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 Amnons eyes to do anything to her.3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, Davids brother. Now Jonadab was a very shrewd man.4 And he said to him, Why are you, the kings son, so low morning after morning? Will you not tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absaloms 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 Amnons house, and prepare food for him.8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnons 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 kings 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 Absaloms 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 kings 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 kings sons go with him.28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Watch now, when Amnons 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 kings 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 kings 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, Davids brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose they have killed all the young men, the kings 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 kings 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 kings sons have come; according to your servants word, so it is.36 So it was, as soon as he had finished speaking, that behold the kings 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 Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Amon, the sone of Dauid, louyde the faireste sistir, Thamar bi name, of Absolon, sone of Dauid.2 And Amon perischide greetli for hir, so that he was sijk for `the loue of hir. For whanne she was a virgyn, it semyde hard to hym, that he schulde do ony thing vnonestli with hir.3 Forsothe a freend, Jonadab bi name, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, `was to Amon; Jonadab was a ful prudent man.4 Which seide to Amon, Sone of the kyng, whi art thou maad feble so bi leenesse bi alle daies? whi schewist thou not to me? And Amon seide to him, Y loue Thamar, the sister of my brother Absolon.5 And Jonadab answeride to hym, Li thou on thi bed, and feyne thou sikenesse; and whanne thi fadir cometh, that he visyte thee, seie thou to hym, Y preye, come Thamar, my sister, that sche yyue mete to me, and make a seew, that Y ete of hir hond.6 Therfor Amon lay doun, and `bigan as to be sijk. And whanne the kyng hadde come to visite him, Amon seide to the kyng, Y biseche, come Thamar, my sistir, that sche make twei soupyngis bifor my iyen, and that Y take of hir hond meete maad redi.7 Therfor Dauid sente to the hows of Thamar, and seide, Come thou in to the hows of Amon, thi brother, and make thou seew to hym.8 And Thamar cam in to the hows of Amon, hir brother. Sotheli he lai; and sche took mele, and medlide, and made moist bifor hise iyen, and sethide soupyngis;9 and sche took that, that sche hadde sode, and helde out, and settide byfor hym, and he nolde ete. And Amon seide, Putte ye out alle men fro me. And whanne thei hadden put out alle men,10 Amon seide to Thamar, Bere the mete in to the closet, that Y ete of thin hond. Therfor Thamar took the soupingis whiche sche hadde maad, and brouyte in to Amon, hir brother, in the closet.11 And whanne sche hadde proferid mete to hym, he took hir, and seide, Come thou, my sistir, li thou with me.12 And sche answeride to hym, My brother, nyle thou, nyle thou oppresse me, for this is not leueful in Israel; nyle thou do this foli.13 For Y schal not mow bere my schenschip, and thou schalt be as oon of the vnwise men in Israel; but rather speke thou to the kyng, and he schal not denye me to thee.14 Sotheli he nolde assente to hir preieris; but he was strengere in myytis, and oppresside hir, and lay with hir.15 And `Amon hadde hir hateful bi ful grete haterede, so that the hatrede was gretter, bi which he hatide hir, than the loue bi which he louyde hir bifor. And Amon seide to hir, Rise thou, and go.16 And sche answeride to hym, This yuel is more which thou doist now ayens me, and puttist me out, than that, that thou didist bifore. And he nolde here hir; but whanne the child was clepide,17 that mynystride to hym, he seide, Putte thou out this womman fro me, and close thou the dore aftir hir.18 And sche was clothid with a coote doun to the heele; for the kyngis douytris virgyns vsiden siche clothis. Therfor the mynystre of Amon puttide hir out, and closide the dore aftir hir.19 And sche spreynte aische to hir heed, whanne the coote to `the heele was to-rent, and whanne the hondis weren put on hir heed, and sche yede entrynge and criynge.20 Forsothe Absolon, hir brother, seide to hir, Whether Amon, thi brothir, hath leyn with thee? But `now, sister, be stille; he is thi brother, and turmente not thin herte for this thing. Therfor Thamar dwellide morenynge in the hows of Absolon, hir brothir.21 Forsothe whanne `kyng Dauid hadde herd these wordis, he was ful sori, and he nolde make sore the spyrit of Amon, his sone; for he louyde Amon, for he was the firste gendrid `to hym.22 Forsothe Absolon spak not to Amon, nether yuel nether good; for Absolon hatide Amon, for he hadde defoulid Thamar, his sistir.23 Forsothe it was doon aftir the tyme of twei yeer, that the scheep of Absolon weren shorun in Baalasor, which is bisidis Effraym. And Absolon clepide alle the sones of the kyng.24 And he cam to the kyng, and seide to hym, Lo! the scheep of thi seruaunt ben schorun; Y preye, come the king with hise seruauntis to his seruaunt.25 And the kyng seide to Absolon, Nyle thou, my sone, nyle thou preye, that alle we come, and greeue thee. Forsothe whanne he constreynede Dauid, and he nolde go, he blesside Absolon.26 And Absolon seide to Dauid, If thou nylt come, Y byseche, come nameli Amon, my brother, with vs. And the kyng seide to hym, It is no nede, that he go with thee.27 Therfor Absolon constreynede hym; and he delyuerede with him Amon, and alle the sones of the kyng. And Absolon hadde maad a feeste as the feeste of a kyng.28 Sotheli Absolon comaundide to hise children, and seide, Aspie ye, whanne Amon is drunkun of wyn, and Y seie to you, Smyte ye, and sle hym. Nyle ye drede, for Y am that comaunde to you; be ye strengthid, and be ye stronge men.29 Therfor the children of Absolon diden ayens Amon, as Absolon hadde comaundide to hem; and alle the sones of the kyng risiden, and stieden ech on his mule, and fledden.30 And whanne thei yeden yit in the weie, fame cam to the kyng, and seide, Absolon hath kild alle the sones of the king, and `nameli not oon lefte of hem.31 Therfor the kyng roos, and to-rente hise clothis, and felde doun on the erthe; and alle hise seruauntis that stoden nyy to hym, to-renten her clothis.32 Sotheli Jonadab, sone of Semmaa, brother of Dauid, answeride and seide, My lord the kyng, gesse not, that alle the children, and sones of the kyng, ben slayn; Amon aloone is deed, for he was set in hatrede to Absolon, fro the day in which he oppresside Thamar, his sistir.33 Now therfor, my lord the kyng, set not this word on his herte, and seie, Alle the sones of the kyng ben slayn; for Amon aloone is deed.34 Forsothe Absolon fledde. And a child aspiere reiside hise iyen, and bihelde, and lo! myche puple cam bi a weye out of the comyn weie bi the side of the hil.35 And Jonadab seide to the kyng, Lo! the sones of the kyng comen; bi the word of thi seruaunt, so it is doon.36 And whanne he hadde ceessid to speke, also the sones of the kyng apperiden; and thei entriden, and reisiden her vois, and wepten; but also the kyng and alle his seruauntis wepten bi ful greet wepyng.37 Forsothe Absolon fledde, and yede to Tholmai, sone of Amyur, the kyng of Gessur. Therfor Dauid biweilide his sone Amon in many daies.38 Forsothe Absolon, whanne he hadde fled, and hadde come in to Gessur, was there thre yeer.39 And Dauid ceesside to pursue Absolon, for he was coumfortid on the deeth of Amon.