2 Samuel 13 After this, Abessalom, a son of David, having a very beautiful sister whose name was Themar, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her.

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ After this, Abessalom, a son of David, having a very beautiful sister whose name was Themar, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her. ² And Amnon was so distressed that he pined away on account of Themar his sister, for she was a virgin, and it appeared monstrous in the eyes of Amnon to have any thing to do with her. ³ Now Amnon had a companion whose name was Jonadab. He was the son of Samaa the brother of David. And Jonadab was a man of great subtilty; ⁴ and he said to him, What is the matter with thee, son of the king, that thou art so languishing for some time past? Why dost thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I am in love with Themar, the sister of my brother Abessalom. ⁵ Upon this Jonadab said to him, Take to thy bed, and feign thyself sick, and when thy father cometh to see thee say to him, I pray thee, let Themar my sister come to me, and feed me; and let her prepare the victuals in my sight, that I may see, and eat out of her hands. ⁶ So Amnon went to bed, and feigned himself sick: and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, I pray thee let Themar my sister come to me, and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat out of her hands. ⁷ And David sent to the house to Themar, and said, Go, I pray thee, to thy brother's house, and prepare something for him to eat. ⁸ Accordingly Themar went to the house of Amnon, her brother, and he was a bed; and she took the dough, and kneaded it, and made it into cakes before his eyes, and stewed them ⁹ and she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he would not eat. Then Amnon said, Go out every man from me. And when every one was gone out from him, ¹⁰ Amnon said to Themar, Bring the victuals into the chamber that I may eat out of thy hand so Themar took the cakes she had made and carried them to her brother Amnon into the bed chamber. ¹¹ But when she brought them to him, that he might eat, he took hold of her and said to her, Come, lie with me, my sister. ¹² And she said to him, No, my brother, thou must not dishonour me; for such a thing ought not to be done in Israel. Thou must not commit such folly. ¹³ As for me where could I hide my dishonour? And with regard to thyself, thou wouldst be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, speak I pray thee to the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. ¹⁴ But Amnon would not hearken to her, but overpowered her by force, and dishonoured her. ¹⁵ And when he had lain with her, Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred; so that the hatred with which he hated her, was greater than the love with which he had loved her, and his last wickedness was greater than the first. And Amnon said to her, Arise and begone. ¹⁶ Whereupon Themar said to him, To send me thus away is adding a still greater injury to that which thou hast already done me. But Amnon would not hearken to her voice, ¹⁷ but called his servant who superintended his house, and said to him, Send away, I pray thee, this one from me, out of doors, and shut the door after her. ¹⁸ Now she had on an embroidered robe; for such was the dress which the king's daughters wore, who were virgins. So when the servant led her out, and shut the door after her, ¹⁹ Themar took ashes, and put them on her head, and tore in pieces the embroidered robe which she had on, and putting her hands on her head, she went on crying. ²⁰ And Abessalom her brother said to her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? Now therefore, my sister, hold thy peace. Because he is thy brother, thou must not mention this matter. So Themar abode as a widow in the house of her brother Abessalom. ²¹ Though king David heard all these things, and was very angry, yet he would not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon because he loved him as being his first born. ²² As for Abessalom he spoke not a word to Amnon, good or bad, for he hated Amnon for having dishonoured his sister Themar. ²³ Now about two years after this Abessalom had sheep shearers at Belasor, in the borders of Ephraim; and Abessalom invited all the king's sons. ²⁴ And Abessalom went to the king, and said, Behold they are shearing thy servant's sheep, let the king I pray thee, and his servants, go with thy servant. ²⁵ But the king said to Abessalom, No, my son. We must not all go; for we must not overburthen thee. When he had pressed him, and he would not consent to go but blessed him; ²⁶ then Abessalom said to him, If not; let my brother Amnon, I pray thee, go with us. And the king said, Why should he go with thee? ²⁷ But Abessalom pressed him, so he sent with him Amnon, and all the king's sons. ²⁸ And Abessalom made a banquet like that of the king. And Abessalom gave a charge to his servants saying, Observe when the heart of Amnon is elated with wine, and I say to you, Smite Amnon; then put him to death. Be not afraid, for it is I who command you. Acquit yourselves like men, and be sons of valour. ²⁹ And when the servants of Abessalom had done to Amnon as Abessalom had commanded them, all the king's sons arose, and mounted every man his mule, and fled. ³⁰ And while they were on the road, the report came to David saying, Abessalom hath slain all the king's sons; there is not one of them left. ³¹ Thereupon the king arose, and rent his garments, and lay on the ground, and all his servants stood around him, with their clothes rent. ³² And Jonadab, son of Samaa, David's brother, addressing him said, Let not my lord the king suppose that he hath slain all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead; for he hath been continually in the mouth of Abessalom from the day he dishonoured his sister Themar. ³³ Now therefore let not the king lay this to heart, saying, All the king's sons are dead; for there is none dead but only Amnon; ³⁴ and Abessalom hath made his escape. Then the servant who stood centinel raised his eyes, and looked, and lo, many people were coming down the side of the mountain by the way behind him, whereupon the centinel came, and told the king, saying, I have seen many people coming by the way of Oronen, from the side of the mountain. ³⁵ And Jonadab said to the king, Behold the king's sons are near at hand. It is as thy servant said. ³⁶ And just as he had finished speaking, behold the king's sons came, and they raised their voice, and wept, and the king also, and all his servants, wept bitterly. ³⁷ And Abessalom fled, and went to Tholmi, son of Emiud, king of Gedsur, to the land of Chamaachad. And king David mourned for his son all that year. ³⁸ Now when Abessalom, who had left his country, and gone to Gedsur, had been there three years, ³⁹ king David was mollified so as to long for Abessalom, for he was comforted with respect to Amnon, seeing he was dead.