1 After this Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin; and it was difficult in Amnon’s eyes to do anything to her.

3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

4 And he said to him, Why are you, the king’s son, so low morning after morning? Will you not tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.

5 So Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and make yourself sick. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food before my eyes, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.

6 So Amnon lay down and made himself sick; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me before my eyes, that I may eat from her hand.

7 And David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, Now go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. Then she took flour and kneaded it, made cakes before his eyes, and baked the cakes.

9 And she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have everyone go out from me. And they all went out from him.

10 And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the inner room, that I may eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the inner room.

11 And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister.

12 And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!

13 And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.

14 However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, 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, Arise and go!

16 And she said to him, For what reason? This evil to send me away is worse than the other that you have done to me. But he would not listen to her.

17 Then he summoned his servant who attended him, and said, Send this woman out away from me, and bolt the door behind her.

18 And she had on a tunic of many colors, for the king’s virgin daughters wore such robes. And his servant brought her outside and bolted the door behind her.

19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her tunic of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went away, crying out as she went.

20 And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

21 But when King David heard of all these things, he was extremely furious.

22 And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had humbled his sister Tamar.

23 And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

24 And Absalom came to the king and said, Behold, your servant has sheepshearers; please, let the king and his servants go with your servant.

25 But the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you. And he pressed him, but he would not go, but blessed him.

26 Then 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 But Absalom pressed him; so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Watch now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike Amnon! then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.

29 And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. And all the king’s sons arose, and each one got on his mule and fled.

30 And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that news came to David, saying, Absalom has killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left!

31 So the king arose and tore his garments and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

32 Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for only Amnon has died. For at the mouth of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he humbled his sister Tamar.

33 Now therefore, let not my lord the king take this word to heart, to think that all the king’s sons have died; for only Amnon has died.

34 Then Absalom fled. And the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the way along the hillside behind him.

35 And Jonadab said to the king, Look! The king’s sons have come; according to your servant’s word, so it is.

36 So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that behold the king’s sons came, and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also the king and all his servants wept with a very great weeping.

37 But Absalom had fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

38 So Absalom had fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

39 And King David longed to go to Absalom. For he had been comforted concerning Amnon, because he had died.

1 Depois de algum tempo, Amnom, filho de Davi, apaixonou-se por Tamar; ela era muito bonita e era irmã de Absalão, outro filho de Davi.

2 Amnom ficou angustiado a ponto de adoecer por causa de sua meio-irmã Tamar, pois ela era virgem, e parecia-lhe impossível aproximar-se dela.

3 Amnom tinha um amigo muito astuto chamado Jonadabe, filho de Siméia, irmão de Davi.

4 Ele perguntou a Amnom: "Filho do rei, por que todo dia você está abatido? Quer me contar o que se passa? " Amnom lhe disse: "Estou apaixonado por Tamar, irmã de meu irmão Absalão".

5 Então disse Jonadabe: "Vá para a cama e finja estar doente". "Quando seu pai vier visitá-lo, diga-lhe: Permite que minha irmã Tamar venha dar-me de comer. Gostaria que ela preparasse a comida aqui mesmo e me servisse. Assim poderei vê-la. "

6 Amnom atendeu e deitou-se na cama, fingindo-se doente. Quando o rei foi visitá-lo, Amnom lhe disse: "Eu gostaria que minha irmã Tamar viesse e preparasse dois bolos aqui mesmo e me servisse".

7 Davi mandou dizer a Tamar no palácio: "Vá à casa de seu irmão Amnom e prepare algo para ele comer".

8 Assim, Tamar foi à casa de seu irmão, que estava deitado. Ela amassou a farinha, preparou os bolos na presença dele e os assou.

9 Depois pegou a assadeira e lhe serviu os bolos, mas ele não quis comer. Então Amnom deu ordem para que todos saíssem; depois que todos saíram,

10 Amnom disse a Tamar: "Traga os bolos e sirva-me aqui no meu quarto". Tamar levou os bolos que havia preparado ao quarto de seu irmão.

11 Mas quando ela se aproximou para servi-lo, ele a agarrou e disse: "Deite-se comigo, minha irmã".

12 Mas ela lhe disse: "Não, meu irmão! Não me faça essa violência. Não se faz uma coisa dessas em Israel! Não cometa essa loucura.

