| NET Bible | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David's son Amnon fell madly in love with her. | 1Some time passed. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David's son Amnon was infatuated with her. |
| 2But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick over his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her. | 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. |
| 3Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very crafty man. | 3Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, a son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, |
| 4He asked Amnon, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed every morning? Can't you tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom." | 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." |
| 5Jonadab replied to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes in to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand.'" | 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.'" |
| 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight. Then I will eat 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." |
| 7So David sent Tamar to the house saying, "Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare some food for him." | 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Please go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare a meal for him." |
| 8So Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother, who was lying down. She took the dough, kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched, and baked them. | 8Then Tamar went to his house while Amnon was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his presence, and baked them. |
| 9But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat. Instead Amnon said, "Get everyone out of here!" So everyone left. | 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. " |
| 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the cakes into the bedroom; then I will eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes that she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. | 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. |
| 11As she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said to her, "Come on! Get in bed with me, my sister!" | 11When she brought them to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come sleep with me, my sister!"" |
| 12But she said to him, "No, my brother! Don't humiliate me! This just isn't done in Israel! Don't do this foolish thing! | 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! |
| 13How could I ever be rid of my humiliation? And you would be considered one of the fools in Israel! Just speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you." | 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." |
| 14But he refused to listen to her. He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. | 14But he refused to listen to her, and because he was stronger than she was, he raped her. |
| 15Then Amnon greatly despised her. His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and leave!" | 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." |
| 16But she said to him, "No I won't, for sending me away now would be worse than what you did to me earlier!" But he refused to listen to her. | 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. |
| 17He called his personal attendant and said to him, "Take this woman out of my sight and lock the door behind her!" | 17Instead, he called to the servant who waited on him: "Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!" |
| 18(Now she was wearing a long robe, for this is what the king's virgin daughters used to wear.) So Amnon's attendant removed her and bolted the door behind 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. |
| 19Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went. | 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. |
| 20Her brother Absalom said to her, "Was Amnon your brother with you? Now be quiet, my sister. He is your brother. Don't take it so seriously!" Tamar, devastated, lived in the house of her brother Absalom. | 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. |
| 21Now King David heard about all these things and was very angry. | 21When King David heard about all these things, he was furious. |
| 22But Absalom said nothing to Amnon, either bad or good, yet Absalom hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar. | 22Absalom didn't say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced his sister Tamar. |
| 23Two years later Absalom's sheepshearers were in Baal Hazor, near Ephraim. Absalom invited all the king's sons. | 23Two years later, Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. |
| 24Then Absalom went to the king and said, "My shearers have begun their work. Let the king and his servants go with me." | 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?" |
| 25But the king said to Absalom, "No, my son. We shouldn't all go. We shouldn't burden you in that way." Though Absalom pressed him, the king was not willing to go. Instead, David blessed him. | 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." |
| 26Then Absalom said, "If you will not go, then let my brother Amnon go with us." The king replied to him, "Why should he go with you?" | 26If not," Absalom said, "please let my brother Amnon go with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" |
| 27But when Absalom pressed him, he sent Amnon and all the king's sons along with him. | 27But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king's sons. |
| 28Absalom instructed his servants, "Look! When Amnon is drunk and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' kill him then and there. Don't fear! Is it not I who have given you these instructions? Be strong and courageous!" | 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!" |
| 29So Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had instructed. Then all the king's sons got up; each one rode away on his mule and fled. | 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. |
| 30While they were still on their way, the following report reached David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons; not one of them is left!" | 30While they were on the way, a report reached David: "Absalom struck down all the king's sons; not even one of them survived!" |
| 31Then the king stood up and tore his garments and lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing there with torn garments as well. | 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. |
| 32Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, said, "My lord should not say, 'They have killed all the young men who are the king's sons.' For only Amnon is dead. This is what Absalom has talked about from the day that Amnon humiliated his sister Tamar. | 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. |
| 33Now don't let my lord the king be concerned about the report that has come saying, 'All the king's sons are dead.' It is only Amnon who is dead." | 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." |
| 34In the meantime Absalom fled. When the servant who was the watchman looked up, he saw many people coming from the west on a road beside the hill. | 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. |
| 35Jonadab said to the king, "Look! The king's sons have come! It's just as I said!" | 35Jonadab said to the king, "Look, the king's sons have come! It's exactly like your servant said." |
| 36Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived, wailing and weeping. The king and all his servants wept loudly as well. | 36Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons entered and wept loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept bitterly. |
| 37But Absalom fled and went to King Talmai son of Ammihud of Geshur. And David grieved over his son every day. | 37Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. |
| 38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he remained there for three years. | 38Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur where he stayed three years. |
| 39The king longed to go to Absalom, for he had since been consoled over the death of Amnon. | 39Then King David longed to go to Absalom, for David had finished grieving over Amnon's death. |
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