2 Samuel

暗嫩和她玛

1大卫的儿子押沙龙有一个美貌的妹子，名叫她玛。大卫的儿子暗嫩爱她。

2暗嫩为他妹子她玛忧急成病。她玛还是处女，暗嫩以为难向她行事。

3暗嫩有一个朋友，名叫约拿达，是大卫长兄示米亚的儿子。这约拿达为人极其狡猾；

4他问暗嫩说：「王的儿子啊，为何一天比一天瘦弱呢？请你告诉我。」暗嫩回答说：「我爱我兄弟押沙龙的妹子她玛。」

5约拿达说：「你不如躺在床上装病；你父亲来看你，就对他说：『求父叫我妹子她玛来，在我眼前预备食物，递给我吃，使我看见，好从她手里接过来吃。』」

6于是暗嫩躺卧装病。王来看他，他对王说：「求父叫我妹子她玛来，在我眼前为我做两个饼，我好从她手里接过来吃。」

7大卫就打发人到宫里，对她玛说：「你往你哥哥暗嫩的屋里去，为他预备食物。」

8她玛就到她哥哥暗嫩的屋里；暗嫩正躺卧。她玛抟面，在他眼前做饼，且烤熟了，

9在他面前将饼从锅里倒出来，他却不肯吃，便说：「众人离开我出去吧！」众人就都离开他，出去了。

10暗嫩对她玛说：「你把食物拿进卧房，我好从你手里接过来吃。」她玛就把所做的饼拿进卧房，到她哥哥暗嫩那里，

11拿着饼上前给他吃，他便拉住她玛，说：「我妹妹，你来与我同寝。」

12她玛说：「我哥哥，不要玷辱我。以色列人中不当这样行，你不要做这丑事；

13你玷辱了我，我何以掩盖我的羞耻呢？你在以色列中也成了愚妄人。你可以求王，他必不禁止我归你。」

14但暗嫩不肯听她的话，因比她力大，就玷辱她，与她同寝。

15随后，暗嫩极其恨她，那恨她的心比先前爱她的心更甚，对她说：「你起来，去吧！」

16她玛说：「不要这样！你赶出我去的这罪比你才行的更重！」但暗嫩不肯听她的话，

17就叫伺候自己的仆人来，说：「将这个女子赶出去！她一出去，你就关门，上闩。」

18那时她玛穿着彩衣，因为没有出嫁的公主都是这样穿。暗嫩的仆人就把她赶出去，关门上闩。

19她玛把灰尘撒在头上，撕裂所穿的彩衣，以手抱头，一面行走，一面哭喊。

20她胞兄押沙龙问她说：「莫非你哥哥暗嫩与你亲近了吗？我妹妹，暂且不要作声，他是你的哥哥，不要将这事放在心上。」她玛就孤孤单单地住在她胞兄押沙龙家里。

21大卫王听见这事，就甚发怒。

22押沙龙并不和他哥哥暗嫩说好说歹；因为暗嫩玷辱他妹妹她玛，所以押沙龙恨恶他。

押沙龙为妹报仇

23过了二年，在靠近以法莲的巴力·夏琐有人为押沙龙剪羊毛；押沙龙请王的众子与他同去。

24押沙龙来见王，说：「现在有人为仆人剪羊毛，请王和王的臣仆与仆人同去。」

25王对押沙龙说：「我儿，我们不必都去，恐怕使你耗费太多。」押沙龙再三请王，王仍是不肯去，只为他祝福。

26押沙龙说：「王若不去，求王许我哥哥暗嫩同去。」王说：「何必要他去呢？」

27押沙龙再三求王，王就许暗嫩和王的众子与他同去。

28押沙龙吩咐仆人说：「你们注意，看暗嫩饮酒畅快的时候，我对你们说杀暗嫩，你们便杀他，不要惧怕。这不是我吩咐你们的吗？你们只管壮胆奋勇！」

29押沙龙的仆人就照押沙龙所吩咐的，向暗嫩行了。王的众子都起来，各人骑上骡子，逃跑了。

30他们还在路上，有风声传到大卫那里，说：「押沙龙将王的众子都杀了，没有留下一个。」

31王就起来，撕裂衣服，躺在地上。王的臣仆也都撕裂衣服，站在旁边。

32大卫的长兄，示米亚的儿子约拿达说：「我主，不要以为王的众子—少年人都杀了，只有暗嫩一个人死了。自从暗嫩玷辱押沙龙妹子她玛的那日，押沙龙就定意杀暗嫩了。

33现在，我主我王，不要把这事放在心上，以为王的众子都死了，只有暗嫩一个人死了。」

34押沙龙逃跑了。 守望的少年人举目观看，见有许多人从山坡的路上来。

35约拿达对王说：「看哪，王的众子都来了，果然与你仆人所说的相合。」

36话才说完，王的众子都到了，放声大哭；王和臣仆也都哭得甚恸。

37押沙龙逃到基述王亚米忽的儿子达买那里去了。大卫天天为他儿子悲哀。

38押沙龙逃到基述，在那里住了三年。

39暗嫩死了以后，大卫王得了安慰，心里切切想念押沙龙。

1And it came to pass after this, that Amnon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.

2And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.

3Now Amnon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise man:

4And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Amnon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.

5And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.

6So Amnon lay down, and made as if he were sick: and when the king came to visit him, Amnon said to the king: I pray thee let my sister Thamar come, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.

7Then David sent home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Amnon, and make him a mess.

8And Thamar came to the house of Amnon her brother: but he was laid down: and she took meal and tempered it: and dissolving it in his sight she made little messes.

9And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out, and set it before him, but he would not eat: and Amnon said: Put out all persons from me. And when they had put all persons out,

10Amnon said to Thamar: Bring the mess into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand. And Thamar took the little messes which she had made, and brought them in to her brother Amnon in the chamber.

11And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come lie with me, my sister.

12She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me: for no such thing must be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly.

13For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel: but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.

14But he would not hearken to her prayers, but being stronger overpowered her and lay with her.

