Chronological

13 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom Ben Dovid had an achot yafeh (beautiful sister), whose shem was Tamar; and Amnon Ben Dovid loved her.

² And Amnon was so distressed, that he fell ill for his achot Tamar; for she was betulah; but Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her.

³ But Amnon had a re’a, shmo Yonadav Ben Shime’ah Achi Dovid; and Yonadav was an ish chacham (shrewd man).

⁴ And he said unto him, Why art thou, being Ben HaMelech, becoming dal (weak, wretched) from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, Ani ohev (I love) Tamar achot Avshalom achi.

⁵ And Yonadav said unto him, Lay thee down on thy mishkav, and make thyself sick; and when avicha cometh to see thee, say unto him, now, let my achot Tamar come, and cause me to eat lechem, and prepare the briyah (food) in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her yad.

⁶ So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick; and when HaMelech was come to see him, Amnon said unto HaMelech, Now, let Tamar my achot come, and make me a couple of [heart-shaped] cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her yad.

⁷ Then Dovid sent to Tamar to the palace, saying, Go now to the bais of thy brother Amnon, and prepare for him briyah (food).

⁸ So Tamar went to the bais of her brother Amnon; and he was lying down. And she took batzek (dough), and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the [heartshaped] cakes.

⁹ And she took a masret (pan), and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have kol ish go out from me. And they went out kol ish from him.

¹⁰ And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the briyah into the cheder ([bed] room), that I may eat from thine yad. And Tamar took the [heart-shaped] cakes which she had prepared, and brought them into the bedroom to Amnon her brother.

¹¹ And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my achot.

¹² And she answered him, No, achi, do not violate me; for no such thing ought to be done in Yisroel; do not thou this nevalah (foul deed, shameful thing).

¹³ And I, to where shall I cause my cherpah (shame, disgrace) to go? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the nevalim (wicked fools) in Yisroel. Now therefore, speak unto HaMelech; for he will not withhold me from thee.

¹⁴ Howbeit he would not pay heed unto her voice; but, being stronger than she, violated her and raped her, and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the sinah (hatred) wherewith he hated her was gedolah me’od than the ahavah wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Get up, get out.

¹⁶ And she said unto him, No, do not this ra’ah in sending me away which is gedolah than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not pay heed unto her.

¹⁷ Then he called his na’ar that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this outside from me, and bolt the delet after her.

¹⁸ She had a kesones of various colors upon her; for with such were the banot HaMelech that were betulot apparelled. Then his mesharet (servant) brought her outside, and bolted the delet after her.

¹⁹ And Tamar put efer (ash) on her rosh (head) and made the kri’ah (tearing, rending) on her kesones of various colors that was on her, and laid her yad on her rosh, and went on weeping as she went.

²⁰ And Avshalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? But hold now thy peace, my achot; he is thy brother; this thing take not to heart. So Tamar remained shomemah (desolate) in the bais of her brother Avshalom.

²¹ But when Dovid HaMelech heard of all these things, he was very angry.

²² And Avshalom spoke unto his brother Amnon not a davar neither rah nor tov; for Avshalom hated Amnon, because he had violated and raped his achot Tamar.

²³ And it came to pass after two full shanim, that Avshalom had gozezim (sheepshearers) in Baal-Chazor, which is in Ephrayim; and Avshalom invited all the Bnei HaMelech.

²⁴ And Avshalom came to HaMelech, and said, Hinei now, thy eved hath gozezim; let HaMelech, now, and his avadim go with thy eved.

²⁵ And HaMelech said to Avshalom, No, beni (my son), let us not all now go, lest we be a burden unto thee. And he urged him; howbeit he would not go, but put a bracha on him.

²⁶ Then said Avshalom, If not, now, let achi Amnon go with us. And HaMelech said unto him, Why should he go with thee?

²⁷ But Avshalom urged him, that he let Amnon and kol Bnei HaMelech go with him.

²⁸ Now Avshalom had commanded his avadim, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s lev is high with yayin, and when I say unto you, Strike Amnon; then kill him, fear not; have not I commanded you? Be chazak (courageous), and be bnei chayil.

²⁹ And the na’arei Avshalom did unto Amnon as Avshalom had commanded. Then all the Bnei HaMelech arose, and every man mounted him up upon his pered (mule), and fled.

