2 Samuel 13-16

International Standard Version

Amnon’s Rape of Tamar

13 Sometime after this, David’s son Amnon fell in love with David’s other^[a] son Absalom’s beautiful sister Tamar. ² Amnon became so emotionally distressed that he fell sick over his half-sister Tamar. She was a virgin, and Amnon found it difficult to do anything to her.

³ Meanwhile, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Now Jonadab was a very shrewd man. ⁴ “Why are you so depressed these past few mornings,”^[b] Jonadab^[c] asked Amnon, “since you’re a son of the king? Why not tell me?”

Amnon replied, “I’m in love with my brother Absalom’s sister Tamar.”

⁵ Jonadab advised him, “Lie down and pretend to be sick. When your father visits you, ask him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat that she prepares especially for me,^[d] and after she makes dinner for me, let her feed it to me personally.’”^[e]

⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to visit him, Amnon asked the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make some of her bread especially for me,^[f] so she can feed it to me personally.”^[g]

⁷ So David sent for Tamar back at the palace, telling her, “Please go to your brother Amnon’s home and prepare some food for him.” ⁸ Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s home, where he was lying down. She brought along some dough, kneaded it, prepared some cakes especially for him,^[h] baked them, ⁹ and emptied the baking skillet just for him, but he refused to eat.

“Send everybody out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left the room. ¹⁰ Amnon told Tamar, “Bring the food into my private bedroom, so I can eat it with you personally.”^[i] So Tamar took the cakes she had prepared and brought them into the private bedroom for her brother Amnon.

¹¹ But as soon as she brought them near him to eat, he overpowered her and told her, “Come here and have sex with me, my sister!”

¹² “No, my brother!” she kept telling him. “Don’t humiliate me like this! This just isn’t done in Israel! Don’t do this utterly foolish thing! ¹³ And what about me? Where will I go to escape^[j] this disgrace? And as for you, you’ll be known as one of Israel’s greatest fools! So please talk to the king, because he won’t withhold me from you!”

¹⁴ But he was unwilling to listen to what she was saying. Since he was stronger than she was, he forced her into having sex with him. ¹⁵ Afterwards, though, Amnon hated her very intensely. As a result, his hatred for her exceeded the love that he had previously for her. So Amnon told her, “Get up! Leave!”

¹⁶ Even so, she tried to tell him, “No! After all, it’s more wrong to send me away than what you just did to me!”

But he was unwilling to listen to her. ¹⁷ So he called out to a young man who was serving him, and told him: “Send this woman away from me and lock the door after her.”

¹⁸ Now she was clothed in a long sleeved, multi-colored ornamental tunic, commonly worn by the king’s virgin daughters. When Amnon’s^[k] servant threw her out and locked the door after her, ¹⁹ Tamar rubbed her head with ashes, tore her tunic that she was wearing, put her hand to her head, and ran off, crying aloud as she went away.

Absalom’s Plans Revenge

²⁰ Later, her brother Absalom asked her, “Has Amnon, that brother of yours, raped^[l] you? Then keep quiet about your half-brother for now, my sister. Stop taking this so personally.”^[m] From that time on, Tamar lived in continuous desolation within her brother Absalom’s house. ²¹ When King David heard all about these developments, he flew into a rage over it. ²² But Absalom never said a word, either good or bad, to Amnon. Nevertheless, he hated Amnon because he had humiliated his sister Tamar.

Absalom’s Men Kill Amnon

²³ Two full years later, Absalom took some men to Baal-hazor near Ephraim to shear his sheep. He^[n] also invited all of the king’s sons to come. ²⁴ Absalom had gone to the king to ask him, “I’ve brought some men to shear the sheep. Won’t you please come and join me, along with your senior staff?”

²⁵ But King David declined,^[o] saying to Absalom, “No, my son, we won’t all go, since that would be too much trouble for you.” Although Absalom begged David, he would not go, even though he did give his blessing.

²⁶ So Absalom responded, “If you aren’t coming, please allow my brother Amnon to accompany us.”

The king asked, “Why should he go with you?”

²⁷ But Absalom kept begging David^[p] until he sent Amnon and all of David’s^[q] sons to accompany Absalom.

