2 Samuel 13-17

Lexham English Bible

Amnon Assaults His Sister Tamar

13 It happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. ² And Amnon was so frustrated that he felt ill^[a] because of Tamar his sister, because she was a virgin, and it was too difficult in Amnon’s eyes to do anything with her. ³ Now Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David. (Now Jonadab was a very crafty man.) ⁴ And he said to him, “Why are you so sullen every morning,^[b] O son of the king? Will you not tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.” ⁵ Then Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and appear ill. If your father comes to see you, you shall say to him, ‘Please let Tamar my sister come and give me food to eat, and let her prepare the food before my eyes, in order that I may see it and eat from her hand.’” ⁶ So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, and the king came to see him. Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come, and let her bake two cakes before my eyes that I may eat from her hand.” ⁷ So David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare food for him.” ⁸ Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother. Now he was lying down, and she took the dough and kneaded it and made cakes before his eyes, and she baked the cakes. ⁹ Then she took the pan and poured it out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Let all the men go out from me.” So all the men went out from him. ¹⁰ Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food to the private room that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them to Amnon her brother in^[c] the private room. ¹¹ When she brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister!” ¹² Then Tamar said to him, “No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing has not been done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! ¹³ As for me, where should I take my disgrace? You will be as one of the fools in Israel. So please, speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” ¹⁴ But he was not willing to listen to her voice. He was stronger than she, and he forced her and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon hated her very deeply,^[d] for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. So Amnon said to her, “Get up and go.” ¹⁶ She said to him, “No, because this evil in sending me away is greater than the other you have done to me.” But he was not willing to listen to her. ¹⁷ Then he called his young man who was serving him and said, “Please send this woman from me to the outside, and bolt the door behind her!” ¹⁸ Now there was a long-sleeved robe on her, for so they clothed the daughters of the king who were virgins, in robes. His servant put her outside, and he bolted the door behind her. ¹⁹ Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore the long-sleeved robe which was on her. She put her hand on her head, and she went away, crying out as she went.^{[e] 20} Absalom her brother said to her, “Was Amnon your brother with you? But now, my sister, be quiet; he is your brother. Do not take this matter to heart.”^[f] So Tamar remained a desolate woman in the house of Absalom her brother.

Absalom Kills Amnon

²¹ Now King David heard all these things, and he became very angry.^{[g] 22} Absalom did not speak with Amnon either bad or good,^[h] for Absalom hated Amnon over the matter when^[i] he raped Tamar his sister. ²³ About two full years later,^[j] Absalom’s shearers were in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom summoned all the sons of the king. ²⁴ Then Absalom went to the king and said, “Look, here are your servant’s shearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant. ²⁵ The king said to Absalom, “No my son, not all of us shall go, so that we not be a burden to you.” And he urged him, but he was not willing to go, but he blessed him. ²⁶ So Absalom said, “But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king. ²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is tipsy^[k] with wine, then I shall say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ and you shall kill him! Don’t be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant!^{[l] 29} So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon just as Absalom commanded, and all the sons of the king got up, and each mounted his mule and fled.

³⁰ While they were on the way,^[m] the message came to David, “Absalom has killed all the sons of the king, and not one of them was left.” ³¹ Then the king rose and tore his garments, and he lay on the ground, and all his servants standing by were tearing their garments. ³² Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, responded and said, “My lord should not think that all the young men, the sons of the king, are dead, because only Amnon is dead. Absalom was talking about it,^[n] as it was being determined from the day he^[o] raped Tamar his sister. ³³ So then, let not my lord the king set his heart on this matter, thinking, ‘All the sons of the king are dead,’ for only Amnon alone is dead.”

