2 Samuel 13 NIV NLT Parallel

◄ 2 Samuel 13 ►

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1In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.

1Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with 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.

2Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.

3Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

3But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimea.

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."

4One day Jonadab said to Amnon, “What’s the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?” So Amnon told him, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

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.'"

5“Well,” Jonadab said, “I’ll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you’ll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands.”

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."

6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands.”

7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him."

7So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him.

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.

8When Tamar arrived at Amnon’s house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for 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.

9But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. “Everyone get out of here,” Amnon told his servants. So they all left.

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.

10Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him.

11But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister."

11But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.”

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.

12“No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel.

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."

13Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.”

14But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.

14But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her.

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!"

15Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. “Get out of here!” he snarled at 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.

16“No, no!” Tamar cried. “Sending me away now is worse than what you’ve already done to me.” But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her.

17He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her."

17He shouted for his servant and demanded, “Throw this woman out, and lock 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.

18So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe, as was the custom in those days for the king’s virgin daughters.

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.

19But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.

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.

20Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house.

21When King David heard all this, he was furious.

21When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry.

22And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.

22And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister. Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon

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.

23Two years later, when Absalom’s sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast.

24Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?"

24He went to the king and said, “My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?”

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.

25The king replied, “No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.” Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.

26Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?"

26“Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?” “Why Amnon?” the king asked.

27But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons.

27But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.

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."

28Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!”

29So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.

29So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.

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."

30As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one is left alive!”

31The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn.

31The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.

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.

32But just then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, arrived and said, “No, don’t believe that all the king’s sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar.

33My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead."

33No, my lord the king, your sons aren’t all dead! It was only Amnon.”

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."

34Meanwhile Absalom escaped. Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.”

35Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said."

35“Look!” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.”

36As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly.

36They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them.

37Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son.

37And David mourned many days for his son Amnon. Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.

38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years.

38He stayed there in Geshur for three years.

39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death.

39And King David, now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.

New International Version (NIV)

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