Chapter 13

Amnon and Tamar

1 Now it was after this that aAbsalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was bTamar, and cAmnon the son of David loved her.

2 Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed 1hard to Amnon to do anything to her.

3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of 1aShimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

4 He said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”

5 Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’ ”

6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and amake me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

7 Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

9 She took the pan and 1dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “aHave everyone go out from me.” So everyone went out from him.

10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the 1bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.

11 When she brought them to him to eat, he atook hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

12 But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for asuch a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this bdisgraceful thing!

13 “As for me, where could I 1get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the 2fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for ahe will not withhold me from you.”

14 However, he would not listen to 1her; since he was stronger than she, he aviolated her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!”

16 But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” Yet he would not listen to her.

17 Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.”

18 Now she had on aa 1long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her.

19 aTamar put 1ashes on her head and btore her 2long-sleeved garment which was on her; and cshe put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 Then Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

21 Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry.

22 But Absalom did not speak to Amnon aeither good or bad; for bAbsalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

23 Now it came about after two full years that Absalom ahad sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

Absalom Avenges Tamar

24 Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.”

25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you.” Although he 1urged him, he would not go, but blessed him.

26 Then aAbsalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

27 But when Absalom 1urged him, he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

28 Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, awhen Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be 1valiant.”

29 The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and each mounted ahis mule and fled.

30 Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”

31 Then the king arose, atore his clothes and blay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn.

32 aJonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, 1responded, “Do not let my lord 2suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead; because by the 3intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated his sister Tamar.

33 “Now therefore, do not let my lord the king atake the report to 1heart, namely, ‘all the king’s sons are dead,’ for only Amnon is dead.”

34 Now aAbsalom had fled. And bthe young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

35 Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; according to your servant’s word, so it happened.”

36 As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept 1very bitterly.

37 Now aAbsalom fled and went to bTalmai the son of Ammihud, the king of cGeshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

38 aSo Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, and was there three years.

39 The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for ahe was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.

Chapter 14

The Woman of Tekoa

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that athe king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.

2 So Joab sent to aTekoa and 1brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not banoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;

3 then go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put athe words in her mouth.

4 Now when the woman of Tekoa 1spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and aprostrated herself and said, “bHelp, O king.”

5 The king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she 1answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

6 “Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no 1one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

7 “Now behold, athe whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, band destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to 1leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

9 The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, athe iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but bthe king and his throne are guiltless.”

10 So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”

11 Then she said, “Please let the king remember the Lord your God, aso that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “bAs the Lord lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

12 Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”

13 The woman said, “aWhy then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back bhis banished one.

14 “For awe will surely die and are blike water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans 1ways so that cthe banished one will not be cast out from him.

15 “Now 1the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the 2request of his maidservant.

16 ‘For the king will hear 1and deliver his maidservant from the 2hand of the man who would destroy 3both me and my son from athe inheritance of God.’

17 “Then your maidservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be 1comforting, for as athe angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the Lord your God be with you.’ ”

18 Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.”

19 So the king said, “Is the hand of Joab with you in all this?” And the woman replied, “As your soul lives, my lord the king, no one can turn to the right or to the left from anything that my lord the king has spoken. Indeed, it was ayour servant Joab who commanded me, and it was he who put all these words in the mouth of your maidservant;

20 in order to change the appearance of things your servant Joab has done this thing. But my lord is wise, alike the wisdom of the angel of God, to know all that is in the earth.”

Absalom Is Recalled

21 Then the king said to Joab, “Behold now, aI will surely do this thing; go therefore, bring back the young man Absalom.”

22 Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrated himself and blessed the king; then Joab said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your sight, O my lord, the king, in that the king has performed the 1request of his servant.”

23 So Joab arose and went to aGeshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

24 However the king said, “Let him turn to ahis own house, and let him not see my face.” So Absalom turned to his own house and did not see the king’s face.

25 Now in all Israel was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised; afrom the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him.

26 When he acut the hair of his head (and it was at the end of every year that he cut it, for it was heavy on him so he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at 200 shekels by the king’s weight.

