2 Samuel 13:1–22

Amnon and Tamar

13David’s son Absalom had a beautiful unmarried sister named Tamar. Amnon, another of David’s sons, fell in love with her. ²He was so much in love with her that he became ill, because it seemed impossible for him to have her; as a virgin, she was kept from meeting men. ³But he had a friend, a very shrewd man named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shammah. ⁴Jonadab 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.

⁵Jonadab said to him, “Pretend that you are ill 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 prepare the food here where I can see her, and then serve it to me herself.’ ” ⁶So Amnon pretended that he was ill 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.”

⁷So David sent word to Tamar in the palace: “Go to Amnon’s house and prepare some food for him.” ⁸She 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 ⁹and emptied them out of the pan for him to eat, but he wouldn’t. He said, “Send everyone away”—and they all left. ¹⁰Then 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. ¹¹As she offered them to him, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me!”

¹²“No,” she said. “Don’t force me to do such a degrading thing! That’s awful! ¹³How 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.” ¹⁴But he would not listen to her; and since he was stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.

¹⁵Then 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!”

¹⁶“No,” she answered. “To send me away like this is a greater crime^c than what you just did!”

But Amnon would not listen to her; ¹⁷he called in his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!” ¹⁸The servant put her out and locked the door.

Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves,^d the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.^{e 19}She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying. ²⁰When 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.

²¹When King David heard what had happened, he was furious. ²²And Absalom hated Amnon so much for having raped his sister Tamar that he would no longer even speak to him.