| New American Standard Bible 1995 | New International Version |
| 1Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful 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 frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to 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; and 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. |
| 4He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom." | 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 then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it 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 ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes 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." |
| 7Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Go now 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. And she took dough, 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. |
| 9She took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Have everyone go out from me." So everyone 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." So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. | 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 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 violate me, for such a thing is not 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. |
| 13"As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will 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 listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he violated 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 with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up, go away!" | 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!" |
| 16But she said to him, "No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!" Yet 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 young man who attended him and said, "Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock 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 long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked 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. |
| 19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went. | 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. |
| 20Then Absalom 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 and was 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. |
| 21Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry. | 21When King David heard all this, he was furious. |
| 22But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated 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. |
| 23Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is 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. |
| 24Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold now, 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, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you." Although he urged him, he would not go, but 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 when Absalom urged him, 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. |
| 28Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "See now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be 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." |
| 29The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose and each mounted 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. |
| 30Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, "Absalom has struck down 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." |
| 31Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with 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. |
| 32Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, responded, "Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead; because by the intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated 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. |
| 33"Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, namely, '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." |
| 34Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by 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, "Behold, the king's sons have come; according to your servant's word, so it happened." | 35Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said." |
| 36As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and 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. |
| 37Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the 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 had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years. | 38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. |
| 39The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead. | 39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | 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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