²⁸ Then Absalom instructed his young men, “Please keep watching Amnon until he’s drunk. Then I’ll tell you, ‘Attack Amnon!’ As soon as I do, kill him and don’t be afraid! You have your orders, so be strong and brave!” ²⁹ So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as they had been^[r] ordered, but the rest of David’s sons jumped up, mounted their mules, and escaped.

³⁰ While they were still on the road, this rumor came to David: “Absalom has struck down all of the king’s sons and none of them has survived.” ³¹ David arose, ripped his clothes in anguish,^[s] and collapsed to the ground while all of his staff stood by with their own clothes torn.

³² But David’s brother Shimeah’s son Jonadab reported, “Your majesty, don’t assume they’ve killed all of the young men—the king’s sons—only Amnon has died, since that was Absalom’s intention from the day Amnon raped^[t] his sister Tamar. ³³ Now your majesty, don’t be concerned about this rumor that all the king’s sons have died, because only Amnon is dead.”

³⁴ Meanwhile, Absalom had run away. While the young man standing watch was looking around, all of a sudden he observed many people coming down the road behind and to the west of the mountain! So the watchman left his post and reported, “I have seen men coming from the direction of Horonaim.”^[u]

³⁵ Jonadab told the king, “Look! Here come the king’s sons. This thing has turned out just like your servant reported.” ³⁶ Just as he finished his comments, the king’s sons arrived, crying loudly. At this, with tears overflowing, the king and his entire staff wept bitterly.

³⁷ Absalom continued to flee, eventually going to Ammihud’s son King Talmai of Geshur, while King David continued to mourn for his son every day. ³⁸ After fleeing to Geshur, Absalom remained there for three years. ³⁹ Meanwhile, King David longed to visit Absalom, since he was moved to compassion over Amnon’s death.

Joab’s Plan Regarding Absalom

14 Meanwhile, Zeruiah’s son Joab knew that the king’s attention was focused on Absalom,^{[v] 2} so he^[w] sent messengers^[x] to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. He told her, “Please play the role of a mourner, wear the clothes of a mourner, and refrain from using makeup.^[y] Act like a woman who’s been in mourning for the dead for many days. ³ Then go to the king and speak to him like this…” Then Joab told her what to say.

⁴ When the woman from Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground, prostrating herself to address him, “Help, your majesty!”

⁵ The king asked her, “What’s your problem?”^[z]

“I’ve been a widowed woman^[aa] ever since my husband died,” she answered. ⁶ “Your humble servant used to have two sons, but they got into a fight out in the field. Because there was no one to keep them apart, one of them attacked the other and killed him. ⁷ Now please pay attention closely! My^[ab] whole family is attacking your humble servant! They’re saying, ‘Turn over the one who attacked his brother and we’ll put him to death in retribution for his brother, whose life he took. That way, we’ll kill the heir also!’ They’re going to extinguish the only light^[ac] left in my family, leaving my late husband neither an ongoing name nor a survivor on the face of the earth!”

⁸ Then the king replied to the woman, “Go home and I’ll issue a special order just for you.”

⁹ But the woman from Tekoa told the king, “Your majesty, let any guilt for this be on me and on my ancestors’ household, and not on my king or his throne!”

¹⁰ The king replied, “Bring anyone who talks to you about this to me, and he certainly won’t be bothering^[ad] you anymore!”

¹¹ Then she said, “Your majesty, please remember the Lord your God, so that blood avengers don’t do any more damage! Otherwise, they’ll destroy my son!”

So he promised, “As the Lord lives, not even a single hair from your son’s head^[ae] will fall to the ground!”

¹² At this, the woman responded, “Would your majesty the king please allow your humble servant to say one more thing?”

“Say it…”^[af] he replied.

¹³ “Why, then,” the woman asked, “are you planning to act just like this against God’s people? Based on what your majesty has said, you’re acting like one who is guilty himself, because you’re not bringing back the one whom you’ve banished! ¹⁴ After all, even though we all die,^[ag] and we’re^[ah] all like water being spilled on the ground that cannot be recovered, nevertheless God doesn’t take away life, but carries out his plans so as not to cast away permanently from him those who are presently estranged.^[ai]

¹⁵ “Now as to why I’ve come to speak with your majesty the king, it’s because the people have made me afraid, so your humble servant told herself,^[aj] ‘I’ll go speak to the king, so perhaps the king will do what his humble servant has requested. ¹⁶ Perhaps the king will listen and deliver his humble servant from the oppression^[ak] of the man who intends to eliminate both me and my son from what God has apportioned to us!’^[al]

¹⁷ “So your humble servant is saying, ‘Please, your majesty, let what the king has to say be of comfort, because just as the angel of God is, so also is your majesty the king to discern both good and evil. And may the Lord your God remain present with you.’”

