1And after this it came to be that Aḇshalom son of Dawiḏ had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar, and Amnon son of Dawiḏ loved her.

2And Amnon was distressed, even to become sick, because of his sister Tamar – for she was a maiden – and it was hard in the eyes of Amnon to do whatever to her.

3And Amnon had a friend whose name was Yonaḏaḇ son of Shim‛ah, Dawiḏ’s brother. Now Yonaḏaḇ was a very wise man.

4And he said to him, “Why are you, the sovereign’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Explain it to me.” And Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Aḇshalom’s sister.”

5And Yonaḏaḇ said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and make the food before my eyes so that I see it, and eat it from her hand.’ ”

6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the sovereign came to see him, Amnon said to the sovereign, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me before my eyes, so that I eat from her hand.”

7And Dawiḏ sent to Tamar, to the house, saying, “Please go to the house of your brother Amnon, and make food for him.”

8So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, while he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it, and made cakes before his eyes, and baked the cakes.

9And she took the pan and turned them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Make everyone go away from me.” And they all went out from him.

10And Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom.

11And she brought them to him to eat, and he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

12And she answered him, “No, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Yisra’ĕl. Do not do this wickedness!

13“And I, where could I take my shame? And you – you would be like one of the fools in Yisra’ĕl. And now, please speak to the sovereign, for he would not withhold me from you.”

14But he would not listen to her voice, and being stronger than she, he humbled her and lay with her.

15Amnon then 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, go!”

16And she said to him, “No, for this evil of sending me away is worse than the other you have done to me.” But he would not listen to her.

17And he called his young man serving him, and said, “Now put this one out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.”

18And she had on a long coat, for the sovereign’s maiden daughters wore such garments. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

19And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her long coat that was on her, and put her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.

20And Aḇshalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now, keep silent, my sister. He is your brother, do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained in the house of her brother Aḇshalom, but was ruined.

21And Sovereign Dawiḏ heard all these reports, and he was very wroth.

22And Aḇshalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor evil. For Aḇshalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar.

23And it came to be, after two years, that Aḇshalom had sheep-shearers in Ba‛al Hatsor, which is beside Ephrayim, and Aḇshalom invited all the sons of the sovereign.

24And Aḇshalom came to the sovereign and said, “See, your servant has sheep-shearers. Please, let the sovereign and his servants go with your servant.”

25But the sovereign said to Aḇshalom, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be too heavy on you.” And he urged him, but he would not go. And he blessed him.

26And Aḇshalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the sovereign said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

27And Aḇshalom urged him, so he let Amnon and all the sons of the sovereign go with him.

28And Aḇshalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch, and when the heart of Amnon is glad with wine, and I shall say to you, ‘Smite Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and brave.”

29Then the servants of Aḇshalom did to Amnon as Aḇshalom had commanded. Then all the sons of the sovereign rose up, and each one mounted his mule and fled.

30And it came to be, while they were on the way, that news came to Dawiḏ, saying, “Aḇshalom has smitten all the sons of the sovereign, and not one of them is left!”

31And the sovereign rose up and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their garments torn.

32And Yonaḏaḇ son of Shim‛ah, Dawiḏ’s brother, answered and said, “Do not let my master say they have killed all the young men, the sons of the sovereign, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Aḇshalom this has been appointed from the day that he humbled his sister Tamar.

33“And now, let not my master the sovereign take the matter to his heart, to think that all the sons of the sovereign are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”

34And Aḇshalom fled, and the young man who was watching lifted up his eyes and looked and saw many people were coming from the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

35Then Yonaḏaḇ said to the sovereign, “Look, the sons of the sovereign are coming; as your servant said, so it is.”

36And it came to be, as soon as he had finished speaking, that look, the sons of the sovereign came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. And the sovereign too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37But Aḇshalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihuḏ, sovereign of Geshur. And Dawiḏ mourned for his son all the days.

38So Aḇshalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

39Sovereign Dawiḏ then longed to go to Aḇshalom, for he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he was dead.