Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options
Close NLT

2 Samuel 13
New Living Translation

The Rape of Tamar

13 Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her. 2 Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.

3 But Amnon had a very crafty friend—his cousin Jonadab. He was the son of David’s brother Shimea.[a] 4 One day Jonadab said to Amnon, “What’s the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?”

So Amnon told him, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

5 “Well,” Jonadab said, “I’ll tell you what to do. Go back to bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let Tamar come and prepare some food for you. Tell him you’ll feel better if she prepares it as you watch and feeds you with her own hands.”

6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish[b] as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands.” 7 So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon’s house to prepare some food for him.

8 When Tamar arrived at Amnon’s house, she went to the place where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked his favorite dish for him. 9 But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. “Everyone get out of here,” Amnon told his servants. So they all left.

10 Then he said to Tamar, “Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here.” So Tamar took his favorite dish to him. 11 But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, “Come to bed with me, my darling sister.”

12 “No, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t be foolish! Don’t do this to me! Such wicked things aren’t done in Israel. 13 Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me.”

14 But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. 15 Then suddenly Amnon’s love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. “Get out of here!” he snarled at her.

16 “No, no!” Tamar cried. “Sending me away now is worse than what you’ve already done to me.”

But Amnon wouldn’t listen to her. 17 He shouted for his servant and demanded, “Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!”

18 So the servant put her out and locked the door behind her. She was wearing a long, beautiful robe,[c] as was the custom in those days for the king’s virgin daughters. 19 But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.

20 Her brother Absalom saw her and asked, “Is it true that Amnon has been with you? Well, my sister, keep quiet for now, since he’s your brother. Don’t you worry about it.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in her brother Absalom’s house.

21 When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry.[d] 22 And though Absalom never spoke to Amnon about this, he hated Amnon deeply because of what he had done to his sister.

Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon

23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast. 24 He went to the king and said, “My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?”

25 The king replied, “No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.” Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.

26 “Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?”

“Why Amnon?” the king asked. 27 But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.[e]

28 Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!” 29 So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.

30 As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one is left alive!” 31 The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.

32 But just then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, arrived and said, “No, don’t believe that all the king’s sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 No, my lord the king, your sons aren’t all dead! It was only Amnon.” 34 Meanwhile Absalom escaped.

Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.”[f]

35 “Look!” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.”

36 They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them. 37 And David mourned many days for his son Amnon.

Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. 38 He stayed there in Geshur for three years. 39 And King David,[g] now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.[h]

Footnotes

  1. 13:3 Hebrew Shimeah (also in 13:32), a variant spelling of Shimea; compare 1 Chr 2:13.
  2. 13:6 Or a couple of cakes; also in 13:8, 10.
  3. 13:18 Or a robe with sleeves, or an ornamented robe. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.
  4. 13:21 Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version add But he did not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.
  5. 13:27 As in Greek and Latin versions (compare also Dead Sea Scrolls); the Hebrew text lacks this sentence.
  6. 13:34 As in Greek version; Hebrew lacks this sentence.
  7. 13:39a Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version read And the spirit of the king.
  8. 13:39b Or no longer felt a need to go out after Absalom.
Close LEB

