Amnon and Tamar

13 Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar. And David’s son Amnon loved her. ² Amnon was so troubled because of his sister Tamar that he became sick. She was a woman who had never had a man, and Amnon thought how hard it would be to have her. ³ But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. And Jonadab was very good at making plans. ⁴ He said to Amnon, “O son of the king, why are you so sad from day to day? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” ⁵ Then Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I beg you, let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat. Let her make food ready here so I can see it and eat it from her hand.’” ⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I beg you, let my sister Tamar come and make two loaves beside me, that I may eat from her hand.”

⁷ Then David sent home for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and make food for him.” ⁸ So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house. He was lying down. And she took dough and made loaves so he could watch. Then she baked them ready to eat. ⁹ And she took the dish and held it out in front of him. But he would not eat. Amnon said, “Have everyone leave me.” So everyone left him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food to my room, so I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the loaves she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in his room. ¹¹ When she brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” ¹² But she said, “No, my brother. Do not make me. For such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this bad and foolish thing! ¹³ As for me, where could I get rid of my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. So now I beg you, speak to the king, for he will not keep me from you.” ¹⁴ But Amnon would not listen to her. Being stronger than she, he made her lay with him.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her very much. He hated her more than he had loved her. He said to her, “Get up! Go away!” ¹⁶ But she said to him, “No! Sending me away is worse than what you have done to me!” But he would not listen to her. ¹⁷ He called the young man who helped him and said, “Throw this woman out of my house, and lock the door behind her.” ¹⁸ Now she was wearing a dress which covered her arms. For this is how the king’s daughters dressed when they had never had a man. The man who helped Amnon took her out and locked the door behind her. ¹⁹ Then Tamar put ashes on her head. She tore the dress she was wearing which covered her arms. And she put her hand on her head and went away with a loud cry.

²⁰ Absalom her brother said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this to heart.” So Tamar stayed in her brother Absalom’s house, sad and alone. ²¹ When King David heard about all this, he was very angry. ²² But Absalom did not speak good or bad to Amnon. Absalom hated Amnon because he had put his sister to shame.

Absalom Kills Amnon

²³ After two full years, Absalom had men cut the wool from the sheep in Baal-hazor, near Ephraim. And Absalom asked all the king’s sons to come. ²⁴ He came to the king and said, “See, your servant has men to cut the wool from the sheep. Let the king and his men go with your servant.” ²⁵ But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son. We should not all go, or we will be trouble for you.” Absalom tried to talk him into going. The king prayed that good would come to him, but he would not go with him. ²⁶ Then Absalom said, “If you will not go, let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But when Absalom kept asking him, he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

²⁸ Then Absalom told his servants, “Watch when Amnon’s heart is happy with wine. When I say to you, ‘Kill Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not be afraid. Have not I myself told you to do it? Have strength of heart.” ²⁹ So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon just as Absalom had told them. Then all the king’s sons got up on their horses and left in a hurry.

³⁰ While they were on their way, the news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons. Not one of them is left.” ³¹ The king got up and tore his clothes, and lay on the ground. And all his servants standing beside him tore their clothes. ³² But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “Do not let my lord think they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons. Only Amnon is dead. Absalom has wanted to kill him since the day he put his sister Tamar to shame. ³³ So do not let my lord the king take this to heart and think that all the king’s sons are dead, for only Amnon is dead.”

Absalom Goes to Geshur

³⁴ Now Absalom had run away. And the young man who kept watch looked up and saw many people coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. ³⁵ Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come. What your servant said is true.” ³⁶ As soon as he had finished speaking, the king’s sons came and cried in a loud voice. The king and all his servants cried also.

