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13. Amnon and Tamar

Amnon and Tamar

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Some time passed. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; and David’s son Amnon fell in love with her.²Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.³But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah; and Jonadab was a very crafty man.⁴He said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”⁵Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed, and pretend to be ill; and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, so that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’ ”⁶So Amnon lay down, and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.”

⁷ Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”⁸So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.⁹Then she took the pan and set them out before him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him.¹⁰Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, so that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.¹¹But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”¹²She answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me; for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do anything so vile!¹³As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of the scoundrels in Israel. Now therefore, I beg you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.”¹⁴But he would not listen to her; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

¹⁵ Then Amnon was seized with a very great loathing for her; indeed, his loathing was even greater than the lust he had felt for her. Amnon said to her, “Get out!”¹⁶But she said to him, “No, my brother; for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.¹⁷He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence, and bolt the door after her.”¹⁸(Now she was wearing a long robe with sleeves; for this is how the virgin daughters of the king were clothed in earlier times.) So his servant put her out, and bolted the door after her.¹⁹But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.

²⁰ Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar remained, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house.²¹When King David heard of all these things, he became very angry, but he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn.²²But Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had raped his sister Tamar.

Absalom Avenges the Violation of His Sister

²³ After two full years Absalom had sheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.²⁴Absalom came to the king, and said, “Your servant has sheepshearers; will the king and his servants please go with your servant?”²⁵But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, or else we will be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing.²⁶Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”²⁷But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. Absalom made a feast like a king’s feast.²⁸Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Watch when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not be afraid; have I not myself commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.”²⁹So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons rose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

³⁰ While they were on the way, the report came to David that Absalom had killed all the king’s sons, and not one of them was left.³¹The king rose, tore his garments, and lay on the ground; and all his servants who were standing by tore their garments.³²But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king’s sons; Amnon alone is dead. This has been determined by Absalom from the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.³³Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take it to heart, as if all the king’s sons were dead; for Amnon alone is dead.”

³⁴ But Absalom fled. When the young man who kept watch looked up, he saw many people coming from the Horonaim road by the side of the mountain.³⁵Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.”³⁶As soon as he had finished speaking, the king’s sons arrived, and raised their voices and wept; and the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.

³⁷ But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. David mourned for his son day after day.³⁸Absalom, having fled to Geshur, stayed there three years.³⁹And the heart of the king went out, yearning for Absalom; for he was now consoled over the death of Amnon.

2. Wisdom From the Spirit

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

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When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom.²For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.³And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.⁴My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power,⁵so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

Related Hymns

• Ask Ye What Great Thing i Know
• Through the Blood

18. Psalm 18

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This God—his way is perfect;

the promise of the Lord proves true;

he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

31

For who is God except the Lord?

And who is a rock besides our God?—

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the God who girded me with strength,

and made my way safe.

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He made my feet like the feet of a deer,

and set me secure on the heights.

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He trains my hands for war,

so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

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You have given me the shield of your salvation,

and your right hand has supported me;

your help has made me great.

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You gave me a wide place for my steps under me,

and my feet did not slip.

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I pursued my enemies and overtook them;

and did not turn back until they were consumed.

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I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise;

they fell under my feet.

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For you girded me with strength for the battle;

you made my assailants sink under me.

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You made my enemies turn their backs to me,

and those who hated me I destroyed.

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They cried for help, but there was no one to save them;

they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.

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I beat them fine, like dust before the wind;

I cast them out like the mire of the streets.

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You delivered me from strife with the peoples;

you made me head of the nations;

people whom I had not known served me.

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As soon as they heard of me they obeyed me;

foreigners came cringing to me.

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Foreigners lost heart,

and came trembling out of their strongholds.

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The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock,

and exalted be the God of my salvation,

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the God who gave me vengeance

and subdued peoples under me;

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who delivered me from my enemies;

indeed, you exalted me above my adversaries;

you delivered me from the violent.

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For this I will extol you, O Lord, among the nations,

and sing praises to your name.

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Great triumphs he gives to his king,

and shows steadfast love to his anointed,

to David and his descendants forever.

Related Hymns

• As the Deer Pants for the Water
• Give Thanks to God Who Hears Our Cries
• God, My Help and Hiding Place