Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible RHE
The Message Bible MSG
1 And it came to pass after this that Ammon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.
1
Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David's son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David's son, was in love with her.
2 And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.
2
Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her. She was a virgin, so he couldn't see how he could get his hands on her.
3 Now Ammon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise man:
3
Amnon had a good friend, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was exceptionally streetwise.
4 And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Ammon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.
4
He said to Amnon, "Why are you moping around like this, day after day - you, the son of the king! Tell me what's eating at you." "In a word, Tamar," said Amnon. "My brother Absalom's sister. I'm in love with her."
5 And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.
5
"Here's what you do," said Jonadab. "Go to bed and pretend you're sick. When your father comes to visit you, say, 'Have my sister Tamar come and prepare some supper for me here where I can watch her and she can feed me.'"
6 So Ammon lay down, and made as if he were sick: and when the king came to visit him, Ammon said to the king: I pray thee let my sister Thamar come, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.
6
So Amnon took to his bed and acted sick. When the king came to visit, Amnon said, "Would you do me a favor? Have my sister Tamar come and make some nourishing dumplings here where I can watch her and be fed by her."
7 Then David sent home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Ammon, and make him a mess.
7
David sent word to Tamar who was home at the time: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare a meal for him."
8 And Thamar came to the house of Ammon her brother: but he was laid down: and she took meal and tempered it: and dissolving it in his sight she made little messes.
8
So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed.
9 And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat: and Ammon said: Put out all persons from me. And when they had put all persons out,
9
But when she took the cooking pot and served him, he wouldn't eat.
10 Ammon said to Thamar: Bring the mess into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand. And Thamar took the little messes which she had made, and brought them in to her brother Ammon in the chamber.
10
Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food into my bedroom, where we can eat in privacy." She took the nourishing dumplings she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.
11 And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come lie with me, my sister.
11
But when she got ready to feed him, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, sister!"
12 She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly.
12
"No, brother!" she said, "Don't hurt me! This kind of thing isn't done in Israel! Don't do this terrible thing!
13 For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel: but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.
13
Where could I ever show my face? And you - you'll be out on the street in disgrace. Oh, please! Speak to the king - he'll let you marry me."
14 But he would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger overpowered her and lay with her.
14
But he wouldn't listen. Being much stronger than she, he raped her.
15 Then Ammon hated her with an exceeding great hatred: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before. And Ammon said to her: Arise, and get thee gone.
15
No sooner had Amnon raped her than he hated her - an immense hatred. The hatred that he felt for her was greater than the love he'd had for her. "Get up," he said, "and get out!"
16 She answered him: The evil which now thou dost against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before. And he would not hearken to her:
16
"Oh no, brother," she said. "Please! This is an even worse evil than what you just did to me!"
17 But calling the servants that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the door after her.
17
He called for his valet. "Get rid of this woman. Get her out of my sight! And lock the door after her."
18 And she was clothed with a long robe: for the king’s daughters that were virgins, used such kind of garments. Then his servant thrust her out: and shut the door after her.
18
The valet threw her out and locked the door behind her.
19 And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.
19
Tamar poured ashes on her head, then she ripped the long-sleeved gown, held her head in her hands, and walked away, sobbing as she went.
20 And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Ammon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother: and afflict not thy heart for this thing. So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.
20
Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has your brother Amnon had his way with you? Now, my dear sister, let's keep it quiet - a family matter. He is, after all, your brother. Don't take this so hard." Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's home, bitter and desolate.
21 And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Ammon, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn.
21
King David heard the whole story and was enraged,
22 But Absalom spoke not to Ammon neither good nor evil: for Absalom hated Ammon because he had ravished his sister Thamar.
22
but he didn't discipline Amnon. David doted on him because he was his firstborn. Absalom quit speaking to Amnon - not a word, whether good or bad - because he hated him for violating his sister Tamar.
23 And it came to pass after two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons:
23
Two years went by. One day Absalom threw a sheep-shearing party in Baal Hazor in the vicinity of Ephraim and invited all the king's sons.
24 And he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy servant’s sheep are shorn. Let the king, I pray, with his servants come to his servant.
24
He also went to the king and invited him. "Look, I'm throwing a sheep-shearing party. Come, and bring your servants."
25 And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, do not ask that we should all come, and be chargeable to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him.
25
But the king said, "No, son - not this time, and not the whole household. We'd just be a burden to you." Absalom pushed, but David wouldn't budge. But he did give him his blessing.
26 And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother Ammon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with thee.
26
Then Absalom said, "Well, if you won't come, at least let my brother Amnon come."
27 But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Ammon and all the king’s sons go with him. And Absalom made a feast as it were the feast of a king.
27
But Absalom was so insistent that he gave in and let Amnon and all the rest of the king's sons go.
28 And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Ammon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him, fear not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and be valiant men.
28
Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king. Then he instructed his servants, "Look sharp, now. When Amnon is well into the sauce and feeling no pain, and I give the order 'Strike Amnon,' kill him. And don't be afraid - I'm the one giving the command. Courage! You can do it!"
29 And the servants of Absalom did to Ammon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king’s sons arose and got up every man upon his mule, and fled.
29
Absalom's servants did to Amnon exactly what their master ordered. All the king's sons got out as fast as they could, jumped on their mules, and rode off.
30 And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one them left.
30
While they were still on the road, a rumor came to the king: "Absalom just killed all the king's sons - not one is left!"
31 Then the king rose up, and rent his garments: and fell upon the ground, and all his servants, that stood about him, rent their garments.
31
The king stood up, ripped his clothes to shreds, and threw himself on the floor. All his servants who were standing around at the time did the same.
32 But Jonadab the son of Semmaa David’s brother answering, said: Let not my lord the king think that all the king’s sons are slain: Ammon only is dead, for he was appointed by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister Thamar.
32
Just then, Jonadab, his brother Shimeah's son, stepped up. "My master must not think that all the young men, the king's sons, are dead. Only Amnon is dead. This happened because of Absalom's outrage since the day that Amnon violated his sister Tamar.
33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king’s sons are slain: for Ammon only is dead.
33
So my master, the king, mustn't make things worse than they are, thinking that all your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead."
34 But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way on the side of the mountain.
34
Absalom fled. Just then the sentry on duty looked up and saw a cloud of dust on the road from Horonaim alongside the mountain. He came and told the king, "I've just seen a bunch of men on the Horonaim road, coming around the mountain."
35 And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king’s sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.
35
Then Jonadab exclaimed to the king, "See! It's the king's sons coming, just as I said!"
36 And when he made an end of speaking, the king’s sons also appeared: and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very much.
36
He had no sooner said the words than the king's sons burst in - loud laments and weeping! The king joined in, along with all the servants - loud weeping, many tears.
37 But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud the king of Gessur. And David mourned for his son every day.
37
David mourned the death of his son a long time.
38 And Absalom after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years.
38
He was there three years.
39 (13-38) And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Ammon.
39
The king finally gave up trying to get back at Absalom. He had come to terms with Amnon's death.
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Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.