| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Some time passed. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David's son Amnon was infatuated with her. | 1Sometime after this, David's son Amnon fell in love with David's other son Absalom's beautiful sister Tamar. |
| 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 emotionally distressed that he fell sick over his half-sister Tamar. She was a virgin, and Amnon found it difficult to do anything to her. |
| 3Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, a son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, | 3Meanwhile, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David's brother Shimeah. Now 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." | 4"Why are you so depressed these past few mornings," Jonadab asked Amnon, "since you're a son of the king? Why not tell me?" Amnon replied, "I'm in love with my brother Absalom's sister Tamar." |
| 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 food in my presence so I can watch and eat from her hand.'" | 5Jonadab advised him, "Lie down and fake being sick. When your father visits you, ask him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat that she prepares especially for me, and after she makes dinner for me, let her feed it to me personally.'" |
| 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 faked being sick. When the king came to visit him, Amnon asked the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make some of her bread especially for me, so she can feed it to me personally." |
| 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Please go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare a meal for him." | 7So David sent for Tamar back at the palace, telling her, "Please go to your brother Amnon's home 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. | 8Tamar went to her brother Amnon's home, where he was lying down. She brought along some dough, kneaded it, prepared some cakes especially for him, baked them, |
| 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. " | 9and emptied the baking skillet just for him, but he refused to eat. "Send everybody out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left the room. |
| 10Bring 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. | 10Amnon told Tamar, "Bring the food into my private bedroom, so I can eat it with you personally." So Tamar took the cakes she had prepared and brought them into the private bedroom for her brother Amnon. |
| 11When she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come sleep with me, my sister!"" | 11But as soon as she brought them near him to eat, he overpowered her and told her, "Come here and have sex with me, my sister!" |
| 12Don't, my brother!" she cried. "Don't humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don't do this horrible thing! | 12"No, my brother!" she kept telling him. "Don't humiliate me like this! This just isn't done in Israel! Don't do this utterly foolish thing! |
| 13Where could I ever go with my disgrace? And you--you would be like one of the immoral men in Israel! Please, speak to the king, for he won't keep me from you." | 13And what about me? Where will I go to escape this disgrace? And as for you, you'll be known as one of Israel's greatest fools! So please talk to the king, because he won't withhold me from you!" |
| 14But he refused to listen to her, and because he was stronger than she was, he raped her. | 14But he was unwilling to listen to what she was saying. Since he was stronger than she was, he forced her into having sex with him. |
| 15After this, 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." | 15Afterwards, though, Amnon hated her very intensely. As a result, his hatred for her exceeded the love that he had previously for her. So Amnon told her, "Get up! Leave!" |
| 16No," 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. | 16Even so, she tried to tell him, "No! After all, it's more wrong to send me away than what you just did to me!" But he was unwilling to listen to her. |
| 17Instead, he called to the servant who waited on him: "Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!" | 17So he called out to a young man who was serving him, and told him: "Send this woman away from me and lock 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. | 18Now she was clothed in a long sleeved, multi-colored ornamental tunic, commonly worn by the king's virgin daughters. When Amnon's servant threw her out and locked the door after her, |
| 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 rubbed her head with ashes, tore her tunic that she was wearing, put her hand to her head, and ran off, crying aloud as she went away. |
| 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. | 20Later, her brother Absalom asked her, "Has Amnon, that brother of yours, raped you? Then keep quiet about your half-brother for now, my sister. Stop taking this so personally." From that time on, Tamar lived in continuous desolation within her brother Absalom's house. |
| 21When King David heard about all these things, he was furious. | 21When King David heard all about these developments, he flew into a rage over it. |
| 22Absalom didn't say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced his sister Tamar. | 22But Absalom never said a word, either good or bad, to Amnon. Nevertheless, he hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar. |
| 23Two years later, Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. | 23Two full years later, Absalom took some men to Baal-hazor near Ephraim to shear his sheep. He also invited all of the king's sons to come. |
| 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 had gone to the king to ask him, "I've brought some men to shear the sheep. Won't you please come and join me, along with your senior staff?" |
| 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." | 25But King David declined, saying to Absalom, "No, my son, we won't all go, since that would be too much trouble for you." Although Absalom begged David, he would not go, even though he did give his blessing. |
| 26If not," Absalom said, "please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" | 26So Absalom responded, "If you aren't coming, please allow my brother Amnon to accompany us." The king asked, "Why should he go with you?" |
| 27But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king's sons. | 27But Absalom kept begging David until he sent Amnon and all of David's sons to accompany Absalom. |
| 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 courageous!" | 28Then Absalom instructed his young men, "Please keep watching Amnon until he's drunk. Then I'll tell you, 'Attack Amnon!' As soon as I do, kill him and don't be afraid! You have your orders, so 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 young men did to Amnon just as they had been ordered, but the rest of David's sons jumped up, mounted their mules, and escaped. |
| 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 still on the road, this rumor came to David: "Absalom has struck down all of the king's sons and none of them has survived." |
| 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. | 31David arose, ripped his clothes in anguish, and collapsed to the ground while all of his staff stood by with their own 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 David's brother Shimeah's son Jonadab reported, "Your majesty, don't assume they've killed all of the young men—the king's sons—only Amnon has died, since that was Absalom's intention from 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." | 33Now your majesty, don't be concerned about this rumor that all the king's sons have died, because 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 run away. While the young man standing watch was looking around, all of a sudden he observed many people coming down the road behind and to the west of the mountain! So the watchman left his post and reported, "I have seen men coming from the direction of Horonaim." |
| 35Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the king's sons have come! It's exactly like your servant said." | 35Jonadab told the king, "Look! Here come the king's sons. This thing has turned out just like your servant reported." |
| 36Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons entered and wept loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept bitterly. | 36Just as he finished his comments, the king's sons arrived, crying loudly. At this, with tears overflowing, the king and his entire staff wept bitterly. |
| 37Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. | 37Absalom continued to flee, eventually going to Ammihud's son King Talmai of Geshur, while King David continued to mourn for his son every day. |
| 38Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur where he stayed three years. | 38After fleeing to Geshur, Absalom remained there for three years. |
| 39Then King David longed to go to Absalom, for David had finished grieving over Amnon's death. | 39Meanwhile, King David longed to visit Absalom, since he was moved to compassion over Amnon's death. |
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