Tamar Brings Cakes To Amnon As He Dismisses Attendants

1After this, Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon son of David loved her.

2Amnon was so distressed that he made himself sick because of Tamar his sister, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible in Amnon’s eyes to do anything to her.

3Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

4He said to him, “Why are you so gaunt, son of the king, morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”

5Jehonadab 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 Tamar my sister come and give me food, and let her prepare the meal in my sight, so that I may watch and eat from her hand.’”

6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make two cakes before my eyes, so that I may eat from her hand.”

7Then David sent word to Tamar at home, saying, “Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare the food for him.”

8So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, while he was lying down. She took the dough, kneaded it, shaped it into cakes in his sight, and cooked the cakes.

9Then she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Send everyone out from me.” So everyone went out from him.

10Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the inner room, so that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the inner room to Amnon her brother.

11When she brought it near to him to eat, he seized her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

12She said to him, “No, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing.”

13As for me, where could I carry my disgrace? And you—you would be like one of the fools in Israel. So now, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.

14But he would not listen to her, and he was stronger than she was, and he violated her and lay with her.

15Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, because the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go.”

16But she said to him, “No, because this great wrong of sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.

17Then he called his young man who served him and said, “Please send this one away from me, outside, and bolt the door behind her.”

18She was wearing a richly ornamented robe, for this is how the virgin daughters of the king used to dress. Then his attendant put her outside and bolted the door behind her.