³⁷ Absalom ran away and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David was filled with sorrow for his son every day. ³⁸ So Absalom had run away to Geshur, and was there three years. ³⁹ The spirit of King David wanted very much to go out to Absalom. For he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

14 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah saw that the king missed Absalom very much. ² So Joab sent for a wise woman from Tekoa, and said to her, “Pretend to be filled with sorrow. Dress as if you were filled with sorrow, and do not pour oil on yourself. Dress like a woman who has been filled with sorrow for the dead many days. ³ Then go to the king and speak to him in this way.” And Joab told her what to say.

⁴ When the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, showing honor, and said, “Help, O king.” ⁵ The king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “I am a woman whose husband has died. ⁶ Your woman servant had two sons. But they fought together in the field and there was no one to pull them apart. So one hit the other and killed him. ⁷ Now the whole family has come against your woman servant. They say, ‘Give us the one who killed his brother. We must put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed.’ So I would be without a son to receive what belonged to his parents when I die. They would put out the last of the fire which is left to me. My husband would be left without a name and with no children on the earth.”

⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house. I will say what should be done about your trouble.” ⁹ The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord the king, the sin is on me and my father’s family. But the king and his throne are without guilt.” ¹⁰ The king said, “If anyone says anything to you, bring him to me. And he will not touch you again.” ¹¹ Then she said, “I beg the king to remember the Lord your God, that the one who punishes for blood will stop destroying. Or my son might be destroyed.” And the king said, “As the Lord lives, not one hair of your son will fall to the ground.”

¹² Then the woman said, “Let your woman servant speak to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” ¹³ The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in deciding in this way, the king is as one who is guilty. For the king does not bring home his son who has been driven away. ¹⁴ It is sure that we will die. We are like water poured on the ground, which cannot be picked up again. But God does not take away life. He plans ways so that the one who is driven away may not be kept away from Him. ¹⁵ I have come to say this to my lord the king because the people have made me afraid. Your woman servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king. It might be that the king will do what his woman servant asks. ¹⁶ For the king will hear and save his woman servant from the man who would destroy both me and my son from the gift of God.’ ¹⁷ Then your woman servant thought, ‘The word of my lord the king will comfort me. For my lord the king is like the angel of God in understanding what is good and bad. May the Lord your God be with you.’”

¹⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Do not hide anything from me that I ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king speak.” ¹⁹ So the king said, “Is Joab with you in all this?” The woman answered, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or left from anything my lord the king has said. Yes, it was your servant Joab who told me to do this. It was he who put all these words in the mouth of your woman servant. ²⁰ Your servant Joab has done this to change the way things are now. But my lord is wise like the angel of God, to know all that is on the earth.”

²¹ Then the king said to Joab, “See now, I will do this. Go and bring back the young man Absalom.” ²² And Joab fell on his face to the ground in honor and thanks to the king. Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, O my lord the king. Because the king has done what his servant has asked of him.” ²³ So Joab got up and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ But the king said, “Let him go to his own house. Do not let him see my face.” So Absalom went to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

David Forgives Absalom

²⁵ Now there was no one in Israel as good looking and as much praised as Absalom. There was nothing wrong with him from the bottom of his foot to the top of his head. ²⁶ At the end of every year he would cut the hair from his head, for it was heavy on him. When he cut it, he weighed the hair of his head. It weighed as much as 200 pieces of silver, by the king’s weight. ²⁷ Three sons were born to Absalom, and one daughter whose name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.

²⁸ Absalom lived two whole years in Jerusalem, and did not see the king’s face. ²⁹ Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king. But Joab would not come to him. So he sent for him a second time. But he would not come. ³⁰ He said to his servants, “See, Joab’s field is next to mine, and he has barley there. Go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants burned the field. ³¹ Then Joab got up and came to Absalom at his house, and said to him, “Why have your servants burned my field?” ³² Absalom answered Joab, “I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to say to the king, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would have been better for me to stay there.”’ Now let me see the king’s face. If there is guilt in me, let him put me to death.” ³³ Then Joab went to the king and told him. And he called for Absalom. So he came to the king and put his face to the ground in front of him. And the king kissed Absalom.