Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

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.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her ^[b]exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!”

¹⁶ So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.”

But he would not listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his servant who attended him, and said, “Here! Put this woman out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.” ¹⁸ Now she had on ^(L)a robe of many colors, for the king’s virgin daughters wore such apparel. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

¹⁹ Then Tamar put ^(M)ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and ^(N)laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.

²⁷ Now ^(A)you are the body of Christ, and ^(B)members individually. ²⁸ And ^(C)God has appointed these in the church: first ^(D)apostles, second ^(E)prophets, third teachers, after that ^(F)miracles, then ^(G)gifts of healings, ^(H)helps, ^(I)administrations, varieties of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But ^(J)earnestly desire the ^[a]best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.