Beginning
Amnon and Tamar
13 Now David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon loved her. 2 Tamar was a virgin. Amnon did not think he should do anything bad to her. But he wanted her very much. He made himself sick just thinking about her.
3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah. (Shimeah was David’s brother.) Jonadab was a very clever man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Why do you look so sad day after day? You are the king’s son! Tell me what’s wrong!”
Amnon told him, “I love Tamar. But she is the sister of my half-brother Absalom.”
5 Jonadab said to Amnon, “Go to bed. Act as if you are sick. Then your father will come to see you. Tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food in front of me. Then I will see it and eat it from her hand.’”
6 So Amnon lay down in bed and acted as if he were sick. King David came in to see him. Amnon said to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come in. Let her make two of her special cakes for me while I watch. Then I will eat them from her hands.”
7 David sent messengers to Tamar in the palace. They told her, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and make some food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house. He was in bed. Tamar took some dough and pressed it together with her hands. She made some special cakes while Amnon watched. Then she baked them. 9 Next she took the pan and took out the cakes for Amnon. But he refused to eat.
He said to his servants, “All of you, leave me alone!” So all his servants left the room. 10 Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the inner room. Then I’ll eat from your hand.”
Tamar took the cakes she had made. And she brought them to her brother Amnon in the inner room. 11 She went to him so he could eat from her hands. But Amnon grabbed her. He said, “Sister, come and have physical relations with me.”
12 Tamar said to him, “No, brother! Don’t force me! This should never be done in Israel! Don’t do this shameful thing! 13 I could never get rid of my shame! And you will become like the shameful fools in Israel! Please talk with the king. He will let you marry me.”
14 But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was. So he raped her. 15 After that, Amnon hated Tamar. He hated her much more than he had loved her before. Amnon said to her, “Get up and leave!”
16 Tamar said to him, “No! Sending me away would be an even greater evil. That would be worse than what you’ve already done!”
But he refused to listen to her. 17 He called his young servant back in. Amnon said, “Get this girl out of here right now! Lock the door after her.” 18 So his servant led her out of the room. And he bolted the door after her.
Now Tamar was wearing a special robe with long sleeves. The king’s virgin daughters wore this kind of robe. 19 To show how upset she was Tamar took ashes and put them on her head. She tore her special robe. And she put her hand on her head. Then she went away, crying loudly.
20 Absalom, Tamar’s brother, said to her, “Has Amnon, that brother of yours, violated you? He is your brother. So for now, sister, be quiet. Don’t let this upset you so much!” So Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house. She was sad and lonely.
21 When King David heard the news, he was very angry. 22 Absalom did not say a word, good or bad, to Amnon. He hated Amnon for violating his sister Tamar.
Absalom’s Revenge
23 Two years later Absalom had some men come to Baal Hazor, near Ephraim. They were to cut the wool from his sheep. Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come also. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “I have men coming to cut the wool. Please come with your officers and join me.”
25 King David said to Absalom, “No, my son. We won’t all go. It would be too much trouble for you.” Absalom begged David to go. David did not go, but he did give his blessing.
26 Absalom said, “If you don’t want to go, then please let my brother Amnon go with me.”
King David asked Absalom, “Why should he go with you?”
27 Absalom kept begging David. Finally, David let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with Absalom.
28 Then Absalom gave a command to his servants. He said, “Watch Amnon. When he is drunk, I will tell you, ‘Kill Amnon.’ Right then, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I have commanded you! Be strong and brave!” 29 So Absalom’s young men killed Amnon as Absalom commanded. But all of David’s other sons got on their mules and escaped.
30 While the king’s sons were on their way, the news came to David. The message was, “Absalom has killed all of the king’s sons! Not one of them is left alive!” 31 King David tore his clothes and lay on the ground to show his sadness. All his servants standing nearby tore their clothes also.
32 Jonadab was the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab said to David, “Don’t think all the young men, your sons, are killed. No, only Amnon is dead! Absalom planned this because Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 My master and king, don’t think that all of the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead!”
34 In the meantime Absalom had run away.
There was a guard standing on the city wall. He saw many people coming from the other side of the hill. 35 So Jonadab said to King David, “Look, I was right! The king’s sons are coming!”
36 As soon as Jonadab had said this, the king’s sons arrived. They were crying loudly. David and all his servants began crying also. They all cried very much. 37 David cried for his son every day.
But Absalom ran away to Talmai[a] son of Ammihud. Talmai was king of Geshur. 38 After Absalom ran away to Geshur, he stayed there for three years. 39 When King David got over Amnon’s death, he missed Absalom greatly.
