2 Samuel 13 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Some time later, this happened: Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon son of David became obsessed with her.

Amnon was so tormented that he made himself sick over his sister Tamar. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to him to get to her.

Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

He asked him, "Why are you, the king's son, looking so worn down morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon told him, "I'm obsessed with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food right here where I can watch, and let her serve it to me herself.'"

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of heart-shaped cakes right here where I can watch, and let her feed them to me."

David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare some food for him."

So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying in bed. She took dough, kneaded it, made the cakes right in front of him, and baked them.

Then she took the pan and served them to him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, "Everyone get out." So everyone left him.

Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom so you can feed me." So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom.

But when she brought them close for him to eat, he grabbed her and said, "Come to bed with me, my sister."

"No, my brother!" she said to him. "Don't force me! This kind of thing is not done in Israel. Don't do this degrading thing!

Where would I carry my shame? And you — you'd be like the worst kind of fool in Israel. Please, just talk to the king. He won't refuse to give me to you."

But he refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he overpowered her and raped her.

Then Amnon was filled with an intense hatred for her. The hatred he felt for her was even greater than the obsession he'd had for her. He said to her, "Get up. Get out."

She said to him, "No — sending me away is an even greater wrong than what you've already done to me!" But he refused to listen to her.

He called the servant who attended him and said, "Get this woman out of here and bolt the door behind her."

She was wearing a long, ornate robe — that was what the king's virgin daughters wore. So his servant threw her out and bolted the door behind her.

Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and walked away, crying out as she went.

Her brother Absalom said to her, "Has your brother Amnon been with you? For now, keep quiet about it, my sister. He's your brother. Don't let this destroy you." So Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, desolate.

When King David heard about all of this, he was furious.

Absalom didn't say a word to Amnon, good or bad. But Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Two full years later, Absalom had his sheepshearers at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

Absalom went to the king and said, "Your servant has sheepshearers. Would the king and his officials please come join us?"

"No, my son," the king replied. "We shouldn't all go — it would be too much of a burden on you." Absalom pressed him, but he wouldn't go, though he did give him his blessing to proceed.

Then Absalom said, "If you won't come, at least let my brother Amnon come with us." The king asked him, "Why should he go with you?"

But Absalom kept pressing him, so David finally sent Amnon and all the other king's sons with him.

Absalom ordered his men, "Watch carefully. When Amnon is good and drunk, I'll give you the signal. Then kill him. Don't be afraid — I'm the one giving the order. Be strong and show some courage."

So Absalom's men did to Amnon exactly what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons jumped up, each one got on his mule, and they fled.

While they were still on the road, the report reached David: "Absalom has killed all the king's sons! Not one of them is left alive!"

The king stood up, tore his clothes, and threw himself on the ground. All his officials standing nearby tore their clothes too.

But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, spoke up: "My lord should not think they've killed all the young princes. Only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's set plan ever since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar."

So my lord the king should not take this to heart, thinking all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.

Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. The young man on lookout duty raised his eyes and saw a large group of people coming down the road from the west, along the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, "I see men coming down the Horonaim road along the hillside."

Jonadab said to the king, "See? The king's sons are coming. It's just as I said."

Just as he finished speaking, the king's sons arrived, weeping loudly. The king and all his officials also burst into bitter tears.

Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day.

After Absalom fled to Geshur, he stayed there three years.

And King David longed to go to Absalom, because he had come to terms with Amnon's death.