| Berean Study Bible | New International Version |
| 1After some time, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom. | 1In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David. |
| 2Amnon was sick with frustration over his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed implausible for him to do anything to her. | 2Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her. |
| 3Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, | 3Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. |
| 4so he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the son of the king, so depressed morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” | 4He asked Amnon, "Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." |
| 5Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare it in my sight so I may watch her and eat it from her hand.’ ” | 5"Go to bed and pretend to be ill," Jonadab said. "When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.'" |
| 6So Amnon lay down and feigned illness. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.” | 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand." |
| 7Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare a meal for him.” | 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him." |
| 8So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked them. | 8So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. |
| 9Then she brought the pan and set it down before him, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone away!” said Amnon. And everyone went out. | 9Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat. "Send everyone out of here," Amnon said. So everyone left him. |
| 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat it from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon’s bedroom. | 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. |
| 11And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come lie with me, my sister!” | 11But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister." |
| 12“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! | 12"No, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. |
| 13Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” | 13What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." |
| 14But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her. | 14But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her. |
| 15Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!” | 15Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, "Get up and get out!" |
| 16“No,” she replied, “sending me away is worse than this great wrong you have already done to me!” But he refused to listen to her. | 16"No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her. |
| 17Instead, he called to his attendant and said, “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!” | 17He called his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her." |
| 18So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore. | 18So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. |
| 19And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly. | 19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went. |
| 20Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom. | 20Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman. |
| 21When King David heard all this, he was furious. | 21When King David heard all this, he was furious. |
| 22And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar. | 22And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. |
| 23Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king. | 23Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. |
| 24And he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired shearers. Will the king and his servants please come with me?” | 24Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?" |
| 25“No, my son,” the king replied, “we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he was not willing to go, but gave him his blessing. | 25"No, my son," the king replied. "All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing. |
| 26“If not,” said Absalom, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked. | 26Then Absalom said, "If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?" |
| 27But Absalom urged him, so the king sent Amnon and the rest of his sons. | 27But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons. |
| 28Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!” | 28Absalom ordered his men, "Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Haven't I given you this order? Be strong and brave." |
| 29So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule. | 29So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled. |
| 30While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king; not one of them is left!” | 30While they were on their way, the report came to David: "Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left." |
| 31Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. | 31The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn. |
| 32But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the sons of the king, for only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar. | 32But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. |
| 33So now, my lord the king, do not take to heart the report that all the sons of the king are dead. Only Amnon is dead.” | 33My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead." |
| 34Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.” | 34Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, "I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill." |
| 35So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.” | 35Jonadab said to the king, "See, the king's sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said." |
| 36And as he finished speaking, the sons of the king came in, wailing loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly. | 36As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly. |
| 37Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day. | 37Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son. |
| 38After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years. | 38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. |
| 39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon’s death. | 39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death. |
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