Trouble in David's House

¹Some time later, this happened: Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon, another of David's sons, fell in love with her. ²Amnon was so tormented that he became sick over his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it difficult to do anything to her. ³But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very cunning man. ⁴Jonadab asked him, "You're the king's son — why do you look worse every day? Tell me what's going on." Amnon told him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." ⁵Jonadab said, "Here's what you do: lie down in your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to check on you, tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and prepare some food for me. Let her make it right here where I can watch, and then feed it to me herself.'" ⁶So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes right here in front of me, so I can eat from her hand." ⁷David sent word to Tamar at the palace, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare some food for him." ⁸So Tamar went to Amnon's house, where he was lying in bed. She took flour, kneaded the dough, shaped the cakes right in front of him, and baked them. ⁹She took the pan and served them to him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, "Everyone get out." So everyone left the room. ¹⁰Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom so I can eat from your hand." Tamar picked up the cakes she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. ¹¹But when she brought them close for him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come sleep with me, my sister." ¹²She pleaded with him, "No, my brother! Don't force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel. Don't commit this folly." ¹³"Where would I go with my shame? And you — you'd be known as the worst kind of fool in Israel. Please, just talk to the king. He won't refuse to let you marry me." ¹⁴But he wouldn't listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he overpowered her and raped her. ¹⁵Then Amnon hated her intensely; his hatred for her was greater than the love he had once felt. He said to her, "Get up. Get out." ¹⁶She said to him, "No — sending me away like this is an even greater wrong than what you already did to me!" But he refused to listen. ¹⁷He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of here and bolt the door behind her." ¹⁸Tamar was wearing a richly decorated robe — the kind that the king's virgin daughters wore. His servant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. ¹⁹Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the beautiful robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and walked away, weeping loudly as she went. ²⁰Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But keep quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother; do not dwell on this matter." So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. ²¹When King David heard about everything that had happened, he was furious. ²²Absalom never said a word to Amnon, good or bad. But he hated Amnon for what he had done to his sister Tamar. ²³Two full years went by. Then Absalom arranged for his sheep to be sheared at Baal Hazor, near Ephraim, and he invited all the king's sons to come. ²⁴Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant is having his sheep sheared. Would the king and his officials please come and join me?" ²⁵The king replied, "No, my son. If we all come, we'll be too much of a burden on you." Absalom kept pressing him, but David still wouldn't go — though he did give him his blessing. ²⁶Then Absalom said, "Well then, at least let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked, "Why should he go with you?" ²⁷But Absalom kept insisting until David finally agreed to let Amnon and all the other princes go with him. ²⁸Absalom had already given his servants their orders: "Watch carefully. When Amnon is drunk and in good spirits, and I give you the signal to strike him — kill him. Don't be afraid. I'm the one giving the command. Be brave and bold." ²⁹Absalom's servants did exactly as he ordered and killed Amnon. All the other princes immediately jumped on their mules and fled. ³⁰While they were still on the road, a report reached David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons! Not one of them survived!" ³¹The king stood up, tore his clothes, and threw himself on the ground. All his officials standing nearby tore their clothes too. ³²But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, spoke up: "My lord should not think that all the young princes have been killed. Only Amnon is dead. Absalom has been planning this ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar." ³³"So my lord the king, don't take it to heart thinking all your sons are dead. Only Amnon has been killed." ³⁴Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. The watchman on duty looked up and saw a large group of people coming along the road from the hillside behind him. ³⁵Jonadab said to the king, "Look — the king's sons are coming! It's just as I told you." ³⁶He had barely finished speaking when the king's sons arrived. They burst into loud weeping, and the king and all his officials wept bitterly with them. ³⁷Absalom fled to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son every day. ³⁸After fleeing to Geshur, Absalom stayed there for three years. ³⁹King David's soul longed to go to Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.