2 Samuel 13:24-39 ▼

24 And came to the king, and saide: Beholde, thy seruaunt hath sheepe shearers, I pray thee that the king with his seruauntes come to thy seruaunt.

25 The king aunswered Absalom: Nay my sonne, I pray thee let vs not go all, lest we be chargeable vnto thee. And Absalom laye sore vpon him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him.

26 Then saide Absalom: but I pray thee shall not my brother Amnon go with vs? And the king aunswered him: what needeth it that he go with thee?

27 But Absalom made such instaunce, that he let Amnon & all the kinges children go with him.

28 Now had Absalom commaunded his young men, saying: Marke when Amnons heart is mery with wine, and when I bid you smyte Amnon: then kil him, and feare not: haue not I bidden you? be bolde therfore, & play the men.

29 And the seruauntes of Absalom dyd vnto Amnon euen as Absalom had commaunded: And al the kinges sonnes arose, and euery man gat him vp vpon his mule, and fled.

30 And whyle they were yet in the way, tydinges came to Dauid, saying: Absalom hath slaine all the kinges sonnes, and there is none left alyue.

31 Then the king arose, & tare his garmentes, and lay along on the earth: and all his seruauntes stoode by with their clothes rent.

32 And Ionadab the sonne of Simeach Dauids brother, aunswered, and sayde: Let not my lorde suppose that they haue slaine all the young men of the kings sonnes, but Amnon onely is dead: For that hath ben determined in Absaloms minde, since he forced his sister Thamar.

33 Now therefore, let not my lorde the king take the thing so greeuously, to thinke that all the kinges sonnes are dead, for Amnon onely is dead.

34 But Absalom fled: And ye young man that kept the watch, lyft vp his eyes & loked, and beholde there came much people by the way of the hill syde behinde him.

35 And Ionadab said vnto the king, Beholde, the kinges sonnes come: As thy seruaunt said, so it is.

36 And assoone as he had left speaking, beholde the kinges sonnes came, & lyft vp their voyces, and wept: The king also & all his seruauntes wept exceedingly sore.

37 But Absalom escaped, and went to Thalmai the sonne of Ammihur kyng of Gesur: And Dauid mourned for his sonne euery day.

38 And so Absalom escaped, and went to Gesur, and was there three yeres.

39 And king Dauid desired to go foorth vnto Absalom: For where as Amnon was dead, he was comforted ouer him.