15Then Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before, And Amnon said to her: Arise, and get thee gone.

16She answered him: This evil which now thou dost against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before. And he would not hearken to her:

17But calling the servants that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the door after her.

18And she was clothed with along robe: for the king’s daughters that were virgins, used such kind of garments. Then his servant thrust her out: and shut the door after her.

19And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.

20And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Amnon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother: and afflict not thy heart for this thing. So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.

21And when king David heard of these things he was exceedingly grieved: and he would not afflict the spirit of his son Amnon, for he loved him, because he was his firstborn.

22But Absalom spoke not to Amnon neither good nor evil: for Absalom hated Amnon because he had ravished his sister Thamar.

23And it came to pass after two years, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons:

24And he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy servant’s sheep are shorn. Let the king, I pray, with his servants come to his servant.

25And the king said to Absalom: Nay, my son, do not ask that we should all come, and be chargeable to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him.

26And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother Amnon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with thee.

27But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. And Absalom made a feast as it were the feast of a king.

28And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Amnon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him, fear not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and be valiant men.

29And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king’s sons arose and got up every man upon his mule, and fled.

30And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left.

31Then the king rose up, and rent his garments: and fell upon the ground, and all his servants, that stood about him, rent their garments.

32But Jonadab the son of Semmaa David’s brother answering, said: Let not my lord the king think that all the king’s sons are slain: Amnon only is dead, for he was appointed by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister Thamar.

33Now therefore let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king’s sons are slain: for Amnon only is dead.

34But Absalom fled away: and the young man that kept the watch, lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there came much people by a by-way on the side of the mountain.

35And Jonadab said to the king: Behold the king’s sons are come: as thy servant said, so it is.

36And when he made an end of speaking, the king’s sons also appeared: and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very much.

37But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud the king of Gessur. And David mourned for his son every day.

38And Absalom after he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three years.

39And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Amnon.