Absalom Flees

³⁴ So Absalom fled, and the young man who was keeping watch lifted up his eyes and saw, and there were many people coming from the road behind him from the side of the mountain. ³⁵ Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have come. According to the word of your servant, so it has come about.” ³⁶ When he finished speaking, look, the sons of the king came and they lifted up their voice and wept. Also, the king and all his servants wept a very great weeping. ³⁷ Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, the king of Geshur. David mourned over his son day after day.^{[p] 38} But Absalom had fled and went to Geshur, and he was there three years. ³⁹ King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he was consoled that Amnon had died.

Joab Plots to Reconcile David with Absalom

14 Joab the son of Zeruiah realized that the mind of the king was on Absalom. ² So Joab sent to Tekoa and took from there a wise woman, and he said to her, “Please pretend to mourn and put on garments of mourning. You should not anoint yourself with oil, and you must act like this woman who has been mourning over the dead for a long time.^{[q] 3} Then you must go to the king and speak to him according to this word.” Thus Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴ So the Tekoite woman spoke to the king, and she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance. She said, “Help me, O king!” ⁵ Then the king asked her, “What do you want?”^[r] And she said, “Truly I am a widow, and my husband is dead. ⁶ Your servant had two sons, and they both fought in the open field, and there was no one to part them.^[s] One struck the other and killed him. ⁷ And look, all of the family has risen up against your servant, and they said, ‘Give up the one who struck his brother, that we may kill him in exchange for the life of his brother whom he murdered. We will also wipe out the heir,’ and so they would put out my embers which remain, by not preserving for my husband a name and a remnant on the face of the earth.”

⁸ Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I myself will give the command concerning you.” ⁹ The Tekoite woman said to the king, “On me, my lord the king, is the guilt, and on the house of my father, but the king on^[t] his throne is innocent.” ¹⁰ The king said, “Whoever has spoken to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you again.” ¹¹ Then she said, “Please may the king remember Yahweh your God, to prevent the increase of blood avengers who kill,^[u] so that they not wipe out my son.” He said, “As Yahweh lives,^[v] surely not one hair shall fall from your son to the ground.” ¹² The woman said, “Please let your servant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.” ¹³ The woman said, “But why have you plotted like this against the people of God? By speaking this word, he is guilty not to bring back his banished one. ¹⁴ For we must certainly die,^[w] and we are as the waters spilled to the ground which cannot be gathered. God will not take a life but devises plans for a banished person not to be cast out from him. ¹⁵ Now I have come to speak this word to my lord the king, because the people made me afraid, and your servant thought, ‘I will speak to the king, perhaps the king will grant^[x] the request of his servant. ¹⁶ For the king will listen, to deliver his servant from the hand of the man who seeks to destroy me and my son together from the inheritance of God.’ ¹⁷ Your servant also thought, ‘May the word of my lord the king bring rest,^[y] for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, to sense what is good and what is bad.’^[z] May Yahweh your God be with you.” ¹⁸ The king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not withhold from me a thing which I am about to ask you.” The woman said, “Please let my lord the king speak.” ¹⁹ The king asked, “Was the hand of Joab with you in all of this?” The woman answered and said, “As your soul lives,^[aa] my lord the king, surely one cannot go to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king has spoken. Yes, your servant Joab himself commanded me, and he put all of these words in the mouth of your servant. ²⁰ In order to change the situation,^[ab] your servant Joab did this thing. But my lord has wisdom, as the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all that is on the earth.” ²¹ Then the king said to Joab, “Look, please, I will grant this thing. Go and bring back the young man Absalom.” ²² Joab fell with his face to the ground and did obeisance. And he blessed the king, and he^[ac] said, “Today your servant knows that I have found favor in your eyes, my lord the king, in that the king has granted the request of his servant.”

