Amnon and Tamar

1And it fortuned after this, that Absalom ye sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister, whose name was Thamar, & Ammon the sonne of Dauid loued her. 2And Ammon was in greate combraunce, in so moch that he was euen sicke, because of Thamar his sister. For she was a virgin, and Ammon thoughte it shulde beharde for him to do eny thinge vnto her. 3But Ammon had a frede, whose name was Ionadab the sonne of Simea Dauids brother, And the same Ionadab was a very wyse man, 4which sayde vnto him: Why art thou so leane (thou kynges sonne) from daye to daye? Mayest thou not tell me? Then sayde Ammon vnto him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister exceadingly. 5Ionadab sayde vnto him: laye the downe vpon thy bedd, and make the sicke. And whan thy father commeth to loke how thou doest, saye vnto him: Oh let my sister Thamar come, that she maye fede me, and make a meece of meate before me, that I maye se it, & eate it of hir hande. 6So Ammon layed him downe, and made him sicke. Now wha the kynge came in to loke how he dyd, Ammon sayde vnto the kynge: Oh let my sister Thamar come, and make me a syppynge or two, and that I maye eate it of hir hande.

7Then sent Dauid for Thamar in to the house, and sayde vnto her: Go thy waye to thy brother Ammons house, & make him a meece of meate. 8Thamar wente vnto hir brother Amons house, but he laye in his bed. And she toke floure, and mixte it, and dighte it before his eyes, and made him a syppynge. 9And she toke the meece of meate, and poured it out before him: but he wolde not eate. 10And Ammon saide: Put forth euery man fro me. And euery man wete forth from him. Then sayde Ammon vnto Thamar: Brynge me that meece of meate in to the chamber, that I maye eate it of thy hande. Then toke Thamar ye syppynge that she had made, and broughte it vnto Ammon hir brother into the chamber. 11And whan she broughte it vnto him yt he mighte eate, he toke holde of her, & sayde vnto her: Come my sister, lye with me. 12Neuertheles she saide: Oh no my brother, force me not: for so do they not in Israel, do not thou soch foly. 13Whither shal I go with my shame? And thou shalt be as one of the vnwyse in Israel. But speake vnto the kynge, he shal not withholde me from the. 14Howbeit he wolde not herken vnto her, and ouercame her, forced her, and laye with her.

15And Ammon hated her exceadingly, so that the hate was greater then the loue was before. And Ammon sayde vnto her: Vp, and get the hence. 16She saide vnto him: This euell that thou thrustest me out, is greater then the other, that thou hast done vnto me. Neuertheles he herkened not vnto her, 17but called his boye that serued him, and sayde: Put awaye this woman fro me, and locke the dore after her. 18And she had a partye garment on: for soch garmentes wayre ye kynges doughters whyle they were virgins. And wha his seruaunt had put hir forth, & lockte the dore after her, 19Thamar strowed asshes vpon hir heade, and rente the partye garment which she had vpon her, and layed hir hande vpon hir heade, and wente on, and cryed.

20And hir brother Absalom sayde vnto her: Hath thy brother Ammon bene with the? Now holde thy peace my sister, it is thy brother, and take not the matter so to hert. So Thamar remayned a wyddowe in brother Absaloms house. 21And whan kynge Dauid herde of all this, he was very sory. 22As for Absalom, he spake nether euell ner good to Ammon: but Absalom hated Ammon, because he had forced his sister Thamar.

Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon

23After two yeares had Absalom shepe clyppers at Baal Hazor, which lyeth by Ephraim. And Absalom called all the kynges children,

24and came to the kynge, and sayde: Beholde, thy seruaunt hath shepe clyppers, let it please ye kynge with his seruauntes to go with his seruaunte. 25But the kynge sayde vnto Absalom: No my sonne, let vs not all go, lest we be to chargeable vnto the. And he wolde nedes haue had him to go, howbeit he wolde not, but blessed him. 26Absalom sayde: Shall my brother Ammon go with vs then? The kynge sayde vnto him: Wherfore shall he go with the? 27Then was Absalom so importune vpon him, that he let Ammon and all the kynges childre go with him.

28But Absalom commaunded his yongemen, and sayde: Take hede whan Ammon is mery with wyne (and I saye vnto you: Smyte Ammon, and slaye him) that ye be not afrayed: for I haue commaunded you, be stronge, and playe the men. 29So Absaloms yonge men dyd vnto Ammon, as Absalom had commaunded them. Then stode all the kynges children vp, and euery one gat him vp vpo his Mule, and fled.

30And whyle they were yet on their waye, the rumoure came to kynge Dauid, that Absalom had slayne all the kynges children, so that not one of them was lefte. 31Then stode the kynge vp, and rente his clothes, & layed him downe vpon the earth, and all his seruautes that stode aboute him, rente their clothes. 32Then answered Ionadab ye sonne of Simea Dauids brother, and sayde: Let not my lorde thynke that all the yonge men the kynges children are deed, but yt Ammon is deed onely: for Absalom hath kepte it in him selfe sence the daie that he forced his sister Thamar. 33Therfore let not my lorde the kynge take it so to hert, that all the kynges children shulde be deed, but that Ammon is deed onely.

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34As for Absalom, he fled. And the yongeman that kepte the watch, lifte vp his eyes, and loked, and beholde, A greate people came in the waye one after another by the hill syde. 35Then sayde Ionadab vnto the kynge: Beholde, the kynges children come. Euen as thy seruaunt sayde, so is it happened. 36And whan he had ended his talkynge, the kynges children came, and lifte vp their voyce, and wepte. The kynge and all his seruauntes wepte also very sore.

37But Absalom fled, and wente vnto Thalmai the sonne of Ammihud kynge of Gesur. As for Dauid, he mourned for his sonne euery daye. 38Whan Absalom was fled and gone vnto Gesur, he was there thre yeare. 39And kynge Dauid ceassed from goinge out agaynst Absalom, for he had comforted him selfe ouer Ammon that he was deed.