Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 David's son Absalom had a beautiful unmarried sister named Tamar. Amnon, another of David's sons, fell in love with her.
1
It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 He was so much in love with her that he became sick, because it seemed impossible for him to have her; as a virgin, she was kept from meeting men.
2
Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.
3 But he had a friend, a very shrewd man named Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah.
3
But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.
4 Jonadab said to Amnon, "You are the king's son, yet day after day I see you looking sad. What's the matter?" "I'm in love with Tamar, the sister of my half brother Absalom," he answered.
4
He said to him, Why, son of the king, are you thus lean from day to day? Won't you tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
5 Jonadab said to him, "Pretend that you are sick and go to bed. When your father comes to see you, say to him, "Please ask my sister Tamar to come and feed me. I want her to fix the food here where I can see her, and then serve it to me herself.' "
5
Jonadab said to him, Lay you down on your bed, and feign yourself sick: and when your father comes to see you, tell him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.
6 So Amnon pretended that he was sick and went to bed. King David went to see him, and Amnon said to him, "Please let Tamar come and make a few cakes here where I can see her, and then serve them to me herself."
6
So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let her sister Tamar come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.
7 So David sent word to Tamar in the palace: "Go to Amnon's house and fix him some food."
7
Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and dress him food.
8 She went there and found him in bed. She took some dough, prepared it, and made some cakes there where he could see her. Then she baked the cakes
8
So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. She took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
9 and emptied them out of the pan for him to eat, but he wouldn't. He said, "Send everyone away" - and they all left.
9
She took the pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. Amnon said, Have out all men from me. They went out every man from him.
10 Then he said to her, "Bring the cakes here to my bed and serve them to me yourself." She took the cakes and went over to him.
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Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand. Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11 As she offered them to him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me!"
11
When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister.
12 "No," she said. "Don't force me to do such a degrading thing! That's awful!
12
She answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don't you do this folly.
13 How could I ever hold up my head in public again? And you - you would be completely disgraced in Israel. Please, speak to the king, and I'm sure that he will give me to you."
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I, where shall I carry my shame? and as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.
14 But he would not listen to her; and since he was stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.
14
However he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon was filled with a deep hatred for her; he hated her now even more than he had loved her before. He said to her, "Get out!"
15
Then Amnon hated her with exceeding great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her, Arise, be gone.
16 "No," she answered. "To send me away like this is a greater crime than what you just did!" But Amnon would not listen to her;
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She said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in putting me forth is [worse] than the other that you did to me. But he would not listen to her.
17 he called in his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!"
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Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
18 The servant put her out and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves, the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.
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She had a garment of various colors on her; for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins dressed. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
19 She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying.
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Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
20 When her brother Absalom saw her, he asked, "Has Amnon molested you? Please, sister, don't let it upset you so much. He is your half brother, so don't tell anyone about it." So Tamar lived in Absalom's house, sad and lonely.
20
Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? but now hold your peace, my sister: he is your brother; don't take this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
21 When King David heard what had happened, he was furious.
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But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
22 And Absalom hated Amnon so much for having raped his sister Tamar that he would no longer even speak to him.
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Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 Two years later Absalom was having his sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim, and he invited all the king's sons to be there.
23
It happened after two full years, that Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons.
24 He went to King David and said, "Your Majesty, I am having my sheep sheared. Will you and your officials come and take part in the festivities?"
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Absalom came to the king, and said, See now, your servant has sheep-shearers; let the king, I pray you, and his servants go with your servant.
25 "No, my son," the king answered. "It would be too much trouble for you if we all went." Absalom insisted, but the king would not give in, and he asked Absalom to leave.
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The king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you. He pressed him: however he would not go, but blessed him.
26 But Absalom said, "Well, then, will you at least let my brother Amnon come?" "Why should he?" the king asked.
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Then said Absalom, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us. The king said to him, Why should he go with you?
27 But Absalom kept on insisting until David finally let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king
27
But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.
28 and instructed his servants: "Notice when Amnon has had too much to drink, and then when I give the order, kill him. Don't be afraid. I will take the responsibility myself. Be brave and don't hesitate!"
28
Absalom commanded his servants, saying, Mark you now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, Smite Amnon, then kill him; don't be afraid; haven't I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
29 So the servants followed Absalom's instructions and killed Amnon. All the rest of David's sons mounted their mules and fled.
29
The servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up on his mule, and fled.
30 While they were on their way home, David was told: "Absalom has killed all your sons - not one of them is left!"
30
It happened, while they were in the way, that the news came to David, saying, Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.
31 The king stood up, tore his clothes in sorrow, and threw himself to the ground. The servants who were there with him tore their clothes also.
31
Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32 But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah, said, "Your Majesty, they haven't killed all your sons. Only Amnon is dead. You could tell by looking at Absalom that he had made up his mind to do this from the time that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
32
Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered, Don't let my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
33 So don't believe the news that all your sons are dead; only Amnon was killed."
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Now therefore don't let my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.
34 In the meantime Absalom had fled. Just then the soldier on sentry duty saw a large crowd coming down the hill on the road from Horonaim. He went to the king and reported what he had seen.
34
But Absalom fled. The young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him.
35 Jonadab said to David, "Those are your sons coming, just as I said they would."
35
Jonadab said to the king, Behold, the king's sons are come: as your servant said, so it is.
36 As soon as he finished saying this, David's sons came in; they started crying, and David and his officials also cried bitterly.
36
It happened, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.
37 Absalom fled and went to the king of Geshur, Talmai son of Ammihud, and stayed there three years. David mourned a long time for his son Amnon;
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But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. [David] mourned for his son every day.
39 but when he got over Amnon's death, he was filled with longing for his son Absalom.
39
[the soul of] king David longed to go forth to Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.