Dual Panel1Now David’s <01732> son <01121> Absalom <053> had a beautiful <03303> sister <0269> named <08034> Tamar <08559>. In the course of time David’s <01732> son <01121> Amnon <0550> fell madly in love <0157> with her.
2But Amnon <0550> became frustrated <03334> because he was so lovesick <02470> over <05668> his sister <0269> Tamar <08559>. For <03588> she <01931> was a virgin <01330>, and to Amnon <0550> it seemed <05869> out of the question <06381> to do <06213> anything <03972> to her.
3Now Amnon <0550> had a friend <07453> named <08034> Jonadab <03122>, the son <01121> of David’s <01732> brother <0251> Shimeah <08093>. Jonadab <03122> was a very <03966> crafty <02450> man <0376>.
4He asked <0559> Amnon, “Why <04069> are you <0859>, the king’s <04428> son <01121>, so <03602> depressed <01800> every morning <01242> <01242>? Can’t <03808> you tell <05046> me?” So Amnon <0550> said <0559> to him, “I’m <0589> in love <0157> with Tamar <08559> the sister <0269> of my brother <0251> Absalom <053>.”
5Jonadab <03082> replied <0559> to him, “Lie down <07901> on <05921> your bed <04904> and pretend <02470> to be sick <02470>. When your father <01> comes <0935> in to see <07200> you, say <0559> to <0413> him, ‘Please <04994> let my sister <0269> Tamar <08559> come in <0935> so she can fix <01262> some food <03899> for me. Let her prepare <06213> the food <01279> in my sight <05869> so <04616> I can watch <07200>. Then <0834> I will eat <0398> from her hand <03027>.’”
6So Amnon <0550> lay down <07901> and pretended <02470> to be sick <02470>. When the king <04428> came <0935> in to see <07200> him, Amnon <0550> said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “Please <04994> let my sister <0269> Tamar <08559> come in <0935> so she can make <03823> a couple <08147> of cakes <03834> in my sight <05869>. Then I will eat <01262> from her hand <03027>.”
7So David <01732> sent <07971> Tamar <08559> to the house <01004> saying <0559>, “Please <04994> go <01980> to the house <01004> of Amnon <0550> your brother <0251> and prepare <06213> some food <01279> for him.”
8So Tamar <08559> went <01980> to the house <01004> of Amnon <0550> her <01931> brother <0251>, who was lying down <07901>. She took <03947> the dough <01217>, kneaded <03888> it, made <03823> some cakes <03834> while he watched <05869>, and baked <01310> them.
9But when she took <03947> the pan <04958> and set <03332> it before <06440> him, he refused <03985> to eat <0398>. Instead Amnon <0550> said <0559>, “Get <03318> everyone <0376> <03605> out <03318> of <05921> here!” So everyone <0376> <03605> left <03318>.
10Then Amnon <0550> said <0559> to <0413> Tamar <08559>, “Bring <0935> the cakes <01279> into the bedroom <02315>; then I will eat <01262> from your hand <03027>.” So Tamar <08559> took <03947> the cakes <03834> that <0834> she had prepared <06213> and brought <0935> them to her brother <0251> Amnon <0550> in the bedroom <02315>.
11As she brought <05066> them to <0413> him to eat <0398>, he grabbed <02388> her and said <0559> to her, “Come <0935> on! Get in bed <07901> with <05973> me, my sister <0269>!”
12But she said <0559> to him, “No <0408>, my brother <0251>! Don’t <0408> humiliate <06031> me! This <03651> just isn’t <03808> done <06213> in Israel <03478>! Don’t <0408> do <06213> this <02063> foolish thing <05039>!
13How <0575> could I <0589> ever be rid <01980> of my humiliation <02781>? And you <0859> would be considered <01961> one <0259> of the fools <05036> in Israel <03478>! Just <06258> speak <01696> to <0413> the king <04428>, for <03588> he will not <03808> withhold <04513> me from <04480> you.”
14But he refused <014> <03808> to listen <08085> to her <06963>. He overpowered <02388> her and humiliated <06031> her by raping <07901> her.
15Then Amnon <0550> greatly despised <08130> her <03966> <01419> <08135>. His disdain <08135> toward her surpassed the love <0160> he had <0834> previously felt toward <0157> her. Amnon <0550> said <0559> to her, “Get up <06965> and leave <01980>!”
16But she said <0559> to him, “No <0408> I won’t, for sending <07971> me away <07971> now would be worse <01419> than what you did <06213> to me earlier <0312>!” But he refused <014> <03808> to listen <08085> to her.
17He called <07121> his personal <08334> attendant <05288> and said <0559> to him, “Take <07971> this <02063> woman out <02351> of my sight and lock <05274> the door <01817> behind <0310> her!”
18(Now she was wearing a long <06446> robe <03801>, for <03588> this <03651> is what the king’s <04428> virgin <01330> daughters <01323> used to wear <03847>.) So Amnon’s attendant <08334> removed <03318> her and bolted <05274> the door <01817> behind <0310> her.
19Then Tamar <08559> put <03947> ashes <0665> on <05921> her head <07218> and tore <07167> the long <06446> robe <03801> she was wearing. She put <07760> her hands <03027> on <05921> her head <07218> and went <01980> on her way, wailing <02199> as she went <01980>.
