The Bible in Basic English BBE
Orthodox Jewish Bible OJB
1 Now after this, it came about that Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and David's son Amnon was in love with her.
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3 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom Ben Dovid had an achot yafeh (beautiful sister), whose shem was Tamar; and Amnon Ben Dovid loved her.
2 And he was so deeply in love that he became ill because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin, and so it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.
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And Amnon was so distressed, that he fell ill for his achot Tamar; for she was betulah; but Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her.
3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother: and Jonadab was a very wise man.
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But Amnon had a re’a, shmo Yonadav Ben Shime’ah Achi Dovid; and Yonadav was an ish chacham (shrewd man).
4 And he said to him, O son of the king, why are you getting thinner day by day? will you not say what your trouble is? And Amnon said to him, I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
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And he said unto him, Why art thou, being Ben HaMelech, becoming dal (weak, wretched) from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, Ani ohev (I love) Tamar achot Avshalom achi.
5 Then Jonadab said to him, Go to your bed, and let it seem that you are ill: and when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread, and get the food ready before my eyes, so that I may see it and take it from her hand.
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And Yonadav said unto him, Lay thee down on thy mishkav, and make thyself sick; and when avicha cometh to see thee, say unto him, now, let my achot Tamar come, and cause me to eat lechem, and prepare the briyah (food) in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her yad.
6 So Amnon went to bed and made himself seem ill: and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come and make me one or two cakes before my eyes, so that I may take food from her hand.
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So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick; and when HaMelech was come to see him, Amnon said unto HaMelech, Now, let Tamar my achot come, and make me a couple of [heart-shaped] cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her yad.
7 Then David sent to the house for Tamar and said, Go now to your brother Amnon's house and get a meal for him.
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Then Dovid sent to Tamar to the palace, saying, Go now to the bais of thy brother Amnon, and prepare for him briyah (food).
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was in bed. And she took paste and made cakes before his eyes, cooking them over the fire.
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So Tamar went to the bais of her brother Amnon; and he was lying down. And she took batzek (dough), and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the [heartshaped] cakes.
9 And she took the cooking-pot, and put the cakes before him, but he would not take them. And Amnon said, Let everyone go away from me. So they all went out.
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And she took a masret (pan), and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have kol ish go out from me. And they went out kol ish from him.
10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, Take the food and come into my bedroom, so that I may take it from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes she had made and went with them into her brother Amnon's bedroom.
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And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the briyah into the cheder ([bed] room), that I may eat from thine yad. And Tamar took the [heart-shaped] cakes which she had prepared, and brought them into the bedroom to Amnon her brother.
11 And when she took them to give them to him, he put his arms round her and said, Come to bed, my sister.
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And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my achot.
12 And answering him, she said, O my brother, do not put shame on me; it is not right for such a thing to be done in Israel: do not this evil thing.
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And she answered him, No, achi, do not violate me; for no such thing ought to be done in Yisroel; do not thou this nevalah (foul deed, shameful thing).
13 What will become of me in my shame? and as for you, you will be looked down on with disgust by all Israel. Now then, go and make your request to the king, for he will not keep me from you.
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And I, to where shall I cause my cherpah (shame, disgrace) to go? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the nevalim (wicked fools) in Yisroel. Now therefore, speak unto HaMelech; for he will not withhold me from thee.
14 But he would not give attention to what she said: but being stronger than she, he took her by force, and had connection with her.
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Howbeit he would not pay heed unto her voice; but, being stronger than she, violated her and raped her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon was full of hate for her, hating her with a hate greater than his earlier love for her. And he said to her, Get up and be gone.
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Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the sinah (hatred) wherewith he hated her was gedolah me’od than the ahavah wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Get up, get out.
16 And she said to him, Not so, my brother, for this great wrong in sending me away is worse than what you did to me before. But he gave no attention to her.
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And she said unto him, No, do not this ra’ah in sending me away which is gedolah than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not pay heed unto her.
17 Then he gave a cry to the servant who was waiting on him and said, Put this woman out, and let the door be locked after her.
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Then he called his na’ar that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this outside from me, and bolt the delet after her.
18 Now she had on a long robe, such as in past times the king's virgin daughters were dressed in. Then the servant put her out, locking the door after her.
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She had a kesones of various colors upon her; for with such were the banot HaMelech that were betulot apparelled. Then his mesharet (servant) brought her outside, and bolted the delet after her.
19 And Tamar, in her grief, put dust on her head; and she put her hand on her head and went away crying loudly.
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And Tamar put efer (ash) on her rosh (head) and made the kri’ah (tearing, rending) on her kesones of various colors that was on her, and laid her yad on her rosh, and went on weeping as she went.
20 And her brother Absalom said to her, Has your brother Amnon been with you? but now, let there be an end to your crying, my sister: he is your brother, do not take this thing to heart. So Tamar went on living uncomforted in her brother's house.
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And Avshalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? But hold now thy peace, my achot; he is thy brother; this thing take not to heart. So Tamar remained shomemah (desolate) in the bais of her brother Avshalom.
