a scowl on his face ever since Amnon ravished his sister Tamar.
33Your majesty must not pay attention to what is no more than a rumour that all the princes are dead; only Amnon is dead.”
34Absalom meanwhile had made good his escape. The sentry on duty saw a crowd of people coming down the hill from the direction of Horonaim. He came and reported to the king, “I see men coming down the hill from Horonaim.”
35Jonadab said to the king, “Here come the royal princes, just as I said they would.”
36As he finished speaking, the princes came in and broke into loud lamentations; the king and all his servants also wept bitterly.
37Absalom went to take refuge with Talmai son of Ammihud king of Geshur; and for a long while the king mourned for Amnon.
38Absalom, having escaped to Geshur, stayed there for three years;
39and David's heart went out to him with longing, as he became reconciled to the death of Amnon.
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