20Her brother <0251> Absalom <053> said <0559> to <0413> her, “Was <01961> Amnon <0550> your brother <0251> with <05973> you? Now <06258> be quiet <02790>, my sister <0269>. He is <01931> your brother <0251>. Don’t <0408> take it <02088> so seriously <01697> <03820>!” Tamar <08559>, devastated <08076>, lived <03427> in the house <01004> of her brother <0251> Absalom <053>.
21Now King <04428> David <01732> heard <08085> about all <03605> these <0428> things <01697> and was very <03966> angry <02734>.
22But Absalom <053> said <01696> nothing to Amnon <0550>, either <05973> bad <07451> or good <02896>, yet Absalom <053> hated <08130> Amnon <0550> because <05921> he had <0834> humiliated <06031> his sister <0269> Tamar <08559>.
23Two years <08141> later <01961> <01961> Absalom’s <053> sheepshearers <01494> were in Baal Hazor <01178>, near <05973> Ephraim <0669>. Absalom <053> invited <07121> all <03605> the king’s <04428> sons <01121>.
24Then Absalom <053> went <0935> to <0413> the king <04428> and said <0559>, “My shearers <01494> have begun their work. Let <04994> the king <04428> and his servants <05650> <05650> <05650> go <01980> with <05973> me.”
25But the king <04428> said <0559> to <0413> Absalom <053>, “No <0408>, my son <01121>. We shouldn’t <0408> all <03605> go <01980>. We shouldn’t <03808> burden <03513> you in <05921> that way.” Though Absalom pressed <06555> him, the king was not <03808> willing <014> to go <01980>. Instead, David blessed <01288> him.
26Then Absalom <053> said <0559>, “If you will not <03808> go <01980>, then let <04994> my brother <0251> Amnon <0550> go with <0854> us.” The king <04428> replied <0559> to him, “Why <04100> should he go <01980> with <05973> you?”
27But when Absalom <053> pressed <06555> him, he sent <07971> Amnon <0550> and all <03605> the king’s <04428> sons <01121> along with <0854> him.
28Absalom <053> instructed <0559> <06680> his servants <05288>, “Look <07200>! When Amnon <0550> is drunk <03196> and I say <0559> to <0413> you, ‘Strike <05221> Amnon <0550> down,’ kill <04191> him then and there. Don’t <0408> fear <03372>! Is it not <03808> I <0595> who have given you these instructions <06680>? Be strong <02388> and courageous <02428>!”
29So Absalom’s <053> servants <05288> did <06213> to Amnon <0550> exactly what <0834> Absalom <053> had instructed <06680>. Then all <03605> the king’s <04428> sons <01121> got up <06965>; each <0376> one rode <07392> away on <05921> his mule <06505> and fled <05127>.
30While <01961> they <01992> were still on <0413> their way <01870>, the following report <08052> reached <0935> David <01732>: “Absalom <053> has killed <05221> all <03605> the king’s <04428> sons <01121>; not <03808> one <0259> of them <01992> is left <03498>!”
31Then the king <04428> stood up <06965> and tore <07167> his garments <0899> and lay down <07901> on the ground <0776>. All <03605> his servants <05650> were standing <05324> there with torn <07167> garments <0899> as well.
32Jonadab <03122>, the son <01121> of David’s <01732> brother <0251> Shimeah <08093>, said <0559>, “My lord <0113> should not <0408> say <0559>, ‘They have killed <04191> all <03605> the young men <05288> who are the king’s <04428> sons <01121>.’ For <03588> only <0905> Amnon <0550> is dead <04191>. This <03588> is what Absalom <053> has talked <06310> about from the day <03117> that Amnon humiliated <06031> his sister <0269> Tamar <08559>.
33Now <06258> don’t <0408> let my lord <0113> the king <04428> be concerned <03820> <07760> about <0413> the report <01697> that <03588> has come saying <0559>, ‘All <03605> the king’s <04428> sons <01121> are dead <04191>.’ It is only <0905> Amnon <0550> who is dead <04191>.”
34In the meantime Absalom <053> fled <01272>. When the servant <05288> who was the watchman <06822> looked up <05869>, he saw <02009> <07200> many <07227> people <05971> coming <01980> from the west on a road <01870> beside <06654> <0310> the hill <02022>.
35Jonadab <03122> said <0559> to <0413> the king <04428>, “Look <02009>! The king’s <04428> sons <01121> have come <0935>! It’s <01961> just as <03651> I <05650> said <01697>!”
36Just as he finished <03615> speaking <01696>, the king’s <04428> sons <01121> arrived <0935>, wailing <06963> <05375> and weeping <01058>. The king <04428> and all <03605> his servants <05650> wept <01065> <01058> loudly <03966> <01419> as well <01571>.
37But Absalom <053> fled <01272> and went <01980> to <0413> King <04428> Talmai <08526> son <01121> of Ammihud <05991> of Geshur <01650>. And David grieved <056> over <05921> his son <01121> every <03605> day <03117>.
38After Absalom <053> fled <01272> and went <01980> to Geshur <01650>, he remained <01961> there <08033> for three <07969> years <08141>.
39The king <04428> longed <03615> to go <03318> to <0413> Absalom <053>, for <03588> he <01732> had since been consoled <05162> over <05921> the death <04191> of Amnon <0550>.