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¹ And afterward it happened that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, and her name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her.² And Amnon was distressed, even to becoming sick, because of his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and it was hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her.³ And Amnon had a friend, and his name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very shrewd man.⁴ And he said to him, Why are you, the king's son, so lean morning by morning? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.⁵ And Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And your father will come in to see you, and you shall say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Andshe shall make the food before my eyes, sothat I may see and may eat from her hand.⁶ And 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 she shall make two cakes before my eyes, and I shall eat from her hand.⁷ And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and make food for him.⁸ And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. And he was lying down. And she took the dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes before his eyes, and baked the cakes.⁹ And she took the baking pan and poured out before him. But he refused to eat, and Amnon said, Cause every man to go out from me. And every one of them went out from him.¹⁰ And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the inner room, and I shall eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them in to her brother Amnon, into the inner room.¹¹ And she brought near to him to eat. And he lay hold on her, and said to her, Come lie with me, my sister.¹² 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.¹³ And I, where should I cause my disgrace to go? And you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. But now, please speak to the king; for he shall not withhold me from you.¹⁴ But he was not willing to listen to her voice. And he was stronger than she, and humbled her, and lay with her.¹⁵ And Amnon hated her with a very great hatred, 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, Get up and go!¹⁶ And she said to him, No, for this evil is greater than the other that you have done to me, to send me away. But he was not willing to listen to her.¹⁷ And he called his young man who attended him, and said, Now put this one out from me, and bolt the door after her.¹⁸ And a long tunic was on her, for so the virgin daughters of the king usually dressed. And his attendant brought her robes outside, and bolted the door after her.¹⁹ And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long tunic on her, and put her hand on her head, and left; going on and crying out.²⁰ And her brother Absalom said to her, Has your brother Amnon been with you? But now, my sister, keep silent. He is your brother. Do not set your heart on this thing. And Tamar lived in the house of her brother Absalom, but she wasdesolate.

²¹ And King David heard all these things, and it angered him very much.²² But Absalom did not speak either good or evil with Amnon, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar.²³ And after two years it happened that Absalom had shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim. And Absalom called to all the sons of the king.²⁴ And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold, your servant now has shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.²⁵ And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go now, and we shall not be too burdensome on you. But he urged him, and he was not willing to go, but he blessed him.²⁶ And Absalom said, If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said to him, Why should he go with you?²⁷ And Absalom urged him, and he sent Amnon with him, and all the king's sons.²⁸ And Absalom commanded his young men, saying, Now watch when Amnon's heart is glad with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon, you shall kill him. Do not fear. Did not I command you? Be strong, and be valiant.²⁹ And the young men of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom commanded. And all the king's sons rose up, and they each rode on his mule, and fled.

³⁰ And it happened while they were in the highway, even the report had come to David, saying, Absalom has stricken all the sons of the king, and not one of them is left.³¹ And the king rose up and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants were standing by with torn garments.³² And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, Do not let my lord say, They have killed all of the young men, the king's sons; for only Amnon is dead. For it has been settled by Absalom's command from the day of his humblingof his sister Tamar.³³ And now, do not let my lord the king lay the word to heart, saying, All the king's sons have died; for only Amnon has died.³⁴ And Absalom fled. And the young man who was watching lifted up his eyes and looked. And, behold! Many people were coming by the highway behind him, by the side of the hill.³⁵ And Jonadab said to the king, See, the sons of the king have come; as the word of your servant, so it has been.³⁶ And it happened as he finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came. And they lifted up their voice and wept. And also the king and all his servants wept with a very great weeping.³⁷ And Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son all the time.³⁸ And Absalom had fled, and had gone to Geshur, and was there three years.³⁹ And King David determined to go out to Absalom, for he had been comforted for Amnon, for he had died.