¹⁸ In reply, the king asked the woman, “Please don’t conceal anything about which I’m going to be asking you now.”

So the woman replied, “Please, your majesty, let the king speak.”

¹⁹ Then the king asked, “Is Joab behind all of this with you?”^[am]

“As your soul lives, your majesty, the king,” the woman answered, “no one can divert anything left or right from what your majesty the king has spoken! As a matter of fact, it was your servant Joab! He was there, giving me precise orders about everything that your humble servant was to say. Your servant Joab did this, ²⁰ intending to change the outcome of this matter. Nevertheless, your majesty is wise, like the wisdom of the angel of God, to be aware of everything that’s going on throughout the earth.”^[an]

David Authorizes Absalom’s Return

²¹ Then the king addressed Joab, “Look! I’ll do this thing that you’ve requested.^[ao] Go bring back the young man Absalom.”

²² At this, Joab fell on his face to the ground, prostrating himself to bless the king, and then^[ap] said, “Today your servant realizes that he’s found favor with you, your majesty, in that the king has acted on the request of his servant.” ²³ Then Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom back to Jerusalem.

²⁴ Nevertheless, the king said, “Let him return to his own home and not show his face to me.” So Absalom returned to his own home and did not show his face to the king.

David’s Son Absalom

²⁵ Now throughout all of Israel no one was as handsome as Absalom or so highly praised, from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there wasn’t a single thing wrong about him. ²⁶ Whenever he cut his hair —he cut it at the end of every year, because it grew thick on his head,^[aq] which is why he cut it—his hair weighed in at 200 shekels^[ar] measured by the royal standard.^{[as] 27} Absalom fathered three sons and one daughter, whom he named Tamar. She was a beautiful woman, both in form and appearance.

²⁸ Meanwhile, Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two years, but never saw the king’s face. ²⁹ After this, Absalom sent for Joab, intending to send him to the king, but Joab^[at] would not come. Absalom^[au] sent for him a second time, but he still^[av] would not come. ³⁰ So Absalom^[aw] told his servants, “Observe that Joab’s grain field lies next to mine. He has barley planted there. Go set it on fire.” So Absalom’s servants set the field on fire.

³¹ At this, Joab got up, went to Absalom’s home, and demanded of him, “Why did your servants set fire to my grain field?”

³² In answer to Joab, Absalom replied, “Look, I sent for you, telling you ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask him “What’s the point in moving here from Geshur? I would have been better off to have remained there!”’ So let me see the king’s face, and if I’m guilty of anything, let him execute me!”

³³ So when Joab approached the king and told him what Absalom had said,^[ax] he summoned Absalom, who then came to the king and fell to the ground on his face in front of him.^[ay] Then the king kissed Absalom.

Absalom Instigates Civil War

15 Sometime later, Absalom acquired a chariot equipped with horses and recruited^[az] 50 men to accompany^[ba] him.^{[bb] 2} Then he^[bc] would get up early, stand near the passageway to the palace^[bd] gate, and when anyone arrived to file a legal complaint for a hearing before the king, Absalom would call to him and ask, “You’re from what city?” If^[be] he replied, “Your servant is from one of Israel’s tribes,” ³ Absalom would respond, “Look, your claims are valid and defensible, but nobody will listen to you on behalf of the king. ⁴ Who will appoint me to be a judge in the land? When anyone arrived to file a legal complaint or other cause, he could approach me for justice and I would settle it!” ⁵ Furthermore, if a man approached him to bow down in front of him, he would put out his hand, grab him, and embrace him. ⁶ By doing all of this to anyone who came to the king for a hearing, Absalom stole the loyalty^[bf] of the men of Israel.

