2 Samuel 13

1And it cometh to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David hath a fair sister, and her name <FI>is<Fi> Tamar, and Amnon son of David loveth her.

1And it came to pass after this that Ammon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.

2And Amnon hath distress--even to become sick, because of Tamar his sister, for she <FI>is<Fi> a virgin, and it is hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her.

2And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.

3And Amnon hath a friend, and his name <FI>is<Fi> Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab <FI>is<Fi> a very wise man,

3Now Ammon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise man:

4and saith to him, `Wherefore <FI>art<Fi> thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, `Tamar--sister of Absalom my brother--I am loving.'

4And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Ammon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.

5And Jonadab saith to him, `Lie down on thy couch, and feign thyself sick, and thy father hath come in to see thee, and thou hast said unto him, `Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come in and give me bread to eat; and she hath made the food before mine eyes so that I see <FI>it<Fi> , and have eaten from her hand.'

5And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.

6And Amnon lieth down, and feigneth himself sick, and the king cometh in to see him, and Amnon saith unto the king, `Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come, and she maketh before mine eyes two cakes, and I eat from her hand.'

6So Ammon lay down, and made as if he were sick: and when the king came to visit him, Ammon said to the king: I pray thee let my sister Thamar come, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.

7And David sendeth unto Tamar, to the house, saying, `Go, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and make for him food.'

7Then David sent home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Ammon, and make him a mess.

8And Tamar goeth to the house of Amnon her brother, and he is lying down, and she taketh the dough, and kneadeth, and maketh cakes before his eyes, and cooketh the cakes,

8And Thamar came to the house of Ammon her brother: but he was laid down: and she took meal and tempered it: and dissolving it in his sight she made little messes.

9and taketh the frying-pan, and poureth out before him, and he refuseth to eat, and Amnon saith, `Take ye out every one from me;' and they go out every one from him.

9And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat: and Ammon said: Put out all persons from me. And when they had put all persons out,

10And Amnon saith unto Tamar, `Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from thy hand;' and Tamar taketh the cakes that she hath made, and bringeth in to Amnon her brother, into the inner chamber,

10Ammon said to Thamar: Bring the mess into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand. And Thamar took the little messes which she had made, and brought them in to her brother Ammon in the chamber.

11and she bringeth nigh unto him to eat, and he layeth hold on her, and saith to her, `Come, lie with me, my sister.'

11And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come lie with me, my sister.

12And she saith to him, `Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly.

12She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly.

13And I--whither do I cause my reproach to go? and thou--thou art as one of the fools in Israel; and now, speak, I pray thee, unto the king; for he doth not withhold me from thee.'

13For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel: but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.

14And he hath not been willing to hearken to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbleth her, and lieth with her.

14But he would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger overpowered her and lay with her.

15And Amnon hateth her--a very great hatred--that greater <FI>is<Fi> the hatred with which he hath hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon saith to her, `Rise, go.'

15Then Ammon hated her with an exceeding great hatred: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before. And Ammon said to her: Arise, and get thee gone.

16And she saith to him, `Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that thou hast done with me--to send me away;' and he hath not been willing to hearken to her,

16She answered him: The evil which now thou dost against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before. And he would not hearken to her:

17and calleth his young man, his servant, and saith, `Send away, I pray thee, this one from me without, and bolt the door after her;'

17But calling the servants that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the door after her.

18--and upon her <FI>is<Fi> a long coat, for such upper robes do daughters of the king who <FI>are<Fi> virgins put on, --and his servant taketh her out without, and hath bolted the door after her.

18And she was clothed with a long robe: for the king's daughters that were virgins, used such kind of garments. Then his servant thrust her out: and shut the door after her.

19And Tamar taketh ashes for her head, and the long coat that <FI>is<Fi> on her she hath rent, and putteth her hand on her head, and goeth, going on and crying;

19And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.

20and Absalom her brother saith unto her, `Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, keep silent, he <FI>is<Fi> thy brother; set not thy heart to this thing;' and Tamar dwelleth--but desolate--in the house of Absalom her brother.

20And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Ammon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother: and afflict not thy heart for this thing. So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.

21And king David hath heard all these things, and it is very displeasing to him;

21And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Ammon, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn.

22and Absalom hath not spoken with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom is hating Amnon, because that he humbled Tamar his sister.

22But Absalom spoke not to Ammon neither good nor evil: for Absalom hated Ammon because he had ravished his sister Thamar.

23And it cometh to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom hath shearers in Baal-Hazor, which <FI>is<Fi> with Ephraim, and Absalom calleth for all the sons of the king.

23And it came to pass after two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons:

24And Absalom cometh unto the king, and saith, `Lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath shearers, let the king go, I pray thee, and his servants, with thy servant.'

24And he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy servant's sheep are shorn. Let the king, I pray, with his servants come to his servant.

25And the king saith unto Absalom, `Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray thee, and we are not too heavy on thee;' and he presseth on him, and he hath not been willing to go, and he blesseth him.

25And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, do not ask that we should all come, and be chargeable to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him.

26And Absalom saith, `If not--let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us;' and the king saith to him, `Why doth he go with thee?'

26And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother Ammon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with thee.

27and Absalom urgeth on him, and he sendeth with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king.

27But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Ammon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom made a feast as it were the feast of a king.

28And Absalom commandeth his young men, saying, `See, I pray thee, when the heart of Amnon <FI>is<Fi> glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that ye have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valour.'

28And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Ammon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him, fear not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and be valiant men.

29And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and rise do all the sons of the king, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee.

29And the servants of Absalom did to Ammon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king's sons arose and got up every man upon his mule, and fled.

30And it cometh to pass--they <FI>are<Fi> in the way--and the report hath come unto David, saying, `Absalom hath smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one;'

30And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one them left.

31and the king riseth, and rendeth his garments, and lieth on the earth, and all his servants are standing by <FI>with<Fi> rent garments.

31Then the king rose up, and rent his garments: and fell upon the ground, and all his servants, that stood about him, rent their garments.

32And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answereth and saith, `Let not my lord say, The whole of the young men, the sons of the king, they have put to death; for Amnon alone <FI>is<Fi> dead, for by the command of Absalom it hath been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister;

32But Jonadab the son of Semmaa David's brother answering, said: Let not my lord the king think that all the king's sons are slain: Ammon only is dead, for he was appointed by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister Thamar.

33and now, let not my lord the king lay unto his heart the word, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone <FI>is<Fi> dead.'

33Now therefore let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king's sons are slain: for Ammon only is dead.

34And Absalom fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

34But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way on the side of the mountain.

35And Jonadab saith unto the king, `Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of thy servant, so it hath been.'

35And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king's sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.

36And it cometh to pass at his finishing to speak, that lo, the sons of the king have come, and they lift up their voice, and weep, and also the king and all his servants have wept--a very great weeping.

36And when he made an end of speaking, the king's sons also appeared: and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very much.

37And Absalom hath fled, and goeth unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and <FI>David<Fi> mourneth for his son all the days.

37But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud the king of Gessur. And David mourned for his son every day.

38And Absalom hath fled, and goeth to Geshur, and is there three years;

38And Absalom after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years. And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Ammon.

39and <FI>the soul of<Fi> king David determineth to go out unto Absalom, for he hath been comforted for Amnon, for <FI>he is<Fi> dead.

39