# 2 Samuel 13

> Lumin Translation

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-samuel/13

Lumin’s own translation, drafted with AI from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, checked verse by verse against them, and approved by Lumin. Brackets mark verses not found in the earliest manuscripts.

How it was made: https://www.lumin.faith/lumin-translation.md

1. Some time after this, Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon son of David fell in love with her.
2. Amnon was so tormented over his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.
3. But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
4. He said to Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
5. Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in front of me, so that I can watch her and eat it from her hand.’”
6. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make two cakes in front of me, so that I may eat from her hand.”
7. Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare some food for him.”
8. So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in front of him, and baked the cakes.
9. Then she took the pan and served them to him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Send everyone out of here.” So everyone left him.
10. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.
11. But when she brought them close to him so he could eat, he grabbed her and said to her, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
12. She said to him, “No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this outrageous thing.
13. As for me, where could I go with my shame? And you would be like one of the outrageous fools in Israel. Now please, speak to the king, for he will not keep me from you.”
14. But he would not listen to her. Being stronger than she was, he violated her and slept with her.
15. Then Amnon hated her with an intense hatred. In fact, the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
16. But she said to him, “No! Sending me away would be an even greater wrong than the other thing you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.
17. He called the young man who served him and said, “Get this woman out of my sight, and bolt the door behind her.”
18. Now she was wearing an ornate robe, for this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore as their garments. So his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.
19. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away, crying out as she went.
20. Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that brother of yours, Amnon, been with you? Now then, my sister, keep quiet; he is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom.
21. When King David heard about all these things, he was very angry.
22. But Absalom did not say a word to Amnon, either bad or good, for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar.
23. Two full years later, Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.
24. Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has sheepshearers coming. Will the king and his servants please come with your servant?”
25. But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Absalom urged him, but he would not go; instead he gave him his blessing.
26. Then Absalom said, “If not, then please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?”
27. But Absalom urged him, so he sent Amnon and all the king’s sons with him.
28. Absalom ordered his servants, “Listen! When Amnon is merry with wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you myself? Be strong and courageous.”
29. So Absalom’s servants did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules, and fled.
30. While they were still on the way, the report reached David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”
31. The king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground, and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.
32. But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord must not think that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons. Only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s settled intention ever since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar.
33. So now, my lord the king should not take to heart the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34. Meanwhile Absalom fled. The young man who was on watch looked up and saw many people coming along the road behind him, down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I saw men coming down the Horonaim road on the side of the hill.”
35. Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the king’s sons have come! It has turned out just as your servant said.”
36. Just as he finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, and they wept aloud. The king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.
37. Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day.
38. So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and he stayed there three years.
39. And King David longed to go out to Absalom, for he had been consoled over the death of Amnon.

## Nearby chapters

[2 Samuel 12](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-samuel/12.md)
[2 Samuel 14](https://www.lumin.faith/read/2-samuel/14.md)

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