Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, November 25th, 2025
the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

2 Samuel 13:12

Tamar said to Amnon, "No, brother! Don't force me to do this. Don't do this shameful thing! Terrible things like this should never be done in Israel!

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Deception;   Lasciviousness;   Rape;   Seduction;   Tamar;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amnon;   Fool;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   David;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   Incest;   Sexuality, Human;   Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Tamar;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Dinah;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Amnon;   Rape;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moses;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Amnon ;   Tamar ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Amnon;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Am'non;   Ta'mar;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fool;   Jehonadab;   Samuel, Books of;   Shammah;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;   Chastity;   Judaism;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“Don’t, my brother!” she cried. “Don’t disgrace me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Don’t commit this outrage!
Hebrew Names Version
She answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Yisra'el. Don't you do this folly.
King James Version
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
Lexham English Bible
Then Tamar said to him, "No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing has not been done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
English Standard Version
She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this outrageous thing.
New Century Version
Tamar said to him, "No, brother! Don't force me! This should never be done in Israel! Don't do this shameful thing!
New English Translation
But she said to him, "No, my brother! Don't humiliate me! This just isn't done in Israel! Don't do this foolish thing!
Amplified Bible
She replied, "No, my brother! Do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!
New American Standard Bible
But she said to him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful sin!
Geneva Bible (1587)
But shee answered him, Nay, my brother, doe not force me: for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: commit not this follie.
Legacy Standard Bible
But she said to him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!
Contemporary English Version
She answered, "No! Please don't force me! This sort of thing isn't done in Israel. It's too disgusting!
Complete Jewish Bible
"No, my brother," she answered him, "don't force me! Things like this aren't done in Isra'el; don't behave so disgracefully!
Darby Translation
And she said to him, No, my brother, do not humble me; for no such thing is done in Israel: do not this infamy.
George Lamsa Translation
And she answered him, No, my brother, do not treat me shamefully; for no such folly ought to be done in Israel;
Good News Translation
"No," she said. "Don't force me to do such a degrading thing! That's awful!
Literal Translation
And she said to him, No, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel. Do not do this foolishness.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Neuertheles she saide: Oh no my brother, force me not: for so do they not in Israel, do not thou soch foly.
American Standard Version
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
Bible in Basic English
And answering him, she said, O my brother, do not put shame on me; it is not right for such a thing to be done in Israel: do not this evil thing.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And she aunswered him: Nay my brother, do not force me, for there hath no such thing ben done in Israel: Do not thou this folly.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And she answered him: 'Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this wanton deed.
King James Version (1611)
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, doe not force me: for no such thing ought to bee done in Israel; doe not thou this folly.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And she said to him, Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it ought not to be so done in Israel; do not this folly.
English Revised Version
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
Berean Standard Bible
"No, my brother!" she cried. "Do not humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And sche answeride to hym, My brother, nyle thou, nyle thou oppresse me, for this is not leueful in Israel; nyle thou do this foli.
Young's Literal Translation
And she saith to him, `Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly.
Update Bible Version
And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: don't do this folly.
Webster's Bible Translation
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
World English Bible
She answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don't you do this folly.
New King James Version
But she answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!
New Living Translation
"No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! Such wicked things aren't done in Israel.
New Life Bible
But she said, "No, my brother. Do not make me. For such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this bad and foolish thing!
New Revised Standard
She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do anything so vile!
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But she said to him - Nay! my brother, do not force me, for it should not be done so in Israel, - do not commit this vileness.
Douay-Rheims Bible
She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly.
Revised Standard Version
She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this wanton folly.
THE MESSAGE
"No, brother!" she said, "Don't hurt me! This kind of thing isn't done in Israel! Don't do this terrible thing! Where could I ever show my face? And you—you'll be out on the street in disgrace. Oh, please! Speak to the king—he'll let you marry me."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But she answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing!