Absalom Returns to Jerusalem

²³ Then Joab got up and went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem. ²⁴ The king said, “Let him go over to his house, and he may not see my face.” So Absalom went over to his house, and did not see the face of the king. ²⁵ As far as Absalom, there was not a more handsome man in all of Israel to admire so much; from the sole of his foot up to his crown, there was no physical defect on him. ²⁶ When he shaved his head, it would happen every year,^[ad] which he did because it was heavy on him, he would shave it off and weigh the hair of his head: two hundred shekels by the king’s weight.^{[ae] 27} Three sons were born to Absalom and one daughter, whose name was Tamar. She was a woman beautiful of appearance. ²⁸ Absalom lived in Jerusalem two full years,^[af] but he did not see the face of the king. ²⁹ So Absalom sent for Joab, in order that he send him to the king, but he was not willing to go to him. He sent again a second time, but he was not willing to go. ³⁰ So he said to his servants, “Look at the tract of land of Joab next to mine,^[ag] for he has barley plants there. Go, set it ablaze with fire.” So the servants of Absalom set the tract of land ablaze with fire. ³¹ Then Joab got up and went to Absalom, to the house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my tract of land ablaze with fire?” ³² Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I have sent to you, saying, ‘Come here that I may send you to the king to say, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.”’ So then, let me see the face of the king; if there is guilt in me, then let him kill me.” ³³ So Joab went to the king and he told him. Then he summoned Absalom, and he came to the king, and he bowed down to him with his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Absalom.

Absalom Leads a Rebellion

15 It happened afterward that Absalom made himself a chariot with horses and fifty men running before him. ² Absalom used to rise early in the morning, and he stood beside^[ah] the road at the gate; anyone^[ai] who had a legal dispute to bring to the king for judgment Absalom would call to him and say, “Where are you from?”^[aj] And he would say, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel.” ³ Then Absalom would say to him, “Look, your case is good and right, but for you there is no hearing with the king.” ⁴ Then Absalom would say, “Oh, that someone would^[ak] appoint me as judge in the land, that anyone^[al] might come to me who had a legal dispute or a case, and I would give him justice.” ⁵ It happened whenever anyone drew near to do obeisance to him, that he would stretch his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. ⁶ Absalom did like this to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts^[am] of the people of Israel.

⁷ It happened at the end of four^[an] years that Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to Yahweh in Hebron, ⁸ for your servant made a vow while I was staying in Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If Yahweh will indeed let me return^[ao] to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.’” ⁹ Then the king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he got up and went to Hebron. ¹⁰ Then Absalom sent scouts throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall shout ‘Absalom has become king in Hebron!’” ¹¹ Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom as invited guests, going in their innocence as they did not know anything. ¹² Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, the advisor of David, from his city Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. The conspiracy grew in strength,^[ap] and the people were going and increasing^[aq] with Absalom.

David Flees from Jerusalem

¹³ Then the messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts^[ar] of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” ¹⁴ Then David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, “Get up and let us flee, for there will be no escape for us from Absalom! Hurry to go, otherwise he will come quickly and overtake us! And he will bring disaster on us and evil! He will attack the city with the edge of the sword!” ¹⁵ Then the servants of the king said to the king, “According to all that my lord the king chooses, your servants are ready to act!”^{[as] 16} The king went out with^[at] all his household following him,^[au] but the king left behind ten concubines to look after the house. ¹⁷ So the king went out with^[av] all the people following him,^[aw] and they stopped at the last house.^{[ax] 18} All his servants were passing by him:^[ay] all of the Kerethites and all of the Pelethites and all of the Gittites—six hundred men who had followed him^[az] from Gath—passing before the king.^{[ba] 19} The king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why are you also coming with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner; moreover, you are an exile. You are far from your place.^{[bb] 20} Yesterday when you came and today,^[bc] I have caused you to wander by going with us. Now I am going to where I am going; return and let your brothers return. May loyal love and faithfulness be with you.” ²¹ But Ittai answered the king and said, “As Yahweh lives^[bd] and my lord the king lives,^[be] surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be.” ²² Then David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” So Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all of the little children who were with him. ²³ All of the land was weeping with a loud voice as all the people were passing by and the king was crossing through the Wadi Kidron, and all the people were passing on the road to the wilderness.^[bf]

The Priests Offer Sacrifices for David

²⁴ Suddenly Zadok was there, and all of the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people passed out of the city. ²⁵ The king said to Zadok, “Let the ark of God return to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yawheh, he will let me return and let me see him in his dwelling place. ²⁶ But if he says, ‘I take no pleasure in you,’ then I am ready.^[bg] Let him do to me that which is good in his eyes. ²⁷ Then the king said to Zadok the priest, “Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you. ²⁸ See, I am waiting at the fords of the wilderness until a word comes from you all to inform me.” ²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and they remained there.

