2 Samuel 13

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Some time later the following incident occurred. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David's son Amnon loved her.	1 Now after these things, it happened that Amnon, the son of David, was in love with the very beautiful sister of Absalom, the son of David, and she was called Tamar.
2 He was in such straits over his sister Tamar that he became sick; since she was a virgin, Amnon thought it impossible to carry out his designs toward her.	2 And he pined for her exceedingly, so much so that, out of love for her, he became ill. For, since she was a virgin, it seemed a difficulty to him that he would do anything dishonest with her.
3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, who was very clever.	3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, the brother of David: a very prudent man.
4 He asked him, "Prince, why are you so dejected morning after morning? Why not tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."	4 And he said to him: “Why are you becoming so thin from day to day, O son of the king? Why won’t you tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”
5 Then Jonadab replied, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to visit you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and encourage me to take food. If she prepares something appetizing in my presence, for me to see, I will eat it from her hand.'"	5 And Jonadab said to him: “Lie down upon your bed, and feign sickness. And when your father will come to visit you, say to him: ‘I ask you to let my sister Tamar come to me, so that she may give me food, and may make a small meal, so that I may eat it from her hand.’ ”
6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to visit him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and prepare some fried cakes before my eyes, that I may take nourishment from her hand."	6 And so, Amnon lay down, and he began to act as if he were ill. And when the king had come to visit him, Amnon said to the king, “I beg you to let my sister Tamar come to me, and make in my sight two little portions of food, so that I take it from her hand.”
7 David then sent home a message to Tamar, "Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some nourishment for him."	7 Therefore, David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Come to the house of your brother Amnon, and make a small meal for him.”
8 Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was in bed. Taking dough and kneading it, she twisted it into cakes before his eyes and fried the cakes.	8 And Tamar went into the house of her brother Amnon. But he was lying down. And taking flour, she mixed it. And dissolving it in his sight, she cooked little portions of food.
9 Then she took the pan and set out the cakes before him. But Amnon would not eat; he said, "Have everyone leave me." When they had all left him,	9 And taking what she had cooked, she poured it out, and she set it before him. But he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send everyone away from me.” And when they had sent everyone away,
10 Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the nourishment into the bedroom, that I may have it from your hand." So Tamar picked up the cakes she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.	10 Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat from your hand.” Therefore, Tamar took the little portions of food that she had made, and she brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.
11 But when she brought them to him to eat, he seized her and said to her, "Come! Lie with me, my sister!"	11 And when she had presented the food to him, he took hold of her, and he said, “Come lie with me, my sister.”
12 But she answered him, "No my brother! Do not shame me! That is an intolerable crime in Israel. Do not commit this insensate deed.	12 She answered him: “Do not do so, my brother! Do not force me. For no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not choose to do this senseless act.
13 Where would I take my shame? And you would be a discredited man in Israel. So please, speak to the king; he will not keep me from you."	13 For I will not be able to bear my shame. And you will be like one of the foolish in Israel. For it is better to speak to the king, and he will not deny me to you.”
14 Not heeding her plea, he overpowered her; he shamed her and had relations with her.	14 But he was not willing to agree to her petition. Instead, prevailing by strength, he forced her, and he lay with her.
15 Then Amnon conceived an intense hatred for her, which far surpassed the love he had had for her. "Get up and leave," he said to her.	15 And Amnon held hatred for her with an exceedingly great hatred, so much so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before. And Amnon said to her, “Rise up, and go away.”
16 She replied, "No, brother, because to drive me out would be far worse than the first injury you have done me." He would not listen to her,	16 And she answered him, “This evil is greater, which you are now doing against me in driving me away, than what you did before.” But he was not willing to listen to her.
17 but called the youth who was his attendant and said, "Put her outside, away from me, and bar the door after her."	17 Instead, calling the servants who were ministering to him, he said, “Cast this woman out from me, and close the door behind her.”
18 Now she had on a long tunic, for that is how maiden princesses dressed in olden days. When his attendant put her out and barred the door after her,	18 Now she was clothed with an ankle-length robe. For the virgin daughters of the king made use of this kind of garment. And so, his servant cast her out, and he closed the door behind her.
19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long tunic in which she was clothed. Then, putting her hands to her head, she went away crying loudly.	19 And she sprinkled ashes upon her head, and she tore her ankle-length robe. And placing her hands upon her head, she went forth, walking and crying out.
20 Her brother Absalom said to her: "Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be still now, my sister; he is your brother. Do not take this affair to heart." But Tamar remained grief-stricken and forlorn in the house of her brother Absalom.	20 Then her brother Absalom said to her: “Has your brother Amnon lain with you? But now, sister, be quiet. For he is your brother. And you should not afflict your heart because of this matter.” And so, Tamar remained, wasting away in the house of her brother Absalom.