2 Samuel 13
Lexham English Bible

Amnon Assaults His Sister Tamar

13 It happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. 2 And Amnon was so frustrated that he felt ill[a] because of Tamar his sister, because she was a virgin, and it was too difficult in Amnon’s eyes to do anything with her. 3 Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David. (Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.) 4 And he said to him, “Why are you so sullen every morning,[b] O son of the king? Will you not tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” 5 Then Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and appear ill. If your father comes to see you, you shall say to him, ‘Please let Tamar my sister come and give me food to eat, and let her prepare the food before my eyes, in order that I may see it and eat from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, and the king came to see him. Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come, and let her bake two cakes before my eyes that I may eat from her hand.” 7 So David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare food for him.” 8 Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother. Now he was lying down, and she took the dough and kneaded it and made cakes before his eyes, and she baked the cakes. 9 Then she took the pan and poured it out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Let all the men go out from me.” So all the men went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food to the private room that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother in[c] the private room. 11 When she brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister!” 12 Then Tamar said to him, “No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing has not been done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! 13 As for me, where should I take my disgrace? You will be as one of the fools in Israel. So please, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he was not willing to listen to her voice. He was stronger than she, and he forced her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her very deeply,[d] for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. So Amnon said to her, “Get up and go.” 16 She said to him, “No, because this evil in sending me away is greater than the other you have done to me.” But he was not willing to listen to her. 17 Then he called his young man who was serving him and said, “Please send this woman from me to the outside, and bolt the door behind her!” 18 Now there was a long-sleeved robe on her, for so they clothed the daughters of the king who were virgins, in robes. His servant put her outside, and he bolted the door behind her. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore the long-sleeved robe which was on her. She put her hand on her head, and she went away, crying out as she went.[e] 20 Absalom her brother said to her, “Was Amnon your brother with you? But now, my sister, be quiet; he is your brother. Do not take this matter to heart.”[f] So Tamar remained a desolate woman in the house of Absalom her brother.

Absalom Kills Amnon

21 Now King David heard all these things, and he became very angry.[g] 22 Absalom did not speak with Amnon either bad or good,[h] for Absalom hated Amnon over the matter when[i] he raped Tamar his sister. 23 About two full years later,[j] Absalom’s shearers were in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom summoned all the sons of the king. 24 Then Absalom went to the king and said, “Look, here are your servant’s shearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant. 25 The king said to Absalom, “No my son, not all of us shall go, so that we not be a burden to you.” And he urged him, but he was not willing to go, but he blessed him. 26 So Absalom said, “But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king. 28 Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is tipsy[k] with wine, then I shall say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ and you shall kill him! Don’t be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant![l] 29 So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon just as Absalom commanded, and all the sons of the king got up, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way,[m] the message came to David, “Absalom has killed all the sons of the king, and not one of them was left.” 31 Then the king rose and tore his garments, and he lay on the ground, and all his servants standing by were tearing their garments. 32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, responded and said, “My lord should not think that all the young men, the sons of the king, are dead, because only Amnon is dead. Absalom was talking about it,[n] as it was being determined from the day he[o] raped Tamar his sister. 33 So then, let not my lord the king set his heart on this matter, thinking, ‘All the sons of the king are dead,’ for only Amnon alone is dead.”

Absalom Flees

34 So Absalom fled, and the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and saw, and there were many people coming from the road behind him from the side of the mountain. 35 Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have come. According to the word of your servant, so it has come about.” 36 When he finished speaking, look, the sons of the king came and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also, the king and all his servants wept a very great weeping. 37 Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, the king of Geshur. David mourned over his son day after day.[p] 38 But Absalom had fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years. 39 King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he was consoled that Amnon had died.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 13:2 Literally “was distressed to the point of sickness”
  2. 2 Samuel 13:4 Literally “in the morning, in the morning”
  3. 2 Samuel 13:10 Hebrew “to”
  4. 2 Samuel 13:15 Literally “with a great hatred”
  5. 2 Samuel 13:19 Literally “she went, going and crying aloud”
  6. 2 Samuel 13:20 Literally “Do not place/set your heart to this matter”
  7. 2 Samuel 13:21 Literally “it became very hot for him”
  8. 2 Samuel 13:22 Literally “as far as from bad and up to good”
  9. 2 Samuel 13:22 Literally “because of the thing that”
  10. 2 Samuel 13:23 Literally “And it happened at two years of days”
  11. 2 Samuel 13:28 Literally “good”
  12. 2 Samuel 13:28 Literally “as sons of ability”
  13. 2 Samuel 13:30 Literally “And it happened they were on the way”
  14. 2 Samuel 13:32 Literally “For it was on the mouth of Absalom”
  15. 2 Samuel 13:32 Amnon
  16. 2 Samuel 13:37 Literally “all the days”
Next
2 Samuel 12
2 Samuel 14
Next
dropdown
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.


Lexham English Bible (LEB)

2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software