³⁰ And it came to pass, while they were baderech (on the way), that report came to Dovid, saying, Avshalom hath slain all the Bnei HaMelech, and there is not one of them left.

³¹ Then HaMelech arose, and made the kri’ah on his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his avadim stood by with their clothes torn.

³² And Yonadav Ben Shime’ah achi Dovid, answered and said, Let not adoni suppose that they have slain all the young men, the Bnei HaMelech; for Amnon only is dead; for by the command of Avshalom this hath been determined from the day that he violated and raped Tamar his achot.

³³ Now therefore let not adoni HaMelech take the thing to his lev, to think that all the Bnei HaMelech are dead; for Amnon only is dead.

³⁴ But Avshalom fled. And the na’ar tzofeh (watchman) lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, hinei, there came am rav (much people) by the derech of the hillside behind him.

³⁵ And Yonadav said unto HaMelech, Hinei, the Bnei HaMelech come; as the davar avdecha (word of thy servant), so it is.

³⁶ And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, hinei, the Bnei HaMelech came, and lifted up their voice and wailed; and HaMelech also and all his avadim wept gadol me’od.

³⁷ But Avshalom fled, and went to Talmai Ben Ammichud Melech Geshur. And Dovid mourned for bno kol hayamim.

³⁸ So Avshalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there shalosh shanim.

³⁹ And the nefesh of Dovid HaMelech longed to go forth unto Avshalom; for he was consoled concerning Amnon that died.

14 Now Yoav Ben Tzeruyah perceived that the lev HaMelech was toward Avshalom.

² And Yoav sent to Tekoah, and brought from there an isha chachamah, and said unto her, now, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with shemen, but be as an isha that had a long time mourned for the dead;

³ And come to HaMelech, and speak on this manner unto him. So Yoav put the devarim in her peh (mouth).

⁴ And when the isha of Tekoah spoke to HaMelech, she fell on her face to the ground, and prostrated herself, and said, Hoshi’ah (help), O Melech.

⁵ And HaMelech said unto her, What troubleth thee? She answered, I am indeed an almanah, and mine ish is dead.

⁶ And thy shifchah had two banim, and they two fought together in the sadeh, and there was none to separate them, but the one struck the other, and killed him.

⁷ And, hinei, kol hamishpakhah is risen against thine shifchah (handmaid), and they said, Deliver him that struck his brother, that we may kill him, for the nefesh of his brother whom he killed; and we will destroy the yoresh (heir) also; and so they shall quench my burning coal remaining, and shall not leave to my ish shem nor she’erit upon ha’adamah.

⁸ And HaMelech said to the isha, Go to thine bais; I will give charge concerning thee.

⁹ And the isha of Tekoah said unto HaMelech, Adoni, O Melech, the avon (guilt) be on me, and on my bais avi; and HaMelech and his kisse be guiltless.

¹⁰ And HaMelech said, Whoever saith anything unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more.

¹¹ Then said she, Now, let HaMelech remember Hashem Eloheicha, that thou wouldest not suffer the Go’el HaDahm to destroy any more, lest they destroy beni (my son). And he said, As Hashem liveth, there shall not one hair of thy ben fall to the ground.

¹² Then the isha said, Let thine shifchah, now, speak one word unto adoni Ha-Melech. And he said, Say on.

¹³ And the isha said, why then hast thou thought such a thing against the Am Elohim? For HaMelech doth speak this thing as one which is guilty, in that HaMelech doth not bring back home again his banished.

¹⁴ For we must needs die, are as mayim spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; yet Elohim doth not take away nefesh; but devises means, so that His banished be not expelled from Him.

¹⁵ Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto adoni HaMelech, it is because the people have made me afraid; and thy shifchah thought, I will now speak unto HaMelech; it may be that HaMelech will perform the request of his amah (servant).

¹⁶ For HaMelech will hear, to deliver his amah (servant) out of the palm of the ish that would destroy me and beni (my son) together out of the nachalat Elohim.

¹⁷ Then thine shifchah said, The devar adoni HaMelech shall now be as menuchah (rest, comfort); for as a malach HaElohim, so is adoni HaMelech to discern the tov and the rah; therefore Hashem Eloheicha will be with thee.

¹⁸ Then HaMelech answered and said unto the isha, Hide not from me, now, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the isha said, Let adoni HaMelech now speak.

