1 Aconteceu depois disto que, tendo Absalão, filho de Davi, uma irmã formosa que se chamava Tamar; Amnom, filho de Davi, namorou-se dela.2 Angustiou-se Amnom, de maneira que adoeceu por causa de sua irmã Tamar; porque era virgem, e parecia difícil a Amnom fazer-lhe alguma coisa.3 Tinha porém, Amnom um amigo que se chamava Jonadabe, filho de Siméia, irmão de Davi. Era Jonadabe homem mui sagaz.4 Este lhe perguntou: Por que vais tu emagrecendo de dia para dia, ó filho do rei? não mo dirás? Respondeu-lhe Amnom: Eu amo a Tamar, irmã de meu irmão Absalão.5 Tornou-lhe Jonadabe: Deita-te na tua cama e finge que estás doente; e quando teu pai te vier visitar, dize-lhe: Rogo-te que venha minha irmã Tamar, e me dê de comer, preparando a comida diante dos meus olhos, para que eu veja e coma da sua mão.6 Deitou-se Amnom na cama, e fingiu que estava doente. Tendo vindo o rei visitá-lo, disse-lhe Amnom: Rogo-te que venha minha irmã Tamar, e me faça diante dos meus olhos dois bolos, para que eu coma da sua mão.7 Mandou Davi à casa de Tamar, a dizer-lhe: Vai à casa de teu irmão Amnom, e faze-lhe comida.8 Foi Tamar à casa de seu irmão Amnom; e ele estava deitado. Ela, tomando massa, a amassou, fez bolos diante dele, e os cozeu.9 Tomou a panela, e tirou os bolos à sua vista; mas ele recusou comer. Disse Amnom: Façam retirar todos da minha presença. Todos se retiraram.10 Disse Amnom a Tamar: Traze a comida à câmara, para que eu coma da tua mão. Tomou Tamar os bolos que tinha preparado, e os trouxe à câmara a seu irmão Amnom.11 Quando Tamar lhos havia chegado, para que ele comesse, Amnom pegou dela e disse-lhe: Vem, deita-te comigo, minha irmã.12 Porém ela lhe respondeu: Não, meu irmão, não me faças esta violência, pois não se faz assim em Israel. Não cometas esta loucura.13 Eu, para onde poderia levar o meu opróbrio? e tu passarias em Israel por um louco. Agora fala ao rei, porque ele não me negará a ti.14 Todavia ele não quis dar ouvidos à sua voz; antes sendo mais forte do que ela, forçou-a e deitou-se com ela.15 Amnom sentiu por ela grande aversão, pois maior era a aversão que sentiu por ela do que o amor que lhe votara. Amnom disse-lhe: Levanta-te, vai-te embora.16 Ela lhe respondeu: Não, meu irmão; porque maior é esta injúria, lançando-me fora, do que a outra que me fizeste. Porém ele não a quis ouvir.17 Chamou ao seu servo que lhe assistia, e disse: Deita fora a esta mulher, e fecha bem a porta após ela.18 Ela trazia uma túnica talar com mangas compridas, porque este era o trajo de que usavam as donzelas filhas de rei. O servo de Amnom deitou-a fora, e fechou bem a porta após ela.19 Tamar lançou cinzas sobre a cabeça, rasgou a túnica talar com mangas compridas e, postas as mãos na cabeça, foi-se dali gritando.20 Absalão, seu irmão, disse-lhe: Esteve contigo Amnom, teu irmão? agora, minha irmã, cala-te. É teu irmão; não te angustie o coração por isso. Ficou Tamar, desolada na casa de seu irmão Absalão.21 Quando o rei Davi ouviu todas estas coisas, muito se lhe acendeu a ira.22 Absalão não falou a Amnom nem mal nem bem, porque Absalão aborrecia a Amnom por ter ele violado a Tamar, sua irmã.23 Passados dois anos Absalão fazia a sua tosquia em Baal-Hazor, que está perto de Efraim, e convidou todos os filhos do rei.24 Absalão foi ter com o rei e disse: Eis que agora o teu servo faz a tosquia. Venham o rei e os seus servos com o teu servo.25 Respondeu o rei a Absalão: Não, meu filho, não vamos todos, para não suceder que te sejamos pesados. Absalão instou com ele; todavia ele não quis ir, mas deu-lhe a sua bênção.26 Então disse Absalão: Rogo-te que ao menos venha conosco meu irmão Amnom. Perguntou-lhe o rei: Para que iria ele contigo?27 Instando Absalão com ele, Davi deixou ir com ele Amnom e todos os mais filhos do rei.28 Absalão deu ordem aos seus servos, dizendo: Prestai atenção quando o coração de Amnom estiver alegre do vinho, e eu vos disser: Feri a Amnom, matai-o. Não tenhais medo, não sou eu quem vô-lo ordena? Sede, pois, corajosos, e valentes.29 Os servos de Absalão fizeram a Amnom como Absalão lhes havia ordenado. Todos os filhos do rei se levantaram, cada um na sua mula, e fugiram.30 Indo eles ainda no caminho, chegou a Davi a nova, dizendo: Absalão matou a todos os filhos do rei, e não ficou deles nem um só.31 Levantou-se o rei, e rasgou os seus vestidos, e lançou-se por terra; e todos os seus servos que estavam junto a ele rasgaram os seus vestidos.32 Jonadabe, filho de Siméia, irmão de Davi, tomou a palavra e disse: Não imagine o meu senhor que mataram todos os mancebos, filhos do rei, porque só morreu Amnom; pois assim o tinha resolvido fazer Absalão desde o dia em que Amnom violou a sua irmã Tamar.33 Agora não se lhe meta no coração ao rei meu senhor o pensar que todos os filhos do rei foram mortos; porque só morreu Amnom.34 Fugiu, porém, Absalão. O mancebo que estava de sentinela, levantando os olhos, viu que vinha muita gente pelo caminho ao lado do monte por detrás de si.35 Jonadabe disse ao rei: Eis aí vêm os filhos do rei; conforme a palavra do teu servo, assim sucedeu.36 Logo que ele tinha acabado de falar, chegaram os filhos do rei e, levantando a voz, choraram; o rei e todos os seus servos também choraram muito.37 Absalão, porém, fugiu, e foi a Talmai, filho de Amiur, rei de Gesur. Davi pranteava a seu filho todos os dias.38 Assim Absalão fugiu, e foi a Gesur, e ali esteve três anos.39 A alma do rei ansiava ir ter com Absalão, porque já se tinha consolado acerca de Amnom, visto que era morto.