27 aTo Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was bTamar; she was a woman of beautiful appearance.

28 Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem, aand did not see the king’s face.

29 Then Absalom sent for Joab, to send him to the king, but he would not come to him. So he sent again a second time, but he would not come.

30 Therefore he said to his servants, “See, aJoab’s 1field is next to mine, and he has barley there; go and set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the 1field on fire.

31 Then Joab arose, came to Absalom at his house and said to him, “Why have your servants set my 1field on fire?”

32 Absalom 1answered Joab, “Behold, I sent for you, saying, ‘Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me still to be there.” ’ Now therefore, let me see the king’s face, aand if there is iniquity in me, let him put me to death.”

33 So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and athe king kissed Absalom.

Chapter 15

Absalom’s Conspiracy

1 Now it came about after this that aAbsalom provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him.

2 Absalom used to rise early and astand beside the way to the gate; and when any man had a suit to come to the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.”

3 Then Absalom would say to him, “See, ayour 1claims are good and right, but no man listens to you on the part of the king.”

4 Moreover, Absalom would say, “aOh that one would appoint me judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice.”

5 And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and akiss him.

6 In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; aso Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel.

7 Now it came about at the end of 1forty years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to the Lord, in aHebron.

8 “For your servant avowed a vow while I was living at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘bIf the Lord shall indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’ ”

9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.

10 But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘aAbsalom is king in Hebron.’ ”

11 Then two hundred men went with Absalom from Jerusalem, awho were invited and bwent 1innocently, and they did not know anything.

12 And Absalom sent for aAhithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city bGiloh, while he was offering the sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for cthe people increased continually with Absalom.

David Flees Jerusalem

13 Then a messenger came to David, saying, “aThe hearts of the men of Israel are 1with Absalom.”

14 David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “aArise and let us flee, for otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste, or he will overtake us quickly and bring down calamity on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.”

15 Then the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.”

16 So the king went out and all his household 1with him. But athe king left ten concubines to keep the house.

17 The king went out and all the people 1with him, and they stopped at the last house.

18 Now all his servants passed on beside him, aall the Cherethites, all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, bsix hundred men who had come 1with him from Gath, passed on before the king.

19 Then the king said to aIttai the Gittite, “Why will you also go with us? Return and remain with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile; return to your own place.

20 “You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander with us, while aI go where I will? Return and take back your brothers; bmercy and 1truth be with you.”

21 But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely awherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there also your servant will be.”

22 Therefore David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

23 While all the country was weeping with a loud voice, all the people passed over. The king also passed over athe brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward bthe way of the wilderness.

24 Now behold, aZadok also came, and all the Levites with him bcarrying the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God, and cAbiathar came up until all the people had finished passing from the city.

25 The king said to Zadok, “Return the ark of God to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, then aHe will bring me back again and show me both it and bHis habitation.

26 “But if He should say thus, ‘aI have no delight in you,’ behold, here I am, blet Him do to me as seems good 1to Him.”

27 The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Are you not aa seer? Return to the city in peace and your btwo sons with you, your son Ahimaaz and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

28 “See, I am going to wait aat the fords of the wilderness until word comes from you to inform me.”

29 Therefore Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there.

30 And David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went, and ahis head was covered and he walked bbarefoot. Then all the people who were with him each covered his head and went up weeping as they went.

31 Now someone told David, saying, “aAhithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O Lord, I pray, bmake the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.”

32 It happened as David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, that behold, Hushai the aArchite met him with his 1coat torn and 2dust on his head.

33 David said to him, “If you pass over with me, then you will be aa burden to me.

34 “But if you return to the city, and asay to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant,’ then you can thwart the counsel of Ahithophel for me.

35 “Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So it shall be that awhatever you hear from the king’s house, you shall report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

36 “Behold atheir two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son; and bby them you shall send me everything that you hear.”

37 So Hushai, aDavid’s friend, came into the city, and bAbsalom came into Jerusalem.