Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Amnon Violates Tamar

13 Now it happened afterwards that ^(A)Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was ^(B)Tamar, and ^(C)Amnon the son of David loved her. ² And Amnon was so distressed because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin. So it was hard in Amnon’s sight to do anything to her. ³ But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of ^[a](D)Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very ^[b]shrewd man. ⁴ And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” ⁵ Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; and your father will come to see you, and you will say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’” ⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and the king came to see him, and Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and ^(E)make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

⁷ Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now 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. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. ⁹ And she took the pan and ^[c]dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “^(F)Have everyone go out from me.” So everyone went out from him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the ^[d]bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon. ¹¹ Then she brought them near to him to eat, but he ^(G)took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” ¹² But she said to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for ^(H)such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this ^(I)disgraceful thing! ¹³ As for me, where could I ^[e]get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. So now, please speak to the king, for ^(J)he will not withhold me from you.” ¹⁴ But he was not willing to listen to her voice. Now he was stronger than she, so he ^(K)violated her and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!” ¹⁶ But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” But he was not willing to listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now cast this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.” ¹⁸ Now she had on ^(L)a ^[f]long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her. ^19 (M)Then Tamar put ^[g]ashes on her head and ^(N)tore her ^[h]long-sleeved garment which was on her; and ^(O)she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

²⁷ Now you are ^(A)Christ’s body, and ^(B)individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has ^[a](C)appointed in ^(D)the church, first ^(E)apostles, second ^(F)prophets, third ^(G)teachers, then ^[b](H)miracles, then ^(I)gifts of healings, helps, ^(J)administrations, various ^(K)kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of ^[c]miracles? ³⁰ Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all ^[d](L)translate? ³¹ But ^[e]you ^(M)earnestly desire the greater gifts.

And I will yet show you a more excellent way.