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Amnon and Tamar
13 [L Sometime later; After this] David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon loved her. 2 Tamar was a virgin. Amnon made himself sick ·just thinking about her [by his obsession/frustration with her], because ·he could not find any chance to be alone with her [it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her; it appeared he could never have her].
3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very ·clever [shrewd; crafty; wise] man. 4 He asked Amnon, “Son of the king, why do you look so ·sad [depressed; dejected] ·day after day [L morning after morning]? Tell me what’s wrong!”
Amnon told him, “I love Tamar, the sister of my ·half-brother [L brother] Absalom.”
5 Jonadab said to Amnon, “Go to bed and ·act as if you are [pretend to be] sick. ·Then [When…] your father will come to see you. Tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food in front of me so I can watch and eat it from her hand.’”
6 So Amnon went to bed and acted sick. When King David came in to see him, Amnon said to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come in. Let her make ·two of her special cakes [some special bread] for me while I watch. Then I will eat them from her hands.”
7 David sent for Tamar in the palace, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and make some food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was ·in bed [L lying down]. Tamar took some dough and ·pressed it together with her hands [kneaded it]. She made some special ·cakes [bread] while Amnon watched. Then she baked them. 9 Next she took the pan and ·served him [L dished/poured them out before him], but he refused to eat.
He said to his servants, “·All of you, leave me alone [Everyone get out of here]!” So they all ·left him alone [got out]. 10 Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the ·bedroom [inner room] so I may eat from your hand.”
Tamar took the ·cakes [bread] she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the ·bedroom [inner room]. 11 She went to him so he could eat from her hands, but Amnon grabbed her. He said, “Sister, come and ·have sexual relations [L lie] with me.”
12 Tamar said to him, “No, [L my] brother! Don’t ·force [violate; rape; L humiliate] me! This ·should never be [isn’t] done in Israel! Don’t do this ·shameful [disgraceful; wicked; vile] thing! 13 ·I could never [L Where could I…?] get rid of my shame! And you will be ·like the shameful [one of the greatest] ·fools [scoundrels] in Israel! Please talk with the king, and he will ·let you marry [L not refuse your marrying] me.”
14 But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was, so he ·forced her to have sexual relations with him [raped/L humiliated her and lay with her]. 15 After that, Amnon hated Tamar [L intensely; with a great hatred]. He hated her more than he had loved her before. Amnon said to her, “Get ·up and leave [out]!”
16 Tamar said to him, “No! Sending me away would be ·worse [a greater wrong] than what you’ve already done [L to me]!”
But he refused to listen to her. 17 He called his young ·servant [L man] back in and said, “Get this woman out of here and away from me! Lock the door ·after [behind] her.” 18 So his servant led her out of the room and bolted the door ·after [behind] her.
Tamar was wearing a special robe with long sleeves, because the king’s virgin daughters wore this kind of robe. 19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her special robe [C a sign of mourning or distress]. ·Putting her hand on her head [or with her face in her hands], she went away, crying loudly.
20 Absalom, Tamar’s brother, said to her, “Has Amnon, your brother, ·forced you to have sexual relations with him [L been with you]? For now, sister, ·be quiet [keep silent]. He is your half-brother. Don’t ·let this upset you so much [worry about this; L take this to heart]!” So Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house and was ·sad and lonely [desolate and inconsolable].
21 When King David heard the news, he was very angry. 22 Absalom did not say a word, good or bad, to Amnon. But he hated Amnon for ·disgracing [violating; raping; L humiliating] his sister Tamar.
Absalom’s Revenge
23 Two years later Absalom had some men come to Baal Hazor, near Ephraim, to cut the wool from his sheep. Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come also [C for a feast]. 24 Absalom went to the king and said, “I have men coming to cut the wool. Please come with your ·officers [attendants; L servants] and join ·me [L your servant].”
25 King David said to Absalom, “No, my son. We won’t all go, because it would be too much ·trouble [of a burden] for you.” Although Absalom ·begged [urged; pressed] David, he would not go, but he did give his blessing.