Contextual Overview

1 David had a son named Absalom. Absalom had a very beautiful sister named Tamar. Another one of David's sons, Amnon, was in love with Tamar. 2 She was a virgin. Amnon wanted her very much, but he did not think it was possible for him to have her. He thought about her so much that he made himself sick. 3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah. (Shimeah was David's brother.) Jonadab was a very clever man. 4 He said to Amnon, "You are the king's son. So why do you always look so sad? Tell me what the trouble is!" Amnon told Jonadab, "I love Tamar. But she is the sister of my half-brother Absalom." 5 Jonadab said to Amnon, "Go to bed. Pretend you are sick. Then your father will come to see you. Tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food in front of me. Then I will see it and eat it from her hand.'" 6 So Amnon lay down in bed and pretended to be sick. King David came in to see Amnon. He said to King David, "Please let my sister Tamar come in. Let her make two cakes for me while I watch. Then I can eat from her hands." 7 David sent messengers to Tamar's house. They told her, "Go to your brother Amnon's house and make some food for him." 8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon. He was in bed. Tamar took some dough, pressed it together with her hands, and cooked the cakes. She did this while he watched. 9 Then Tamar took the cakes out of the pan and set them out for him. But he refused to eat. He said to his servants, "Get out of here. Leave me alone!" So all of his servants left the room. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom and feed me by hand." So Tamar took the cakes she had made and went into her brother's bedroom.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

force me: Heb. humble me, Genesis 34:2, Deuteronomy 22:29

no such thing ought: Heb. it ought not so, Leviticus 18:9, Leviticus 18:11, Leviticus 20:17

folly: Genesis 34:7, Judges 19:23, Judges 20:6, Proverbs 5:22, Proverbs 5:23, Proverbs 7:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 20:9 - ought Deuteronomy 22:21 - she hath wrought 2 Samuel 3:33 - as a fool dieth Ecclesiastes 7:25 - know James 3:10 - these

Cross-References

Genesis 13:7
(The Canaanites and the Perizzites were also living in this land at the same time.) The shepherds of Abram and Lot began to argue.
Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, "There should be no arguing between you and me or between your people and my people. We are all brothers.
Genesis 14:12
Lot, the son of Abram's brother, was living in Sodom, and they captured him. They also took everything he owned and left.
Genesis 19:1
That evening the two angels came to the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting near the city gates and saw them. He got up and went to them. He bowed to show respect and said, "Sirs, please come to my house, and I will serve you. There you can wash your feet and stay the night. Then tomorrow you can continue your journey." The angels answered, "No, we will stay the night in the city square."
Genesis 19:25
He destroyed the whole valley—all the cities, the people living in the cities, and all the plants in the valley.
Genesis 19:29
God destroyed the cities in the valley, but he remembered what Abraham had said. So God sent Lot away from those cities before destroying them.
Psalms 26:5
I hate being around evil people. I refuse to join those gangs of crooks.
1 Corinthians 15:33
Don't be fooled: "Bad friends will ruin good habits."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And she answered him, nay, my brother,.... Which carried in it a reason sufficient for her denial, that he was her brother, and she his sister, and therefore should not offer such an indignity to her:

do not force me; which was another forbidding expression, signifying she would never freely yield to his will; and to force her, to defile her against her will, to commit a rape upon her, would be very criminal indeed:

for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; among God's professing people, who were better taught and instructed; and to give into such impure practices would bring a dishonour upon them, and upon the religion they professed; she urges the honour of religion, and the reputation of Israel, and the glory of the God of Israel:

do not thou this folly: as all sin is, especially such an impure and indecent action as this.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Tamar’s words are a verbal quotation from Genesis 34:7. The natural inference is that Tamar knew the passage in Genesis, and wished to profit by the warning that it contained. (Compare also 2 Samuel 13:13.)

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Samuel 13:12. Nay, my brother — There is something exceedingly tender and persuasive in this speech of Tamar; but Amnon was a mere brute, and it was all lost on him.


 
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