Meditate

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.

1. Supremacy of Christ

Salutation

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Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

² To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

Paul Thanks God for the Colossians

³ In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,⁴for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints,⁵because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel⁶that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God.⁷This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf,⁸and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.

102. Psalm 102

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But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;

your name endures to all generations.

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You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,

for it is time to favor it;

the appointed time has come.

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For your servants hold its stones dear,

and have pity on its dust.

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The nations will fear the name of the Lord,

and all the kings of the earth your glory.

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For the Lord will build up Zion;

he will appear in his glory.

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He will regard the prayer of the destitute,

and will not despise their prayer.

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Let this be recorded for a generation to come,

so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:

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that he looked down from his holy height,

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,

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to hear the groans of the prisoners,

to set free those who were doomed to die;

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so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion,

and his praise in Jerusalem,

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when peoples gather together,

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

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He has broken my strength in midcourse;

he has shortened my days.

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“O my God,” I say, “do not take me away

at the midpoint of my life,

you whose years endure

throughout all generations.”

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Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

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They will perish, but you endure;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You change them like clothing, and they pass away;

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but you are the same, and your years have no end.

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The children of your servants shall live secure;

their offspring shall be established in your presence.