Joab Sends a Wise Woman to David
14 Joab son of Zeruiah knew that King David missed Absalom very much. 2 So Joab sent messengers to Tekoa to bring a wise woman from there. Joab said to her, “Please pretend to be very sad for someone. Put on clothes to show your sadness. Don’t put lotion on yourself. Act like a woman who has been crying many days for someone who died. 3 Go to the king. Talk to him using the words that I tell you.” Then Joab told the wise woman what to say.
4 So the woman from Tekoa talked to the king. She bowed facedown on the ground to show respect. She said, “My king, help me!”
5 King David asked her, “What is the matter?”
The woman said, “I am a widow. My husband is dead. 6 I had two sons. They were out in the field fighting. No one was there to stop them. So one son killed the other son. 7 Now all the family group is against me. They said to me, ‘Bring the son who killed his brother. Then we will kill him for killing his brother. That way we will also get rid of the one who would receive what belonged to his father.’ My son is like the last spark of a fire. He is all I have left. If they kill him, my husband’s name and property will be gone from the earth.”
8 Then the king said to the woman, “Go home. I will take care of this for you.”
9 The woman of Tekoa said to him, “Let the blame be on me. My father’s family and I are to blame, my master and king. But you and your throne are innocent.”
10 King David said, “Bring me anyone who says anything bad to you. Then he won’t bother you again.”
11 The woman said, “Please promise in the name of the Lord your God. Then my relative who has the duty of punishing a murderer won’t add to the destruction. And he won’t kill my son.”
David said, “As surely as the Lord lives, no one will hurt your son. Not even one hair from your son’s head will fall to the ground.”
12 The woman said, “Let me say something to you, my master and king.”
The king said, “Speak.”
13 Then the woman said, “Why have you planned this? It is against the people of God. When you say this, you show that you are guilty. You have not brought back your son whom you forced to leave home. 14 We will all die some day. We’re like water spilled on the ground. No one can gather it back. But God doesn’t take away life. Instead, he plans ways that those who have been sent away will not have to stay away from him! 15 My master and king, I came to say this to you because the people have made me afraid! I thought, ‘Let me talk to the king. Maybe he will do what I ask. 16 Maybe he will listen. Perhaps he will save me from the man who wants to kill both me and my son. That man is trying to keep us from getting what God gave us.’
17 “Now I say, ‘May the words of my master the king give me rest. Like an angel of God, you know what is good and what is bad. May the Lord your God be with you!’”
18 Then King David said, “You must answer the question I will ask you.”
The woman said, “My master the king, please ask your question.”
19 The king said, “Did Joab tell you to say all these things?”
The woman answered, “As you live, my master the king, you are right. Your servant Joab did tell me to say these things. 20 Joab did it so you would see things differently. My master, you are wise like an angel of God. You know everything that happens on earth.”
Absalom Returns to Jerusalem
21 The king said to Joab, “Look, I will do what I promised. Now please bring back the young man Absalom.”
22 Joab bowed facedown on the ground. He blessed the king. Then he said, “Today I know you are pleased with me. I know because you have done what I asked.”
23 Then Joab got up and went to Geshur. And he brought Absalom back to Jerusalem. 24 But King David said, “Absalom must go to his own house. He may not come to see me.” So Absalom went to his own house. He did not go to see the king.
25 Now Absalom was greatly praised for his handsome appearance. No man in Israel was as handsome as Absalom. No blemish was on him from his head to his foot. 26 At the end of every year, Absalom would cut the hair on his head. He cut it because it became too heavy. He would weigh it, and it would weigh about five pounds by the royal measure.
27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter. His daughter’s name was Tamar. She was a beautiful woman.
28 So Absalom lived in Jerusalem for two full years without seeing King David. 29 Then Absalom sent for Joab. Absalom wanted to send Joab to the king. But Joab would not come. Absalom sent a message a second time. But Joab still refused to come. 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, “Look, Joab’s field is next to mine. He has barley growing there. Go burn it.” So Absalom’s servants set fire to Joab’s field.
31 Then Joab went to Absalom’s house. Joab said to him, “Why did your servants burn my field?”
32 Absalom said to Joab, “I sent a message to you, asking you to come here. I wanted to send you to the king. I wanted you to ask him why he brought me home from Geshur. It would have been better for me to stay there! Now let me see the king. If I have sinned, he can kill me!”
33 So Joab went to the king and told him Absalom’s words. The king called for Absalom, and Absalom came. He bowed facedown on the ground before the king. And the king kissed him.
