2 Samuel 13:1–22

The Rape of Tamar

¹After this, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom. ²Amnon was so obsessed with his half sister Tamar that he made himself sick. It seemed impossible for him to be alone with her because she was a virgin. 

³Amnon had a friend by the name of Jonadab, a son of David’s brother Shimea. Jonadab was a very clever man. ⁴He asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so worn out morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” 

“I’m in love with Absalom’s sister Tamar,” he answered. 

⁵Then Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed. Act sick, and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come to feed me. She can prepare a meal in front of me as I watch her, and she can feed me.’ ” 

⁶So Amnon lay down and acted sick, and the king came to see him. Amnon asked the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make some bread in front of me, and she can feed me.” 

⁷David sent for Tamar at the palace. “Please go to your brother Amnon’s home,” he said, “and prepare some food for him.” 

⁸So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s home. He was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made flat bread in front of him, and cooked it. ⁹Then she took the pan and served him ⸤the bread⸥. But he refused to eat. 

“Have everyone leave me,” he said. So everyone left him. 

¹⁰Amnon told Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom so that you can feed me.” 

Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in the bedroom. ¹¹When she handed it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, Tamar!” 

¹²“No,” she told him, “don’t rape me! That shouldn’t be done in Israel. Don’t do this godless act! ¹³Where could I go in my disgrace? And you will be considered one of the godless fools in Israel! Speak to the king. He won’t refuse your request to marry me.” 

¹⁴But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. He grabbed his sister and raped her. 

¹⁵Now, Amnon developed an intense hatred for her. His hatred for her was greater than the lust he had felt for her. “Get out of here,” he told her. 

¹⁶She said to him, “No, sending me away is a greater wrong than the other thing you did to me!” But he wouldn’t listen to her. 

¹⁷Then he called his personal servant and said, “Get rid of her. Put her out, and bolt the door behind her.” ¹⁸(She was wearing a long-sleeved gown. The king’s virgin daughters wore this kind of robe.) So his servant took her out and bolted the door behind her. ¹⁹Tamar put ashes on her head, tore the long-sleeved gown she had on, put her hands on her head, and went away crying. 

²⁰Her brother Absalom asked her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Sister, be quiet for now. He’s your brother. Don’t dwell on this matter.” So Tamar stayed there at the home of her brother Absalom and was depressed. 

²¹When King David heard about this, he became very angry. But David didn’t punish his son Amnon. He favored Amnon because he was his firstborn son.^a22Absalom wouldn’t speak at all to Amnon. He hated Amnon for raping his sister Tamar.