¹⁹ And HaMelech said, Is not the yad Yoav with thee in all this? And the isha answered and said, As thy nefesh liveth, adoni HaMelech, none can turn to the right or to the left from anything that adoni HaMelech hath spoken; for thy eved Yoav, he instructed me, and he put all these devarim in the peh (mouth) of thine shifchah (handmaid);

²⁰ To bring about this matter for discussion hath thy eved Yoav done this thing; and adoni is chacham, according to the chochmat malach HaElohim, to know all things that are in ha’aretz.

²¹ And HaMelech said unto Yoav, Hinei now, I have granted this thing; go therefore, bring the na’ar Avshalom back!

²² And Yoav fell to the ground on his face, and prostrated himself, and put a bracha on HaMelech; and Yoav said, Today thy eved knoweth that I have found chen in thy sight, adoni, O Melech, in that HaMelech hath fulfilled the request of his eved.

²³ So Yoav arose and went to Geshur, and brought Avshalom to Yerushalayim.

²⁴ And HaMelech said, Let him turn to his own bais, and let him not see my face. So Avshalom returned to his own bais, and saw not the face of HaMelech.

²⁵ But in kol Yisroel there was none ish yafeh to be so much praised as Avshalom; from the sole of his regel even to the crown of his head there was no mum (blemish) in him.

²⁶ And when he cut the hair of his rosh, (for it was from time to time that he cut it; because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he cut it); he weighed the se’ar (hair) of his rosh at two hundred shekels after the royal standard.

²⁷ And unto Avshalom there were born three banim, and one bat, whose shem was Tamar; she was an isha of a fair countenance.

²⁸ So Avshalom dwelt two full shanim in Yerushalayim, and saw not the face of HaMelech.

²⁹ Therefore Avshalom sent for Yoav, to have sent him to HaMelech; but he would not come to him; and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

³⁰ Therefore he said unto his avadim, See, the allotted land of Yoav is near mine, and he hath se’orim (barley) there; go and kindle it with eish. And the avadim of Avshelom set eish to the allotted land.

³¹ Then Yoav arose, and came to Avshalom unto his bais, and said unto him, Why have thy avadim set eish to my allotted land?

³² And Avshalom answered Yoav, Hinei, I sent unto thee, saying, Come here, that I may send thee to HaMelech, to say, why am I come from Geshur? It had been tov (better) for me to have been there still; now therefore let me see the face of HaMelech; and if there be any avon (iniquity) in me, let him kill me.

³³ So Yoav came to HaMelech, and told him; and when he had called for Avshalom, he came to HaMelech, and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before HaMelech; and HaMelech kissed Avshalom.

15 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom prepared him merkavah and susim, and fifty ish to run before him.

² And Avshalom rose up early, and stood beside the derech hasha’ar; and it was so, that when any ish that had a riv (lawsuit, complaint) came to HaMelech for mishpat, then Avshalom called unto him, and said, Of what town art thou? And he said, Thy eved is of one of the Shivtei Yisroel.

³ And Avshalom said unto him, See, thy case is tovim and right; but there is no man deputy of HaMelech to hear thee.

⁴ Avshalom said moreover, Oh that I were made Shofet in the land, that every ish which hath any riv or mishpat might come unto me, and I would bring him justice!

⁵ And it was so, that when any ish came near to him to prostrate himself before him, he put forth his yad, and took him, and kissed him.

⁶ And on this manner did Avshalom to kol Yisroel that came to HaMelech for mishpat; so Avshalom stole the lev anshei Yisroel.

⁷ And it came to pass after arba’im shanah, that Avshalom said unto HaMelech, Now let me go and fulfill my neder, which I have vowed unto Hashem, in Chevron.

⁸ For thy eved vowed a neder (vow) while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If Hashem shall bring me again indeed to Yerushalayim, then I will serve Hashem.

⁹ And HaMelech said unto him, Go in shalom. So he arose, and went to Chevron.

¹⁰ But Avshalom sent secret messengers throughout kol Shivtei Yisroel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the shofar, then ye shall say, Avshalom reigneth in Chevron.

¹¹ And with Avshalom went two hundred ish out of Yerushalayim, that were invited; and they went innocently, and they had da’as of not anything.