Hushai Offers to Serve King David

³⁰ Now David was going up on the Ascent of the Olives, weeping as he went,^[bh] with his head covered and going barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered their head and wept as they went.^{[bi] 31} Now David was told, “Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom.” Then David said, “Please frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh.” ³² It happened that as David was coming up to the summit where he used to worship God, suddenly Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. His coat was torn and dirt was on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you move on with me, you will be a burden to me, ³⁴ but if you want to return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I am your servant, O king. I used to be a servant of your father, but from then and now I will be your servant,’ then you can frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me. ³⁵ Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? It shall be that all the words you hear from the house of the king you shall tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Look, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz of Zadok and Jonathan of Abiathar. You shall send to me by means of them^[bj] all the words that you hear.” ³⁷ So Hushai the friend of David came to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

Ziba Brings Provisions

16 Now David passed a little from beyond the summit, and suddenly Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth was there to meet him with a pair of saddled donkeys; on them were two hundred loaves of bread and a hundred raisin cakes, with a hundred summer fruits and a skin of wine. ² The king said to Ziba, “What do you want to accomplish by bringing these?”^[bk] And Ziba said, “The donkeys are for the king’s household to ride on; the bread and the summer fruit are for the young men to eat, and the wine is for the faint in the wilderness to drink. ³ Then the king said, “Where is the son of your lord?” And Ziba said to the king, “He is living in Jerusalem for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel shall return the kingdom of my father to me.’” ⁴ The king said to Ziba, “Look, all that was Mephibosheth’s is yours.” Ziba said, “I hereby do obeisance; may I find favor in your eyes, my lord the king.”

Shimei Curses David

⁵ King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there was coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei the son of Gera. He was cursing as he came out.^{[bl] 6} And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left. ⁷ Shimei said while cursing him, “Go out, go out, you man of bloodshed,^[bm] you man of wickedness.^{[bn] 8} Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul whom you have supplanted as king,^[bo] and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood.” ⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” ¹⁰ The king said, “What do we have in common,^[bp] sons of Zeruiah? If^[bq] he curses because Yahweh has said to him ‘Curse David,’ who can say, “Why have you done this?” ¹¹ David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Look, my son who came out of my loins^[br] is seeking my life. Now as far as^[bs] this Benjaminite, leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has spoken to him. ¹² Perhaps Yahweh will look in my eye^[bt] and repay good for me in place of his curse this day. ¹³ Then David and his men went on the road, with Shimei going on the side of the hill beside him, cursing as he went.^[bu] He threw stones beside him and threw^[bv] dust in the air. ¹⁴ When the king and all of the people who were with him arrived, he was weary, so he recovered there.

Hushai Comes to Absalom

¹⁵ Now Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, had come to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel was with him. ¹⁶ When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, “Long live the king, long live the king!” ¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, “This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?” ¹⁸ Then Hushai said to Absalom, “No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to him^[bw] I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ Furthermore,^[bx] for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? So shall I serve you!”^{[by] 20} Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, “Give your advice. What shall we do?” ²¹ And Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go to the concubines of your father whom he left behind to watch over the house, then all of Israel will hear that you made yourself odious to your father, and all of your followers will be motivated!”^{[bz] 22} Then they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he went in to the concubines of his father before the eyes of all Israel. ²³ The counsel that Ahithophel gave in those days was regarded as when a man^[ca] inquired of the word of God, so all the counsel of Ahithophel was esteemed both by David and by Absalom.

