Amnon and Tamar

131 And it cometh to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David hath a fair sister, and her name 'is' Tamar, and Amnon son of David loveth her. 2 And Amnon hath distress—even to become sick, because of Tamar his sister, for she 'is' a virgin, and it is hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her. 3 And Amnon hath a friend, and his name 'is' Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab 'is' a very wise man, 4 and saith to him, 'Wherefore 'art' thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, 'Tamar—sister of Absalom my brother—I am loving.' 5 And Jonadab saith to him, 'Lie down on thy couch, and feign thyself sick, and thy father hath come in to see thee, and thou hast said unto him, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come in and give me bread to eat; and she hath made the food before mine eyes so that I see 'it', and have eaten from her hand.' 6 And Amnon lieth down, and feigneth himself sick, and the king cometh in to see him, and Amnon saith unto the king, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come, and she maketh before mine eyes two cakes, and I eat from her hand.' 7 And David sendeth unto Tamar, to the house, saying, 'Go, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and make for him food.' 8 And Tamar goeth to the house of Amnon her brother, and he is lying down, and she taketh the dough, and kneadeth, and maketh cakes before his eyes, and cooketh the cakes, 9 and taketh the frying-pan, and poureth out before him, and he refuseth to eat, and Amnon saith, 'Take ye out every one from me;' and they go out every one from him. 10 And Amnon saith unto Tamar, 'Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from thy hand;' and Tamar taketh the cakes that she hath made, and bringeth in to Amnon her brother, into the inner chamber, 11 and she bringeth nigh unto him to eat, and he layeth hold on her, and saith to her, 'Come, lie with me, my sister.' 12 And she saith to him, 'Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly. 13 And I—whither do I cause my reproach to go? and thou—thou art as one of the fools in Israel; and now, speak, I pray thee, unto the king; for he doth not withhold me from thee.' 14 And he hath not been willing to hearken to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbleth her, and lieth with her. 15 And Amnon hateth her—a very great hatred—that greater 'is' the hatred with which he hath hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon saith to her, 'Rise, go.' 16 And she saith to him, 'Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that thou hast done with me—to send me away;' and he hath not been willing to hearken to her, 17 and calleth his young man, his servant, and saith, 'Send away, I pray thee, this one from me without, and bolt the door after her;' 18 —and upon her 'is' a long coat, for such upper robes do daughters of the king who 'are' virgins put on,—and his servant taketh her out without, and hath bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar taketh ashes for her head, and the long coat that 'is' on her she hath rent, and putteth her hand on her head, and goeth, going on and crying;

Absalom's Revenge and Flight

20 and Absalom her brother saith unto her, 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, keep silent, he 'is' thy brother; set not thy heart to this thing;' and Tamar dwelleth—but desolate—in the house of Absalom her brother.

21 And king David hath heard all these things, and it is very displeasing to him; 22 and Absalom hath not spoken with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom is hating Amnon, because that he humbled Tamar his sister. 23 And it cometh to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom hath shearers in Baal-Hazor, which 'is' with Ephraim, and Absalom calleth for all the sons of the king. 24 And Absalom cometh unto the king, and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath shearers, let the king go, I pray thee, and his servants, with thy servant.' 25 And the king saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray thee, and we are not too heavy on thee;' and he presseth on him, and he hath not been willing to go, and he blesseth him. 26 And Absalom saith, 'If not—let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us;' and the king saith to him, 'Why doth he go with thee?' 27 and Absalom urgeth on him, and he sendeth with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king. 28 And Absalom commandeth his young men, saying, 'See, I pray thee, when the heart of Amnon 'is' glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that ye have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valour.' 29 And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and rise do all the sons of the king, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee.

30 And it cometh to pass—they 'are' in the way—and the report hath come unto David, saying, 'Absalom hath smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one;' 31 and the king riseth, and rendeth his garments, and lieth on the earth, and all his servants are standing by 'with' rent garments. 32 And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answereth and saith, 'Let not my lord say, The whole of the young men, the sons of the king, they have put to death; for Amnon alone 'is' dead, for by the command of Absalom it hath been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister; 33 and now, let not my lord the king lay unto his heart the word, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone 'is' dead.' 34 And Absalom fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill. 35 And Jonadab saith unto the king, 'Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of thy servant, so it hath been.' 36 And it cometh to pass at his finishing to speak, that lo, the sons of the king have come, and they lift up their voice, and weep, and also the king and all his servants have wept—a very great weeping. 37 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and 'David' mourneth for his son all the days. 38 And Absalom hath fled, and goeth to Geshur, and is there three years; 39 and 'the soul of' king David determineth to go out unto Absalom, for he hath been comforted for Amnon, for 'he is' dead.

31 And the war is long between the house of Saul and the house of David, and David is going on and 'is' strong, and the house of Saul are going on and 'are' weak.

David's Sons Born at Hebron

2 And there are born to David sons in Hebron, and his first-born is Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, 3 and his second 'is' Chileab, of Abigail wife of Nabal the Carmelite, and the third 'is' Absalom son of Maacah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, 4 and the fourth 'is' Adonijah son of Haggith, and the fifth 'is' Shephatiah son of Abital, 5 and the sixth 'is' Ithream, of Eglah wife of David; these have been born to David in Hebron.

