| New King James Version | New International Version |
| 1After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. | 1In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. |
| 2Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her. | 2Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. |
| 3But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man. | 3Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. |
| 4And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” | 4He asked Amnon, "Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." |
| 5So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ” | 5"Go to bed and pretend to be ill," Jonadab said. "When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.'" |
| 6Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.” | 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand." |
| 7And David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Now go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” | 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him." |
| 8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. Then she took flour and kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. | 8So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. |
| 9And she took the pan and placed them out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” And they all went out from him. | 9Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. "Send everyone out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left him. |
| 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom. | 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. |
| 11Now when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” | 11But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister." |
| 12But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! | 12"No, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. |
| 13And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” | 13What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." |
| 14However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. | 14But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. |
| 15Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!” | 15Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!" |
| 16So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her. | 16"No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her. |
| 17Then he called his servant who attended him, and said, “Here! Put this woman out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.” | 17He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her." |
| 18Now she had on a robe of many colors, for the king’s virgin daughters wore such apparel. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her. | 18So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. |
| 19Then Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly. | 19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went. |
| 20And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house. | 20Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. |
| 21But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. | 21When King David heard all this, he was furious. |
| 22And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. | 22And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. |
| 23And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom invited all the king’s sons. | 23Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. |
| 24Then Absalom came to the king and said, “Kindly note, your servant has sheepshearers; please, let the king and his servants go with your servant.” | 24Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?" |
| 25But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you.” Then he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him. | 25"No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing. |
| 26Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” | 26Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" |
| 27But Absalom urged him; so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. | 27But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons. |
| 28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.” | 28Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Haven't I given you this order? Be strong and brave." |
| 29So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on his mule and fled. | 29So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. |
| 30And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!” | 30While they were on their way, the report came to David: "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left." |
| 31So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. | 31The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn. |
| 32Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. | 32But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. |
| 33Now therefore, let not 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.” | 33My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead." |
| 34Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted his eyes and looked, and there, many people were coming from the road on the hillside behind him. | 34Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, "I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill." |
| 35And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.” | 35Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said." |
| 36So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that the king’s sons indeed came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly. | 36As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly. |
| 37But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. | 37Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son. |
| 38So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. | 38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. |
| 39And King David longed to go to Absalom. For he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead. | 39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. |
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