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The Rape of Tamar
Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her.
Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her.
Amnon and Tamar
After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.
Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her.
But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.
One 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.”
So Amnon told him, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?”
Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
“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.”
So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ”
Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”
So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him.
And David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Now go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”
When 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.
So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. Then she took flour and kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.
But 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.
And she took the pan and placed them out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” And they all went out from him.
Then 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.
Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom.
But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.”
Now when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”
“No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel.
Where 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.”
And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.”
But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her.
However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.
Then 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.
“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.
But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her.
So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.”
But he would not listen to her.
But he would not listen to her.
He shouted for his servant and demanded, “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!”
Then he called his servant who attended him, and said, “Here! Put this woman out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.”
Now she had on a robe of many colors, for the king’s virgin daughters wore such apparel. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.
But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.
Then Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.
Her 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.
And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.
But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.
And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon
Two 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.
Absalom Murders Amnon
And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
He 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?”
Then Absalom came to the king and said, “Kindly note, your servant has sheepshearers; please, let the king and his servants go with your servant.”
The 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.
But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you.” Then he urged him, but he would not go; and he blessed him.
“Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?”
“Why Amnon?” the king asked.
“Why Amnon?” the king asked.
Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.”
And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
But Absalom urged him; so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
Absalom 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!”
So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.
So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on his mule and fled.
As 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!”
And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!”
The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
But 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.
Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, “Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
No, my lord the king, your sons aren’t all dead! It was only Amnon.”
Now therefore, let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead. For only Amnon is dead.”
“Look!” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.”
And Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.”
They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them.
So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that the king’s sons indeed came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.
And David mourned many days for his son Amnon.
Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.
Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.
But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
He stayed there in Geshur for three years.
So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.