2 Samuel 13: 1 - 14: 33
| 1After this, Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2Amnon was so troubled that he became sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. 3But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man. 4He said to him, “Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day? Won’t you tell me?” |
| Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” |
| 5Jonadab said to him, “Lay down on your bed, and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.’” |
| 6So Amnon lay down and faked being sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” |
| 7Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” 8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. She took dough, and kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9She took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Have all men leave me.” Then every man went out from him. 10Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the room, that I may eat from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother. 11When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister!” |
| 12She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don’t you do this folly. 13As for me, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” |
| 14However he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her. 15Then Amnon hated her with exceedingly great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!” |
| 16She said to him, “Not so, because this great wrong in sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me!” |
| But he would not listen to her. 17Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, “Now put this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.” |
| 18She had a garment of various colours on her; for the king’s daughters who were virgins dressed in such robes. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. 19Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went. 20Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” |
| So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house. 21But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry. 22Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. 23After two full years, Absalom had sheep shearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24Absalom came to the king, and said, “See now, your servant has sheep shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” |
| 25The king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let’s not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him; however he would not go, but blessed him. |
| 26Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” |
| The king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” |
| 27But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!” |
| 29The servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man got up on his mule, and fled. 30While they were on the way, the news came to David, saying, “Absalom has slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left!” |
| 31Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered, “Don’t let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 33Now therefore don’t let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead; for only Amnon is dead.” 34But Absalom fled. The young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, many people were coming by way of the hillside behind him. 35Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons are coming! It is as your servant said.” 36As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept. The king also and all his servants wept bitterly. 37But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son every day. 38So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead. |
| 1Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was towards Absalom. 2Joab sent to Tekoa, and brought a wise woman from there, and said to her, “Please act like a mourner, and put on mourning clothing, please, and don’t anoint yourself with oil, but be as a woman who has mourned a long time for the dead. 3Go in to the king, and speak like this to him.” So Joab put the words in her mouth. |
| 4When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showed respect, and said, “Help, O king!” |
| 5The king said to her, “What ails you?” |
| She answered, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead. 6Your servant had two sons, and they both fought together in the field, and there was no one to part them, but the one struck the other, and killed him. 7Behold, the whole family has risen against your servant, and they say, ‘Deliver him who struck his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he killed, and so destroy the heir also.’ Thus they would quench my coal which is left, and would leave to my husband neither name nor remainder on the surface of the earth.” |
| 8The king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give a command concerning you.” |
| 9The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “My lord, O king, may the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house; and may the king and his throne be guiltless.” |
| 10The king said, “Whoever says anything to you, bring him to me, and he will not bother you any more.” |
| 11Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, that the avenger of blood destroy not any more, lest they destroy my son.” |
| He said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the earth.” |
| 12Then the woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” |
| He said, “Say on.” |
| 13The woman said, “Why then have you devised such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring home again his banished one. 14For we must die, and are like water spilled on the ground, which can’t be gathered up again; neither does God take away life, but devises means, that he who is banished not be an outcast from him. 15Now therefore seeing that I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, it is because the people have made me afraid. Your servant said, ‘I will now speak to the king; it may be that the king will perform the request of his servant.’ 16For the king will hear, to deliver his servant out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God. 17Then your servant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king bring rest; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. May the LORD, your God, be with you.’” |
| 18Then the king answered the woman, “Please don’t hide anything from me that I ask you.” |
| The woman said, “Let my lord the king now speak.” |
| 19The king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” |
| The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right hand or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken; for your servant Joab urged me, and he put all these words in the mouth of your servant. 20Your servant Joab has done this thing to change the face of the matter. My lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.” |
| 21The king said to Joab, “Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, and bring the young man Absalom back.” |
| 22Joab fell to the ground on his face, showed respect, and blessed the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favour in your sight, my lord, king, in that the king has performed the request of his servant.” |
| 23So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. 24The king said, “Let him return to his own house, but let him not see my face.” So Absalom returned to his own house, and didn’t see the king’s face. 25Now in all Israel there was no one to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. From the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. 26When he cut the hair of his head (now it was at every year’s end that he cut it; because it was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels, after the king’s weight. 27Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman with a beautiful face. 28Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, and he didn’t see the king’s face. 29Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. Then he sent again a second time, but he would not come. 30Therefore he said to his servants, “Behold, Joab’s field is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire. |
| 31Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom to his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?” |
| 32Absalom answered Joab, “Behold, I sent to you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”’” |
| 33So Joab came to the king, and told him; and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom. |
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