Amnon and Tamar
1In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
2Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
3Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”
Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
5“Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’ ”
6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”
7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” 8So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. 9Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat.
“Send everyone out of here,” Amnon said. So everyone left him. 10Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. 11But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
12“No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. 13What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” 14But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
15Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
16“No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.”
But he refused to listen to her. 17He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” 18So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate13:18 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain; also in verse 19. robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. 19Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
20Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
21When King David heard all this, he was furious. 22And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
Absalom Kills Amnon
23Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. 24Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?”
25“No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.
26Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.”
The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” 27But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.
28Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” 29So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
30While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.” 31The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn.
32But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34Meanwhile, Absalom had fled.
Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”13:34 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have this sentence.
35Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said.”
36As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly.
37Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son.
38After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. 39And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.
暗嫩玷污她玛
1大卫的儿子押沙龙有一个美丽的妹妹，名叫她玛。大卫的另一个儿子暗嫩爱上了她。 2她仍是处女，住在深宫里，暗嫩无法接近她，相思成病。 3暗嫩有一个朋友名叫约拿达，是大卫长兄示米亚的儿子，生性狡猾。 4他问暗嫩：“王子，你为什么一天比一天消沉？能告诉我吗？”暗嫩答道：“我爱上了我兄弟押沙龙的妹妹她玛。” 5约拿达说：“你回去躺在床上装病，你父亲来探望你的时候，你就请求他叫你妹妹她玛来，在你面前预备食物，请她亲手递给你吃。” 6暗嫩就躺在床上装病。王来看他的时候，他便对王说：“请你叫我妹妹她玛来这里，在我面前做两个饼，请她亲自递给我吃。”
7大卫便派人进宫对她玛说：“你去你哥哥暗嫩房里为他预备食物吧。” 8她玛到了哥哥暗嫩的家，暗嫩正躺在床上装病。她拿了面团在他面前揉面做饼，把饼烤熟了。 9她拿着锅在他面前把饼倒出来，但暗嫩却不肯吃。暗嫩命令仆人：“你们全都出去吧！”仆人就都退下了。 10暗嫩对她玛说：“你把食物拿到我的卧房来，亲手递给我吃。”她玛便拿着饼进了她哥哥暗嫩的卧房里， 11服侍他吃饼，暗嫩却抓住她，说：“妹妹，与我同寝吧！” 12她玛说：“哥哥，不要，不要玷污我！在以色列不应当发生这种事，不要做这种恶事。 13你这样叫我怎么见人呢？你在以色列也必遭人唾弃。你可以请求王，他会同意把我许配给你。” 14暗嫩却充耳不闻，因为他力气比她玛大，就把她强奸了。
15事后暗嫩非常憎恨她玛，对她的恨比以前对她的爱还强烈。他对她玛说：“你起来走吧！” 16她玛哀求道：“不要这样对我！你这样做是错上加错。”暗嫩却不听， 17他吩咐随从：“把这女人赶出去，关上门不要让她进来。” 18他的随从就把她玛赶出去，随后锁上了门。那时，她玛穿着彩色的长衣，没有出嫁的公主都穿这种衣服。 19她玛把灰尘撒在头上，撕破身上的彩衣，双手抱着头，一面走一面哭。 20她的哥哥押沙龙问她：“是不是你哥哥暗嫩污辱了你？妹妹，不要声张，他是你哥哥，不要把这件事放在心上。”于是她玛就忧忧郁郁地住在押沙龙家里。
21大卫王听见了这件事以后，非常生气。 22押沙龙没有对暗嫩说一句话，只是心里暗暗地恨他，因为他玷污了妹妹她玛。
押沙龙为妹妹报仇
23两年后，押沙龙的工人在以法莲附近的巴力·夏琐剪羊毛，押沙龙邀请王的众子去那里。 24他去见王，说：“我的工人正在剪羊毛，请王和众臣仆跟我一起去吧。” 25王说：“我儿，我们不必都去打扰你。”押沙龙再三邀请，王还是推辞了，但他为押沙龙祝福。 26押沙龙说：“倘若王不去，求你叫我兄弟暗嫩去吧。”大卫说：“何必要他同去呢？” 27但押沙龙再三恳求，王就让暗嫩和其他王子一同去了。 28押沙龙吩咐仆人说：“你们要留意，当暗嫩喝得正高兴的时候，我叫你们杀他，你们就要动手。不要畏缩，要刚强勇敢！因为这是我的命令。” 29押沙龙的仆人就照命令把暗嫩杀了。王的众子都起来骑上骡子逃走了。
30他们还在路上的时候，有人禀告大卫说：“押沙龙把王子都杀了，无一幸免！” 31王便站起来撕裂衣服，躺在地上。他的臣仆也都撕裂衣服，站在旁边。 32大卫的长兄示米亚的儿子约拿达说：“我主不要以为所有的王子都被杀了，其实只有暗嫩一人死了。自从暗嫩奸污押沙龙的妹妹她玛以来，押沙龙便决定要报仇了。 33所以，我主我王啊，不要相信这消息，不是所有的王子都死了，只有暗嫩一人死了。”
34此时，押沙龙已经逃走了。守卫的人举目瞭望，见有一大群人从山坡上跑来。 35约拿达对大卫王说：“请看，王子们都回来了！正如仆人所言。” 36话刚说完，众王子已经来到他们跟前放声大哭，王和臣仆也哀痛不已。
37-38押沙龙逃到了亚米忽的儿子基述王达买那里，在那里住了三年。大卫王天天为他的儿子暗嫩悲伤， 39后来心情恢复平静，开始想念押沙龙。