¹² And Avshalom sent for Achitophel the Giloni, Dovid’s yo’etz (counsellor), from his town, even from Giloh, while he offered zivakhim. And the kesher (conspiracy) was strong; for the people increased continually with Avshalom.

¹³ And there came a maggid to Dovid, saying, Lev Ish Yisroel are with Avshalom.

¹⁴ And Dovid said unto all his avadim that were with him at Yerushalayim, Arise, and let us flee; or else we shall not escape from Avshalom; make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring ra’ah (disaster) upon us, and strike the Ir with the edge of the cherev.

¹⁵ And the avadim of HaMelech said unto HaMelech, Hinei, thy avadim are ready to do whatsoever adoni HaMelech commands.

¹⁶ And HaMelech went forth, and all his Bais after him. And HaMelech left ten nashim, which were pilagshim (concubines), to be shomer over the Bais (palace).

¹⁷ And HaMelech went forth, and kol haAm after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

¹⁸ And all his avadim passed on by his yad; and all the Kereti, and all the Peleti, and all the Gittim, six hundred men which came after him from Gat, passed on before HaMelech.

¹⁹ Then said HaMelech to Ittai the Gitti, Why goest thou also with us? Return to thy place, and abide with HaMelech; for thou art a nokhri (foreigner), and also an exile.

²⁰ Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee wander about with us? Seeing I go to where I may, shuv (return thou), and take back thy brethren; chesed and emes be with thee.

²¹ And Ittai answered HaMelech, and said, As Hashem liveth, and as adoni HaMelech liveth, surely in what makom adoni HaMelech shall be, whether in mavet or chayyim, even there also will thy eved be [Ruth 1:17].

²² And Dovid said to Ittai, Go and pass over. And Ittai the Gitti passed over, and all his anashim, and all the little ones that were with him.

²³ And kol ha’aretz wept with a kol gadol (loud voice), and kol haAm crossed over; HaMelech also himself crossed over the brook Kidron, and kol haAm crossed over, toward the derech of the midbar.

²⁴ And hinei Tzadok also, and all the Levi’im were with him, bearing the Aron Brit HaElohim; and they set down the Aron HaElohim; and Evyatar (Abiathar) went up, until kol HaAm had done passing out of the Ir.

²⁵ And HaMelech said unto Tzadok, Carry back the Aron HaElohim into the Ir; if I shall find chen (grace) in the eyes of Hashem, He will bring me again, and show me both Him, and His habitation;

²⁶ But if He thus say, I have no delight in thee; hinei, here am I, let Him do to me as seemeth tov unto Him.

²⁷ HaMelech said also unto Tzadok HaKohen, Art not thou the Ro’eh (seer)? Return into the Ir in shalom, and your two banim with you, Achima’atz binecha, and Yonatan Ben Evyatar (Abiathar).

²⁸ See, I will tarry in the fords of the wilderness, until there come davar from you to inform me.

²⁹ Tzadok therefore and Evyatar (Abiathar) carried the Aron HaElohim back to Yerushalayim; and they tarried there.

³⁰ And Dovid went up by the ascent of Ma’aleh HaZeitim (Mount of Olives), and wept as he went up, and had his rosh covered, and he went barefoot; and kol haAm with him covered every ish his rosh, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

³¹ And one told Dovid, saying, Achitophel is among the conspirators with Avshalom. And Dovid said, Hashem, turn now the etza (counsel) of Achitophel into foolishness.

³² And it came to pass, that when Dovid was come to the top of the mount, where he worshiped Elohim, hinei, Chushai the Arki came to meet him with his kesones torn, and adamah upon his rosh;

³³ Unto whom Dovid said, If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a massa (burden) unto me;

³⁴ But if thou return to the Ir, and say unto Avshalom, I will be thy eved, O melech; as I have been eved avicha hitherto, so will I now also be thy eved; then mayest thou for me bring to nought the etza (counsel) of Achitophel.

³⁵ And hast thou not there with thee Tzadok and Evyatar (Abiathar) the kohanim? Therefore it shall be, that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the Bais HaMelech, thou shalt tell it to Tzadok and Evyatar (Abiathar) the kohanim.

³⁶ Hinei, they have there with them their two banim, Achima’atz son of Tzadok, and Yonatan of Evyatar; by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye can hear.

³⁷ So Chushai the re’eh Dovid came into the Ir, and Avshalom came into Yerushalayim.