21 But when King David had news of all these things he was very angry; but he did not make trouble for Amnon his son, for he was dear to David, being his oldest son.
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But when Dovid HaMelech heard of all these things, he was very angry.
22 But Absalom said nothing to his brother Amnon, good or bad: for he was full of hate for him, because he had taken his sister Tamar by force.
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And Avshalom spoke unto his brother Amnon not a davar neither rah nor tov; for Avshalom hated Amnon, because he had violated and raped his achot Tamar.
23 Now after two full years, Absalom had men cutting the wool of his sheep in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim: and he sent for all the king's sons to come to his feast.
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And it came to pass after two full shanim, that Avshalom had gozezim (sheepshearers) in Baal-Chazor, which is in Ephrayim; and Avshalom invited all the Bnei HaMelech.
24 And Absalom came to the king and said, See now, your servant is cutting the wool of his sheep; will the king and his servants be pleased to come?
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And Avshalom came to HaMelech, and said, Hinei now, thy eved hath gozezim; let HaMelech, now, and his avadim go with thy eved.
25 And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, or the number will be over-great for you. And he made his request again, but he would not go, but he gave him his blessing.
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And HaMelech said to Avshalom, No, beni (my son), let us not all now go, lest we be a burden unto thee. And he urged him; howbeit he would not go, but put a bracha on him.
26 Then Absalom said, If you will not go, then let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Is there any reason for him to go with you?
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Then said Avshalom, If not, now, let achi Amnon go with us. And HaMelech said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
27 But Absalom went on requesting him till he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom made a great feast like a feast for a king.
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But Avshalom urged him, that he let Amnon and kol Bnei HaMelech go with him.
28 Now Absalom had given orders to his servants, saying, Now take note when Amnon's heart is glad with wine; and when I say to you, Make an attack on Amnon, then put him to death without fear: have I not given you orders? be strong and without fear.
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Now Avshalom had commanded his avadim, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s lev is high with yayin, and when I say unto you, Strike Amnon; then kill him, fear not; have not I commanded you? Be chazak (courageous), and be bnei chayil.
29 So Absalom's servants did to Amnon as Absalom had given them orders. Then all the king's sons got up, and every man got on his beast and went in flight.
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And the na’arei Avshalom did unto Amnon as Avshalom had commanded. Then all the Bnei HaMelech arose, and every man mounted him up upon his pered (mule), and fled.
30 Now while they were on their way, news was given to David that Absalom had put to death all the sons of the king and that not one of them was still living.
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And it came to pass, while they were baderech (on the way), that report came to Dovid, saying, Avshalom hath slain all the Bnei HaMelech, and there is not one of them left.
31 Then the king got up in great grief, stretching himself out on the earth: and all his servants were by his side, with their clothing parted.
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Then HaMelech arose, and made the kri’ah on his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his avadim stood by with their clothes torn.
32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, Let not my lord have the idea that all the sons of the king have been put to death; for only Amnon is dead: this has been purposed by Absalom from the day when he took his sister Tamar by force.
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And Yonadav Ben Shime’ah achi Dovid, answered and said, Let not adoni suppose that they have slain all the young men, the Bnei HaMelech; for Amnon only is dead; for by the command of Avshalom this hath been determined from the day that he violated and raped Tamar his achot.
33 So now, let not my lord the king take this thing to heart, with the idea that all the king's sons are dead: for only Amnon is dead.
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Now therefore let not adoni HaMelech take the thing to his lev, to think that all the Bnei HaMelech are dead; for Amnon only is dead.
34 But Absalom went in flight. And the young man who kept the watch, lifting up his eyes, saw that a great band of people was coming down the slope by the way of the Horons; and the watchman came and gave word to the king, saying, I saw men coming down by the way of the Horons, from the hillside.
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But Avshalom fled. And the na’ar tzofeh (watchman) lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, hinei, there came am rav (much people) by the derech of the hillside behind him.
35 And Jonadab said to the king, See, the king's sons are coming; as your servant said, so it is.
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And Yonadav said unto HaMelech, Hinei, the Bnei HaMelech come; as the davar avdecha (word of thy servant), so it is.
36 And while he was talking, the king's sons came, with weeping and loud cries: and the king and all his servants were weeping bitterly.
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And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, hinei, the Bnei HaMelech came, and lifted up their voice and wailed; and HaMelech also and all his avadim wept gadol me’od.
37 So Absalom went in flight and came to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur, where he was for three years.
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But Avshalom fled, and went to Talmai Ben Ammichud Melech Geshur. And Dovid mourned for bno kol hayamim.
38 And the king was sorrowing for his son all the time.
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So Avshalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there shalosh shanim.
39 And the heart of David was wasted with desire for Absalom: for he was comforted for the death of Amnon.
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And the nefesh of Dovid HaMelech longed to go forth unto Avshalom; for he was consoled concerning Amnon that died.
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The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.