¹¹ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will ^(A)take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s ^(A)concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you ^(B)are abhorred by your father. Then ^(C)the hands of all who are with you will be strong.” ²² So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the top of the house, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines ^(D)in the sight of all Israel.

^30 (A)“You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; ^(B)you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; ^(C)you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not gather its grapes.

¹⁰ Then Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then you shall say, ‘Absalom ^(A)reigns in Hebron!’ ”

⁶ In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. ^(A)So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

²⁸ Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, “Watch now, when Amnon’s ^(A)heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon!’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and ^[a]valiant.” ²⁹ So the servants of Absalom ^(B)did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on ^(C)his mule and fled.

Amnon and Tamar

13 After this ^(A)Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was ^(B)Tamar; and ^(C)Amnon the son of David loved her. ² Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her. ³ But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab ^(D)the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man. ⁴ And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?”

Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

⁵ So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ” ⁶ Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and ^(E)make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

⁷ And David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Now go 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. Then she took flour and kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. ⁹ And she took the pan and placed them out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, ^(F)“Have everyone go out from me.” And they all went out from him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom. ¹¹ Now when she had brought them to him to eat, ^(G)he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

¹² But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not ^[a]force me, for ^(H)no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this ^(I)disgraceful thing! ¹³ And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; ^(J)for he will not withhold me from you.” ¹⁴ However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he ^(K)forced her and lay with her.

²⁵ “Therefore ^(A)I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live; ²⁶ and I pronounced them unclean because of their ritual gifts, in that they caused all ^[a]their firstborn to pass ^(B)through the fire, that I might make them desolate and that they ^(C)might know that I am the Lord.” ’