| Christian Standard Bible | New International Version |
| 1Some time passed. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David's son Amnon was infatuated with 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 frustrated to the point of making himself sick over his sister Tamar because she was a virgin, but it seemed impossible 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. |
| 3Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, a son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, | 3Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. |
| 4and he asked Amnon, "Why are you, the king's son, so miserable every morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon replied, "I'm in love with 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." |
| 5Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare a meal in my presence so I can watch and eat 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.'" |
| 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my presence so I can 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." |
| 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Please go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare a meal for him." | 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him." |
| 8Then Tamar went to his house while Amnon was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his presence, and baked them. | 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. |
| 9She brought the pan and set it down in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Everyone leave me!" And everyone left 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. |
| 10"Bring the meal to the bedroom," Amnon told Tamar, "so I can eat from your hand." Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon's 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. |
| 11When she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come sleep 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." |
| 12"Don't, my brother!" she cried. "Don't disgrace me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don't commit this outrage! | 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. |
| 13Where could I ever go with my humiliation? And you--you would be like one of the outrageous fools in Israel! Please, speak to the king, for he won't keep 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." |
| 14But he refused to listen to her, and because he was stronger than she was, he disgraced her by raping her. | 14But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. |
| 15So Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that the hatred he hated her with was greater than the love he had loved her with. "Get out of here!" he said. | 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!" |
| 16"No," she cried, "sending me away is much worse than the great wrong you've already done to me!" But he refused to 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. |
| 17Instead, he called to the servant who waited on him: "Get this away from me, throw her out, 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." |
| 18Amnon's servant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a long-sleeved garment, because this is what the king's virgin daughters wore. | 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. |
| 19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved garment she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away crying out. | 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. |
| 20Her brother Absalom said to her: "Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom. | 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. |
| 21When King David heard about all these things, he was furious. | 21When King David heard all this, he was furious. |
| 22Absalom didn't say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced 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. |
| 23Two years later, Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and 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 he went to the king and said, "Your servant has just hired sheepshearers. Will the king and his servants please come 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?" |
| 25The king replied to Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he wasn't willing to go, though he did bless 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. |
| 26"If not," Absalom said, "please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king asked 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 sent Amnon and all the king's sons. | 27But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons. |
| 28Now Absalom commanded his young men, "Watch Amnon until he is in a good mood from the wine. When I order you to strike Amnon, then kill him. Don't be afraid. Am I not the one who has commanded you? Be strong 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 Absalom's young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the rest of the king's sons got up, and each fled on his mule. | 29So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. |
| 30While they were on the way, a report reached David: "Absalom struck down all the king's sons; not even one of them survived!" | 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." |
| 31In response the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down 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. |
| 32But Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, spoke up: "My lord must not think they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, because only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this ever since the day Amnon disgraced 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. |
| 33So now, my lord the king, don't take seriously the report that says all the king's sons are dead. 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." |
| 34Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man who was standing watch looked up, there were many people coming from the road west of him from the side of the mountain. | 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." |
| 35Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the king's sons have come! It's exactly like your servant said." | 35Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said." |
| 36Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons entered and wept loudly. Then the king and all his servants also 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 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. |
| 38After Absalom had fled to Geshur and had been there three years, | 38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. |
| 39King David longed to go to Absalom, for David had finished grieving over Amnon's death. | 39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death. |
| The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | 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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