Abner Plans a League with David

6 And it cometh to pass, in the war being between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner hath been strengthening himself in the house of Saul,

7 and Saul hath a concubine, and her name 'is' Rizpah daughter of Aiah, and 'Ish-Bosheth' saith unto Abner, 'Wherefore hast thou gone in unto the concubine of my father?' 8 And it is displeasing to Abner exceedingly, because of the words of Ish-Bosheth, and he saith, 'The head of a dog 'am' I—that in reference to Judah to-day I do kindness with the house of Saul thy father, unto his brethren, and unto his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David—that thou chargest against me iniquity concerning the woman to-day? 9 thus doth God to Abner, and thus He doth add to him, surely as Jehovah hath sworn to David—surely so I do to him: 10 to cause the kingdom to pass over from the house of Saul, and to raise up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan even unto Beer-Sheba.' 11 And he is not able any more to turn back Abner a word, because of his fearing him. 12 And Abner sendeth messengers unto David for himself, saying, 'Whose 'is' the land?' saying, 'Make thy covenant with me, and lo, my hand 'is' with thee, to bring round unto thee all Israel.' 13 And he saith, 'Good—I make with thee a covenant; only, one thing I am asking of thee, that is, Thou dost not see my face, except thou dost first bring in Michal, daughter of Saul in thy coming into see my face.' 14 And David sendeth messengers unto Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, saying, 'Give up my wife Michal, whom I betrothed to myself with a hundred foreskins of the Philistines.' 15 And Ish-Bosheth sendeth, and taketh her from a man, from Phaltiel son of Laish, 16 and her husband goeth with her, going on and weeping behind her, unto Bahurim, and Abner saith unto him, 'Go, turn back;' and he turneth back. 17 And the word of Abner was with the elders of Israel, saying, 'Heretofore ye have been seeking David for king over you, 18 and now, do 'it', for Jehovah hath spoken of David saying, By the hand of David my servant—to save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies.' 19 And Abner speaketh also in the ears of Benjamin, and Abner goeth also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that 'is' good in the eyes of Israel, and in the eyes of all the house of Benjamin, 20 and Abner cometh in unto David, to Hebron, and with him twenty men, and David maketh for Abner, and for the men who 'are' with him, a banquet. 21 And Abner saith unto David, 'I arise, and go, and gather unto my lord the king the whole of Israel, and they make with thee a covenant, and thou hast reigned over all that thy soul desireth;' and David sendeth away Abner, and he goeth in peace.

Joab Kills Abner

22 And lo, the servants of David, and Joab, have come from the troop, and much spoil have brought with them, and Abner is not with David in Hebron, for he hath sent him away, and he goeth in peace; 23 and Joab and all the host that 'is' with him have come, and they declare to Joab, saying, 'Abner son of Ner hath come unto the king, and he sendeth him away, and he goeth in peace.' 24 And Joab cometh unto the king, and saith, 'What hast thou done? lo, Abner hath come unto thee! why 'is' this—thou hast sent him away, and he is really gone? 25 Thou hast known Abner son of Ner, that to deceive thee he came, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou art doing.' 26 And Joab goeth out from David, and sendeth messengers after Abner, and they bring him back from the well of Sirah, and David knew not. 27 And Abner turneth back to Hebron, and Joab turneth him aside unto the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smiteth him there in the fifth 'rib'—and he dieth—for the blood of Asahel his brother. 28 And David heareth afterwards and saith, 'Acquitted 'am' I, and my kingdom, by Jehovah, unto the age, from the blood of Abner son of Ner; 29 it doth stay on the head of Joab, and on all the house of his father, and there is not cut off from the house of Joab one having an issue, and leprous, and laying hold on a staff, and falling by a sword, and lacking bread.' 30 And Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner because that he put to death Asahel their brother, in Gibeon, in battle. 31 And David saith unto Joab, and unto all the people who 'are' with him, 'Rend your garments, and gird on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner;' and king David is going after the bier. 32 And they bury Abner in Hebron, and the king lifteth up his voice, and weepeth at the grave of Abner, and all the people weep; 33 and the king lamenteth for Abner, and saith:—'As the death of a fool doth Abner die? 34 Thy hands not bound, And thy feet to fetters not brought nigh! As one falling before sons of evil—Thou hast fallen!' and all the people add to weep over him. 35 And all the people come to cause David to eat bread while yet day, and David sweareth, saying, 'Thus doth God to me, and thus He doth add, for—before the going in of the sun, I taste no bread or any other thing.' 36 And all the people have discerned 'it', and it is good in their eyes, as all that the king hath done is good in the eyes of all the people; 37 and all the people know, even all Israel, in that day, that it hath not been from the king—to put to death Abner son of Ner. 38 And the king saith unto his servants, 'Do ye not know that a prince and a great one hath fallen this day in Israel? 39 and I to-day 'am' tender, and an anointed king: and these men, sons of Zeruiah, 'are' too hard for me; Jehovah doth recompense to the doer of the evil according to his evil.'