⁷ And so it was that forty^[bg] years after Israel had demanded a king,^[bh] Absalom asked the king, “Please let me go to Hebron so I can pay my vow that I made to the Lord, ⁸ because when I was living at Geshur in Aram, your servant made this solemn promise:^[bi] ‘If the Lord ever brings me back to Jerusalem, then I will serve the Lord.’”

⁹ The king replied to him, “Go in peace!” So Absalom^[bj] got up and left for Hebron.

¹⁰ But Absalom sent agents throughout all of the tribes of Israel, telling them, “When you hear the sound of the battle trumpet, you’re to announce that Absalom is king in Hebron.” ¹¹ Meanwhile, 200 men left Jerusalem with Absalom. They had been invited to go along, but were innocent, not knowing anything about what was happening.^{[bk] 12} Absalom also sent for Ahithophel^[bl] the Gilonite, David’s counselor, to come^[bm] from his home town of Giloh while Absalom^[bn] was presenting the sacrificial offerings. And so the conspiracy widened, because the common people increasingly sided with Absalom.

David Flees from Jerusalem

¹³ Then a messenger arrived to inform David, “The loyalties of the men^[bo] of Israel have shifted to^[bp] Absalom.”

¹⁴ So David told all of his staff who were with him in Jerusalem, “Let’s get up and get out of here! Otherwise, none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry, or he’ll overtake us quickly, bring disaster on all of us, and execute the inhabitants of the city!”

¹⁵ “Look!” the king’s staff replied. “Your servants will do whatever the king chooses.” ¹⁶ So the king left, taking his entire household with him except for ten mistresses,^[bq] who were to keep the palace in order. ¹⁷ The king left, along with all of his people with him, and they paused at the last house. ¹⁸ All of his staff were going on ahead of^[br] him—that is, all of the special forces^[bs] and mercenaries,^[bt] all of the Gittites, and 600 men who had come to serve^[bu] him from Gath, went on ahead of the king.

¹⁹ Then the king suggested to Ittai the Gittite, “Why should you have to go with us? Return and stay with the new^[bv] king, since you’re a foreigner and exile. Stay where you want to stay.^{[bw] 20} It seems only yesterday that you arrived, so should I make you wander around with us while I go wherever I can? Go back, and take your brothers with you. May gracious love and truth accompany you!”

²¹ “As the Lord lives,” Ittai answered in reply, “and as your majesty the king lives, wherever your majesty my king may be—whether living or dying—that’s where your servant will be!”

²² So David replied, “Come along, then!” So Ittai the Gittite went along also, accompanied by all of his men and all of his little ones. ²³ With all of the people in^[bx] the territory crying loudly, everybody passed over the Kidron brook, along with the king. Then everyone headed out toward the road that leads to the wilderness.

²⁴ Meanwhile, Zadok showed up also, along with all of the descendants of Levi with him, carrying the Ark of the Covenant of God. They set down the Ark of God and Abiathar approached while all the people finished abandoning the city. ²⁵ The king told Zadok, “Take the Ark of God back to the city. If I’m shown favor in the Lord’s sight, then he’ll bring me back again and show me both it and the place where it rests.^{[by] 26} But if he should say something like ‘I’m not pleased with you,’ well then, here I am—let him do to me whatever seems right to him.”

²⁷ The king also asked Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer, too? Go back to the city in comfort, along with your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan. ²⁸ Look! I’ll camp at the wilderness fords until you send word to inform me.”

²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar returned the Ark of God to Jerusalem and remained there. ³⁰ David then left, going up the Mount of Olives,^[bz] crying as he went, with his head covered and his feet bare. All of the people who were with him covered their own heads and climbed up the Mount of Olives,^[ca] crying as they went along.

³¹ Just then, someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of Absalom’s conspirators!”

So David prayed, “Lord, please turn Ahithophel’s counsel into foolishness.”

Hushai Serves as a Spy

³² Just as David was coming to the top of the Mount of Olives where God was being worshipped, there was Hushai the Archite to meet him, with his coat ripped and dust all over his head! ³³ David greeted him, “If you come along with me, you’ll be a burden to me. ³⁴ So go back to the city and tell Absalom, ‘I’ll be your servant, your majesty! Just as I served your father in the past, I can be your servant now.’ That way you can manipulate Ahithophel’s advice to my benefit. ³⁵ Won’t Zadok and Abiathar the priests be there with you? So whatever you hear from the king’s palace, you’re to report to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Their two sons—Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan—are with them there. You’ll be sending me everything that you hear through them.” ³⁷ So David’s friend Hushai went back to the city just as Absalom was arriving in Jerusalem.