1 And it came to pass after this, that Amnon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.2 And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.3 Now Amnon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise man:4 And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Amnon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.5 And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.6 So Amnon lay down, and made as if he were sick: and when the king came to visit him, Amnon said to the king: I pray thee let my sister Thamar come, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.7 Then David sent home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Amnon, and make him a mess.8 And Thamar came to the house of Amnon her brother: but he was laid down: and she took meal and tempered it: and dissolving it in his sight she made little messes.9 And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat: and Amnon said: Put out all persons from me. And when they had put all persons out,10 Amnon said to Thamar: Bring the mess into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand. And Thamar took the little messes which she had made, and brought them in to her brother Amnon in the chamber.11 And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come lie with me, my sister.12 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.13 For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel: but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.14 But he would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger overpowered her and lay with her.15 Then Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before, And Amnon said to her: Arise, and get thee gone.16 She answered him: This evil which now thou dost against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before. And he would not hearken to her:17 But calling the servants that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the door after her.18 And she was clothed with along robe: for the king's daughters that were virgins, used such kind of garments. Then his servant thrust her out: and shut the door after her.19 And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.20 And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Amnon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother: and afflict not thy heart for this thing. So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.21 And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Amnon, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn.22 But Absalom spoke not to Amnon neither good nor evil: for Absalom hated Amnon because he had ravished his sister Thamar.23 And it came to pass after two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons:24 And he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy servant's sheep are shorn. Let the king, I pray, with his servants come to his servant.25 And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, do not ask that we should all come, and be chargeable to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him.26 And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother Amnon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with thee.27 But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. And Absalom made a feast as it were the feast of a king.28 And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Amnon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him, fear not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and be valiant men.29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king's sons arose and got up every man upon his mule, and fled.30 And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.31 Then the king rose up, and rent his garments: and fell upon the ground, and all his servants, that stood about him, rent their garments.32 But Jonadab the son of Semmaa David's brother answering, said: Let not my lord the king think that all the king's sons are slain: Amnon only is dead, for he was appointed by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister Thamar.33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king's sons are slain: for Amnon only is dead.34 But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way on the side of the mountain.35 And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king's sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.36 And when he made an end of speaking, the king's sons also appeared: and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very much.37 But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud the king of Gessur. And David mourned for his son every day.38 And Absalom after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years. And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Amnon.