21 King David, who got word of the whole affair, became very angry. He did not, however, spark the resentment of his son Amnon, whom he favored because he was his first-born.	21 And when king David had heard about these things, he was deeply grieved. But he was not willing to afflict the spirit of his son Amnon. For he loved him, since he was his firstborn.
22 Absalom, moreover, said nothing at all to Amnon, although he hated him for having shamed his sister Tamar.	22 Yet Absalom did not speak to Amnon, neither good nor evil. For Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.
23 After a period of two years, Absalom had shearers in Baalhazor near Ephraim, and he invited all the princes.	23 Then, after the time of two years, it happened that the sheep of Absalom were being shorn in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim. And Absalom invited all the sons of the king.
24 Absalom went to the king and said: "Your servant is having shearers. Please, your majesty, come with all your retainers to your servant."	24 And he went to the king, and he said to him: “Behold, the sheep of your servant are being shorn. I ask that the king, with his servants, may come to his servant.”
25 But the King said to Absalom, "No, my son, all of us should not go lest we be a burden to you." And though Absalom urged him, he refused to go and began to bid him good-bye.	25 And the king said to Absalom: “Do not, my son, do not choose to ask that we may all come and be a burden to you.” Then, after he urged him, and he had refused to go, he blessed him.
26 Absalom then said, "If you will not come yourself, please let my brother Amnon come to us." The king asked him, "Why should he go to you?"	26 And Absalom said, “If you are not willing to come, I beg you, at least let my brother Amnon come with us.” And the king said to him, “It is not necessary that he go with you.”
27 At Absalom's urging, however, he sent Amnon and all the other princes with him. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for royalty.	27 But Absalom pressed him, and so he sent with him Amnon and all the sons of the king. And Absalom made a feast, like the feast of a king.
28 But he had instructed his servants: "Now watch! When Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you, 'Kill Amnon,' put him to death. Do not be afraid, for it is I who order you to do it. Be resolute and act manfully."	28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, saying: “Observe when Amnon will have become drunk with wine. And when I say to you, ‘Strike and kill him!’ do not be afraid. For it is I who commands you. Be strong and valiant men.”
29 When the servants did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded, all the other princes rose, mounted their mules, and fled.	29 Therefore, the servants of Absalom acted against Amnon, just as Absalom had commanded them. And all the sons of the king rose up, and each one climbed upon his mule and fled.
30 While they were still on the road, a report reached David that Absalom had killed all the princes and that not one of them had survived.	30 And while they were still traveling on the journey, a rumor reached David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king, and there is not one of them remaining.”
31 The king stood up, rent his garments, and then lay on the ground. All his servants standing by him also rent their garments.	31 And so the king rose up, and he tore his garments, and he fell upon the ground. And all his servants, who were standing near him, tore their garments.
32 But Jonadab, son of David's brother Shimeah, spoke up: "Let not my lord think that all the young princes have been killed! Amnon alone is dead, for Absalom was determined on this ever since Amnon shamed his sister Tamar.	32 But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, responding, said: “My lord the king should not consider that all the sons of the king have been slain. Amnon alone is dead. For he was set against by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he raped his sister Tamar.
33 So let not my lord the king put faith in the report that all the princes are dead. Amnon alone is dead."	33 Now therefore, let not my lord the king set this word in his heart, saying, ‘All the sons of the king have been slain.’ For only Amnon is dead.”
34 Meanwhile, Absalom had taken flight. Then the servant on watch looked about and saw a large group coming down the slope from the direction of Bahurim. He came in and reported this, telling the king that he had seen some men coming down the mountainside from the direction of Bahurim.	34 Now Absalom fled. And the young man keeping watch, lifted up his eyes and gazed out. And behold, many people were arriving along a remote road at the side of the mountain.
35 So Jonadab said to the king: "There! The princes have come. It is as your servant said."	35 And Jonadab said to the king: “Behold, the sons of the king are here. In accord with the word of your servant, so it has happened.”
36 No sooner had he finished speaking than the princes came in, weeping aloud. The king, too, and all his servants wept very bitterly.	36 And when he had ceased speaking, the sons of the king also appeared. And entering, they lifted up their voice, and they wept. And the king also, and all his servants, wept with an exceedingly great weeping.
37 But Absalom, who had taken flight, went to Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur,	37 But Absalom, fleeing, went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Then David mourned for his son every day.
38 and stayed in Geshur for three years.	38 Now after he had fled and had arrived in Geshur, Absalom was in that place for three years. And king David ceased to pursue Absalom, because he had been consoled over the passing of Amnon.
39 The king continued during all that time to mourn over his son; but his longing reached out for Absalom as he became reconciled to the death of Amnon.