26 Absalom said, “If you don’t want to come, then please let my brother Amnon come with us.”
King David asked, “Why should he go with you?”
27 Absalom kept ·begging [urging; pressing] David until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with Absalom.
28 Then Absalom instructed his ·servants [L men], “Watch Amnon. When ·he is drunk [he’s in high spirits; L his heart is merry with wine], I will tell you, ‘·Kill [L Strike] Amnon.’ Right then, kill him! Don’t be afraid, because I have ·commanded [ordered] you! Be ·strong [courageous] and ·brave [valiant]!” 29 So Absalom’s ·young men [servants] killed Amnon as Absalom ·commanded [ordered], ·but [then] all of David’s other sons got on their mules and ·escaped [fled].
30 While the king’s sons were on their way [C back to Jerusalem], the news came to David, “Absalom has ·killed [L struck down] all of the king’s sons! Not one of them is left alive!” 31 King David [L got up,] tore his clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress] and ·lay [threw himself] on the ground. All his ·servants [officers; attendants] standing nearby tore their clothes also.
32 Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said to David, “Don’t ·think [believe; suppose] all the young men, your sons, are killed. No, only Amnon is dead! Absalom has ·planned [plotted; been determined to do] this ever since Amnon ·forced his sister Tamar to have sexual relations with him [raped/violated/L humiliated his sister Tamar]. 33 My ·master and [lord the] king, don’t ·think [imagine; L take to heart] that all of the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead!”
34 In the meantime Absalom had run away.
A ·guard [watchman] standing on the city wall saw many people coming [L on the road] from the other side of the hill. 35 So Jonadab said to King David, “Look, ·I was right [L just as your servant said]! The king’s sons are coming!”
36 As soon as Jonadab had said this, the king’s sons arrived, ·crying [wailing] loudly. David and all his servants began ·crying [wailing] also. 37 David ·cried [mourned] for his son ·every day [many days].
But Absalom ran away to Talmai [C his grandfather] son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. 38 After Absalom ran away to Geshur, he stayed there for three years. 39 When King David ·got over [was reconciled to/comforted about/consoled over] Amnon’s death, he ·missed [longed/yearned for] Absalom greatly.
Jesus Prays for His Followers
17 After Jesus said these things, he ·looked [L raised his eyes] toward heaven and ·prayed [L said], “Father, the ·time [L hour; C the time of his death and resurrection] has come. ·Give glory to [Glorify; Honor] your Son so that the Son can ·give glory to [glorify; honor] you. 2 You gave the Son ·power [authority] over all ·people [T flesh] so that the Son could give eternal life to all those you gave him. 3 And this is eternal life: that people know you, the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent. 4 Having ·finished [completed] the work you gave me to do, I ·brought you glory [glorified/honored you] on earth [C by leading people to praise God]. 5 And now, Father, ·give me glory [glorify/honor me] ·with you [or in your presence]; give me the ·glory [honor] I had with you before the world ·was made [existed; began].
6 “I ·showed what you are like [L revealed your name; C God’s reputation/character] to ·those [L the people] you gave me from the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have ·obeyed your teaching [L kept your word]. 7 Now they know that everything you gave me comes from you. 8 [L Because] I gave them the ·teachings [words; utterances] you gave me, and they ·accepted [received] them. They knew that I truly came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I am ·praying for them [asking on their behalf]. I am not ·praying for [asking on behalf of] people in the world but for those you gave me, because they are yours. 10 ·All I have is yours, and all you have is mine [L All mine are yours and all yours are mine]. And ·my glory is shown [I am glorified] through them. 11 I am coming to you; I will not stay in the world any longer. But they are still in the world. Holy Father, ·keep them safe by the power of [or keep them loyal to] your name, the name you gave me, so that they will be one, just as you and I are one. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe by the power of [or kept them loyal to] your name, the name you gave me. I ·protected [guarded] them, and only one of them, the ·one worthy of destruction [L son of destruction/perdition; C Judas], was lost so that the Scripture would ·come true [L be fulfilled; Ps. 41:9].
