| NET Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David's son Amnon fell madly in love with her. | 1Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. |
| 2But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick over his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her. | 2Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her. |
| 3Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man. | 3But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimea. |
| 4He asked Amnon, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed every morning? Can't you tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom." | 4One day Jonadab said to Amnon, “What’s the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?” So Amnon told him, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” |
| 5Jonadab replied to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes in to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand.'" | 5“Well,” Jonadab said, “I’ll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you’ll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands.” |
| 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight. Then I will eat from her hand." | 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands.” |
| 7So David sent Tamar to the house saying, "Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare some food for him." | 7So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him. |
| 8So Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, who was lying down. She took the dough, kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched, and baked them. | 8When Tamar arrived at Amnon’s house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for him. |
| 9But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat. Instead Amnon said, "Get everyone out of here!" So everyone left. | 9But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. “Everyone get out of here,” Amnon told his servants. So they all left. |
| 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the cakes into the bedroom; then I will eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes that she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. | 10Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. |
| 11As she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, "Come on! Get in bed with me, my sister!" | 11But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.” |
| 12But she said to him, "No, my brother! Don't humiliate me! This just isn't done in Israel! Don't do this foolish thing! | 12“No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. |
| 13How could I ever be rid of my humiliation? And you would be considered one of the fools in Israel! Just speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." | 13Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.” |
| 14But he refused to listen to her. He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. | 14But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. |
| 15Then Amnon greatly despised her. His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and leave!" | 15Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. “Get out of here!” he snarled at her. |
| 16But she said to him, "No I won't, for sending me away now would be worse than what you did to me earlier!" But he refused to listen to her. | 16“No, no!” Tamar cried. “Sending me away now is worse than what you’ve already done to me.” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. |
| 17He called his personal attendant and said to him, "Take this woman out of my sight and lock the door behind her!" | 17He shouted for his servant and demanded, “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!” |
| 18(Now she was wearing a long robe, for this is what the king's virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon's attendant removed her and bolted the door behind her. | 18So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king’s virgin daughters. |
| 19Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went. | 19But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying. |
| 20Her brother Absalom said to her, "Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don't take it so seriously!" Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom. | 20Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house. |
| 21Now King David heard about all these things and was very angry. | 21When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry. |
| 22But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar. | 22And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister. Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon |
| 23Two years later Absalom's sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king's sons. | 23Two years later, when Absalom’s sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast. |
| 24Then Absalom went to the king and said, "My shearers have begun their work. Let the king and his servants go with me." | 24He went to the king and said, “My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?” |
| 25But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son. We shouldn't all go. We shouldn't burden you in that way." Though Absalom pressed him, the king was not willing to go. Instead, David blessed him. | 25The king replied, “No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.” Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing. |
| 26Then Absalom said, "If you will not go, then let my brother Amnon go with us." The king replied to him, "Why should he go with you?" | 26“Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?” “Why Amnon?” the king asked. |
| 27But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king's sons along with him. | 27But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king. |
| 28Absalom instructed his servants, "Look! When Amnon is drunk and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' kill him then and there. Don't fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!" | 28Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!” |
| 29So Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king's sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled. | 29So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled. |
| 30While they were still on their way, the following report reached David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one of them is left!" | 30As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one is left alive!” |
| 31Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments as well. | 31The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow. |
| 32Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, said, "My lord should not say, 'They have killed all the young men who are the king's sons.' For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about from the day that Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar. | 32But just then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, arrived and said, “No, don’t believe that all the king’s sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar. |
| 33Now don't let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, 'All the king's sons are dead.' It is only Amnon who is dead." | 33No, my lord the king, your sons aren’t all dead! It was only Amnon.” |
| 34In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road beside the hill. | 34Meanwhile Absalom escaped. Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.” |
| 35Jonadab said to the king, "Look! The king's sons have come! It's just as I said!" | 35“Look!” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.” |
| 36Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived, wailing and weeping. The king and all his servants wept loudly as well. | 36They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them. |
| 37But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David grieved over his son every day. | 37And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. |
| 38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three years. | 38He stayed there in Geshur for three years. |
| 39The king longed to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. | 39And King David, now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom. |
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