Absalom Plans to Take David’s Kingdom
15 After this, Absalom got a chariot and horses for himself. He got 50 men to run before him. 2 Absalom would get up early and stand near the city gate.[b] If anyone had a problem he wanted the king to settle, he would come here. When he came, Absalom would call to the man. Absalom would say, “What city are you from?”
The man would answer, “I’m from one of the tribes of Israel.”
3 Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your claims are right. But the king has no one to listen to you.” 4 Absalom would also say, “I wish someone would make me judge in this land! Then I could help everyone who comes with a problem. I could help him get a fair decision for his problem!”
5 People would come near Absalom to bow to him. When they did, Absalom would reach out his hand and take hold of them. Then he would kiss them. 6 Absalom did that to all the Israelites who came to King David for decisions. In this way, Absalom won the hearts of all Israel.
7 After four years Absalom said to King David, “Please let me go to Hebron. I want to carry out my promise that I made to the Lord. 8 I made it while I was living in Geshur in Aram. I said, ‘If the Lord takes me back to Jerusalem, I will worship him in Hebron.’”
9 The king said, “Go in peace.”
So Absalom went to Hebron. 10 But he sent secret messengers through all the tribes of Israel. They told the people, “When you hear the trumpets, say this: ‘Absalom has become the king at Hebron!’”
11 Absalom had invited 200 men to go with him. So they went from Jerusalem with him. But they didn’t know what he was planning. 12 Ahithophel was one of the people who advised David. He was from the town of Giloh. While Absalom was offering sacrifices, he called Ahithophel to come from his hometown of Giloh. So Absalom’s plans were working very well. More and more people began to support him.
13 A man came in to tell the news to David. The man said, “The Israelites are beginning to follow Absalom.”
14 Then David spoke to all his officers who were with him in Jerusalem. He said, “We must leave quickly! If we don’t, we won’t be able to get away from Absalom. We must hurry before he catches us. He would destroy us and kill the people of Jerusalem.”
15 The king’s officers said to him, “We will do anything you say.”
16 The king set out with everyone in his house. But he left ten slave women to take care of the palace. 17 The king left with all his people following him. They stopped at the last house. 18 All the king’s servants passed by him. All the Kerethites and Pelethites, the king’s bodyguards, passed by him. All those from Gath, the 600 men who had followed him, passed by him.
19 The king spoke to Ittai, a man from Gath. He said, “Why are you also going with us? Turn back and stay with King Absalom. You are a foreigner. This is not your homeland. 20 Only a short time ago you came to join me. Today should I make you go with us to other places? I don’t even know where I’m going. Turn back, and take your brothers with you. May kindness and loyalty be shown to you.”
21 But Ittai said to the king, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you live, I will stay with you. I’ll be with you wherever you are. I’ll be with you whether it means life or death.”
22 David said to Ittai, “Go, march on.” So Ittai from Gath and all his people with their children marched on. 23 All the people cried loudly as everyone passed by. King David also crossed the Kidron Valley. Then all the people went on to the desert. 24 Zadok and all the Levites with him were carrying the Ark of the Covenant with God. They set down the Ark of the Covenant. And Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people had left the city.
25 The king said to Zadok, “Take the Ark of the Covenant of God back into the city. If the Lord is pleased with me, he will bring me back. He will let me see both it and Jerusalem again. 26 But if the Lord says he is not pleased with me, I am ready. He can do what he wants with me.”
27 The king also said to Zadok the priest, “You are a seer. Go back to the city in peace. Take your son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan with you. 28 I will wait near the crossings into the desert until I hear from you.” 29 So Zadok and Abiathar took the Ark of the Covenant of God back to Jerusalem and stayed there.
30 David went up the Mount of Olives crying as he went. He covered his head and went barefoot. All the people with David covered their heads also. And they were crying as they went. 31 Someone told David, “Ahithophel is one of the people with Absalom who made secret plans against you.”
So David prayed, “Lord, please make Ahithophel’s advice foolish.”
32 David came to the top of the mountain. This was where he used to worship God. Hushai the Arkite came to meet him. Hushai’s coat was torn, and there was dirt on his head to show how sad he was. 33 David said to Hushai, “If you go with me, you will be just one more person to take care of. 34 But if you return to the city, you can make Ahithophel’s advice useless. Tell Absalom, ‘I am your servant, my king. In the past I served your father. But now I will serve you.’ 35 The priests Zadok and Abiathar will be with you. You must tell them everything you hear in the king’s palace. 36 Zadok’s son Ahimaaz and Abiathar’s son Jonathan are with them. Send them to tell me everything you hear.” 37 So David’s friend Hushai entered Jerusalem. About that time, Absalom also arrived there.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.