13 “I am coming to you now. But I ·pray [L say] these things while I am still in the world so that ·these followers [these disciples; L they] can have all of my joy [ L made complete; fulfilled] in them. 14 I have given them your ·teaching [word]. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 15 I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to ·keep them safe [protect them] from the ·Evil One [or evil; C the Evil One is the Devil]. 16 They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. 17 ·Make them ready for your service [Sanctify them; Consecrate them; C setting them apart for service] through your truth; your ·teaching [word] is truth. 18 I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. 19 For their sake, I am ·making myself ready to serve [sanctifying/consecrating myself] so that they can be ·ready for their service of [sanctified/consecrated by] the truth.
20 “I ·pray for these followers [L ask not only for these], but I am also ·praying [L asking] for all those who will believe in me because of their ·teaching [message; proclamation; L word]. 21 Father, I ·pray [L ask] that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I ·pray [L ask] that they can also be ·one in us [L in us]. Then the world will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given these people the ·glory [honor] that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. 23 ·I will be in them and you will be in me [L I in them and you in me] so that they will be ·completely one [in perfect unity]. ·Then […so that] the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.
24 “Father, I want these people that you gave me to be with me where I am. ·I want them to […so that they may] see my ·glory [honor], which you gave me because you loved me before the ·world was made [foundation/creation of the world]. 25 ·Father, you are the One who is good [L Righteous Father,…]. The world does not know you, but I know you, and these people know you sent me. 26 I ·showed [made known to] them ·what you are like [L your name; 14:13], and I will ·show them again [continue to make it known]. ·Then […so that] they will have the same love that you have for me, and I will ·live [be] in them.”
81 I ·am weak from waiting for you to save me [grow weak for your salvation/victory],
but I hope in your word.
82 My eyes ·are tired from looking [grow weak] for your promise.
I ask, “When will you comfort me?”
83 Even though I am like a wine bag in smoke [C shrunken and dried out],
I do not forget your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
84 ·How long will I live [L Like what are the days of your servant]?
When will you ·judge [perform judgment on] those who are ·hurting [pursuing] me?
85 ·Proud [Arrogant] people have dug pits [C to trap him].
They ·have nothing to do with your teachings [L are not according to your teachings/instructions/laws].
86 All of your commands ·can be trusted [are reliable].
Liars are ·hurting [pursuing] me. Help me!
87 They have almost put me in the ·grave [L earth],
but I have not ·rejected [abandoned; forsaken] your ·orders [precepts].
88 Give me life ·by your love [L according to your loyalty]
so I can ·obey [keep; guard] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
89 ·Lord, your word is everlasting [or The Lord is everlasting];
·it [L your word] ·continues forever [L is firm] in heaven.
90 Your ·loyalty [faithfulness; truth] will go on and on;
you ·made [established] the earth, and it ·still stands [endures].
91 All things ·continue [endure] to this day because of your ·laws [judgments],
because all things ·serve you [L are your servants].
92 If I had not ·loved [delighted in] your ·teachings [instructions; laws],
I would have ·died [perished] ·from my sufferings [in my afflictions].
93 I will never forget your ·orders [precepts],
because you have given me life by them.
94 I am yours. ·Save me [Give me victory].
I ·want to obey [seek] your ·orders [precepts].
95 Wicked people ·are waiting [hope] to ·destroy me [make me perish],
but I will ·think about [consider] your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
96 Everything I see has its limits,
but your commands ·have none [L are very broad].
6 ·Love [Loyalty] and ·truth [faithfulness] bring ·forgiveness of sin [atonement for guilt].
By ·respecting [fearing] the Lord you will avoid evil.
7 When ·people live so that they please the Lord [L people’s paths draw the Lord’s favor]
even their enemies will make peace with them.
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.