Hushai Frustrates the Counsel of Ahithophel

17 Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Please let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue after David tonight.^{[cb] 2} I will come upon him while he is weary and weak.^[cc] I will startle him, and all of the people who are with him will flee. Then I will strike down the king while he is alone. ³ Then I will return all the people to you; when all have returned, the man whom you are seeking will be dead,^[cd] but all the people will be safe.” ⁴ The word was right in the eyes of Absalom and in the eyes of all the elders of Israel. ⁵ Then Absalom said, “Please call also for Hushai the Arkite, and let us hear what he has to say^[ce] also.” ⁶ So Hushai came to Absalom, who said to him, “Shall we do according to this word that Ahithophel has spoken? If not, then you tell us.” ⁷ Then Hushai said to Absalom, “The counsel that Ahithophel gave is not good at this time.”^{[cf] 8} Hushai continued, “You know your father and his men, that they are mighty warriors and they are enraged^[cg] as a bear robbed of her offspring in the field. Your father is a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops. ⁹ Now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in one of the places. At the moment he falls on them^[ch] the first time, whoever hears^[ci] the report will say, ‘There has been a defeat among the people who follow after Absalom.’ ¹⁰ And he is also a valiant warrior,^[cj] whose heart is like the heart of the lion. He^[ck] will certainly melt^[cl] with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty warrior and those who are with him are valiant warriors.^{[cm] 11} I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which is on the seashore for abundance, with you personally^[cn] going into the battle. ¹² Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, not even one! ¹³ Even if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there is not even a pebble to be found.” ¹⁴ Then Absalom and all the men of Israel said, “The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than the advice of Ahithophel.” (Now Yahweh had ordained to frustrate the good counsel of Ahithophel in order for Yahweh to bring misery upon Absalom).

Hushai Sends Word to David

¹⁵ Hushai said to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, “Thus and so^[co] Ahithophel advised Absalom and the elders of Israel, but thus and so^[cp] I have advised. ¹⁶ So then, send quickly and tell David, ‘Don’t spend the night at the fords of the wilderness! Moreover, by all means cross over lest the king and all the people who are with him be swallowed up.’” ¹⁷ Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz were staying at En Rogel, so a servant girl used to go and tell them, then they would go and tell King David, for they were not able to be seen coming to the city. ¹⁸ But a young man saw them and told Absalom, so both of them went quickly and came to the house of a man at Bahurim. Now he had a well in his courtyard, so they went down there. ¹⁹ Then the woman took and spread a covering over the opening of the well; then she spread out dried grain on it, so nothing was discovered. ²⁰ When the servants of Absalom came to the woman at the house, they said, “Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?” And she said to them, “They crossed over the brook of water.” So they searched but could not find them, so they returned to Jerusalem. ²¹ After they left, they came up from the well and went and told King David. They said to David, “Set out and cross over the water quickly, for thus Ahithophel has advised against you.” ²² So David and all the people who were with him set out, and they crossed over the Jordan until morning light until there was no one^[cq] missing who had not crossed over the Jordan. ²³ When Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled the donkey, and he set out and went up to his house in his city. After he set his house in order,^[cr] he hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his ancestors.^[cs]

²⁴ Now David had come to Mahanaim, and Absalom had crossed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him. ²⁵ Absalom had appointed Amasa in place of Joab over the army. Now Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who had married^[ct] Abigail the daughter of Nahash the sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. ²⁶ Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead. ²⁷ Just as David had arrived in Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites^[cu] and Makir the son of Ammiel from Lo Debar and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim ²⁸ brought beds and basins and objects of pottery, as well as wheat, barley, flour, roasted grain, beans, lentils, ²⁹ honey, curds, sheep, cheese, and cattle for David and for the people who were with him to eat. For they had thought, “The troops are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.”