13 O que seria de mim? Como eu poderia livrar-me da minha desonra? E o que seria de você? Você cairia em desgraça em Israel. Fale com o rei; ele deixará que eu me case com você".

14 Mas Amnom não quis ouvir e, sendo mais forte que ela, violentou-a.

15 Logo depois Amnom sentiu uma forte aversão por ela, mais forte que a paixão que sentira. E disse a ela: "Levante-se e saia! "

16 Mas ela lhe disse: "Não, meu irmão, mandar-me embora seria pior do que o mal que você já me fez". Ele, porém, não quis ouvi-la,

17 e chamando seu servo, disse-lhe: "Ponha esta mulher para fora daqui e tranque a porta".

18 Então o servo a pôs para fora e trancou a porta. Ela estava vestindo uma túnica longa, pois esse era o tipo de roupa que as filhas virgens do rei usavam desde a puberdade.

19 Tamar pôs cinza na cabeça, rasgou a túnica longa que estava usando e se pôs a caminho, com as mãos sobre a cabeça e chorando em alta voz.

20 Absalão, seu irmão, lhe perguntou: "Seu irmão, Amnom, lhe fez algum mal? Agora, acalme-se, minha irmã; ele é seu irmão! Não se deixe dominar pela angústia". E Tamar, muito triste, ficou na casa de seu irmão Absalão.

21 Ao saber de tudo isso, o rei Davi ficou furioso.

22 E Absalão não falou nada com Amnom, nem bem, nem mal, embora o odiasse por ter violentado sua irmã Tamar.

23 Dois anos depois, quando os tosquiadores de ovelhas de Absalão estavam em Baal-Hazor, perto da fronteira de Efraim, Absalão convidou todos os filhos do rei para se reunirem com ele.

24 Absalão foi ao rei e lhe disse: "Eu, teu servo, estou tosquiando as ovelhas e gostaria que o rei e os seus conselheiros estivessem comigo".

25 Respondeu o rei: "Não, meu filho. Não iremos todos, pois isso seria um peso para você". Embora Absalão insistisse, ele se recusou a ir, mas o abençoou.

26 Então Absalão lhe disse: "Se não queres ir, permite, por favor, que o meu irmão Amnom vá conosco". O rei perguntou: "Mas, por que ele iria com você? "

27 Mas Absalão insistiu tanto que o rei acabou deixando que Amnom e os seus outros filhos fossem com ele.

28 Absalão ordenou aos seus homens: "Ouçam! Quando Amnom estiver embriagado de vinho e eu disser: ‘Matem Amnom! ’, vocês o matarão. Não tenham medo; eu assumo a responsabilidade. Sejam fortes e corajosos! "

29 Assim os homens de Absalão mataram Amnom, obedecendo às suas ordens. Então todos os filhos do rei montaram em suas mulas e fugiram.

30 Estando eles ainda a caminho, chegou a seguinte notícia ao rei: "Absalão matou todos os teus filhos; nenhum deles escapou".

31 O rei levantou-se, rasgou as suas vestes, prostrou-se, e todos os conselheiros que estavam com ele também rasgaram as vestes.

32 Mas, Jonadabe, filho de Siméia, irmão de Davi, disse: "Não pense o meu senhor que mataram todos os teus filhos. Somente Amnom foi morto. Essa era a intenção de Absalão desde o dia em que Amnom violentou Tamar, irmã dele.

33 O rei, meu senhor, não deve acreditar que todos os seus filhos estão mortos. Apenas Amnom morreu".

34 Enquanto isso, Absalão fugiu. Nesse meio tempo o sentinela viu muita gente que vinha pela estrada de Horonaim, descendo pela encosta da colina, e disse ao rei: "Vejo homens vindo pela estrada de Horonaim, na encosta da colina".

35 E Jonadabe disse ao rei: "São os filhos do rei! Aconteceu como o teu servo disse".

36 Acabando de falar, os filhos do rei chegaram, chorando em alta voz. Também o rei e todos os seus conselheiros choraram muito.

37 Absalão fugiu para o território de Talmai, filho de Amiúde, rei de Gesur. E o rei Davi pranteava por seu filho todos os dias.

38 Depois que Absalão fugiu para Gesur, e lá permaneceu três anos,

39 a ira do rei contra Absalão cessou, pois ele se sentia consolado da morte de Amnom.