David’s Experience with His Adversaries

16 Now just as David happened to have passed the summit of the Mount of Olives,^[cb] suddenly Mephibosheth’s servant Ziba met him, accompanied by a couple of saddled donkeys loaded with 200 loaves of bread, 100 clusters of raisins, 100 pieces of summer fruit, and a skin of wine! ² The king asked Ziba, “What are those for?”

Ziba replied, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride, the bread and summer fruit are for your young men to eat, and the wine is for whoever wants to drink if they get weary in the wilderness.”

³ Then the king asked, “Where is your master’s son?”

“He’s staying in Jerusalem!” Ziba answered the king. “He’s saying ‘The nation^[cc] of Israel will restore my father’s kingdom to me today!’”

⁴ So the king told Ziba, “Pay attention! Everything that belongs to Mephibosheth is now yours!”

In response Ziba said, “I’m submitting to you. Let me find favor in your sight, your majesty the king!”

Shimei Curses David

⁵ Later on, as King David approached Bahurim, Gera’s son Shimei, who was related to the family of Saul’s household, went out to meet David,^[cd] cursing continually as he approached. ⁶ He threw rocks at David and all of David’s staff who were accompanying him, while all the rest of the entourage, including all of David’s security detail, were close by him.^{[ce] 7} “Get out of here!^[cf] Get out!” Shimei yelled as he cursed. “You murderer! You who think you’re above the law!^{[cg] 8} The Lord has repaid you personally for murdering the entire dynasty of Saul, whose place you’ve taken to reign! And the Lord has given the kingdom into your son Absalom’s control. Now look! Your own evil has caught up with you, because you’re guilty of murder!”

⁹ At this point, Zeruiah’s son Abishai asked the king, “Why should this dead dog be cursing your majesty the king? May I have permission to go over and cut off his head?”

¹⁰ But the king responded, “What do I have in common with you sons of Zeruiah? If he continues to curse—and if the Lord has told him, ‘Curse David!’—then who are you to be demanding to know^[ch] ‘Why have you done this?’”

¹¹ So David ordered Abishai and all of his staff: “Look! My own son wants to kill me! How much more now is this descendant of Benjamin? Leave him alone and let him go on cursing, because the Lord has ordered him to do this.^{[ci] 12} Perhaps the Lord will take note of my troubles and return good to me instead of curses today!”

¹³ So David and his entourage went on their way, and Shimei walked along the hillside with him, cursing, throwing rocks, and tossing dirt at David^[cj] as they went along. ¹⁴ Eventually, the king and his entourage arrived exhausted at their destination, and David^[ck] refreshed himself there.

Absalom Captures Jerusalem

¹⁵ Right about then, Absalom and his entourage from the people of Israel entered Jerusalem, accompanied by Ahithophel. ¹⁶ When David’s friend Hushai the Archite approached Absalom, Hushai greeted Absalom, “Long live the king! Long live the king!”

¹⁷ But Absalom asked Hushai, “So this is how you demonstrate your loyalty^[cl] to your closest friends? Why didn’t you leave with your friend?”

¹⁸ Hushai replied, “No! On the contrary, whomever the Lord, this group, and all the men of Israel choose is where I’ll be, and I’ll remain with him! ¹⁹ Besides, who else should I be serving? Why not the son? The same way I served your father, I’ll serve you.”^[cm]

Ahithophel Counsels Absalom

²⁰ So Absalom asked Ahithophel, “What’s your advice? What should we do?”

²¹ Ahithophel responded, “Go inside and have sex with your father’s mistresses^[cn], whom he left to keep the palace in order. Then everyone in Israel will hear how your father has come to hate you and everyone who has joined you will be emboldened to act.” ²² So they erected a tent for Absalom on the palace roof and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s mistresses right in front of all Israel.

Ahithophel Tries to Crush David’s Supporters

²³ Now Ahithophel’s advice that he provided at that time was being compared to one who inquired of God, so highly regarded was Ahithophel’s counsel by both David and Absalom.