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 cometh to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David hath a fair sister, and her name [is] Tamar, and Amnon son of David loveth her.

2And Amnon hath distress — even to become sick, because of Tamar his sister, for she [is] a virgin, and it is hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her.

3And Amnon hath a friend, and his name [is] Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab [is] a very wise man,

4and saith to him, 'Wherefore [art] thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, 'Tamar — sister of Absalom my brother — I am loving.'

5And Jonadab saith to him, 'Lie down on thy couch, and feign thyself sick, and thy father hath come in to see thee, and thou hast said unto him, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come in and give me bread to eat; and she hath made the food before mine eyes so that I see [it], and have eaten from her hand.'

6And Amnon lieth down, and feigneth himself sick, and the king cometh in to see him, and Amnon saith unto the king, 'Let, I pray thee, Tamar my sister come, and she maketh before mine eyes two cakes, and I eat from her hand.'

7And David sendeth unto Tamar, to the house, saying, 'Go, I pray thee, to the house of Amnon thy brother, and make for him food.'

8And Tamar goeth to the house of Amnon her brother, and he is lying down, and she taketh the dough, and kneadeth, and maketh cakes before his eyes, and cooketh the cakes,

9and taketh the frying-pan, and poureth out before him, and he refuseth to eat, and Amnon saith, 'Take ye out every one from me;' and they go out every one from him.

10And Amnon saith unto Tamar, 'Bring the food into the inner chamber, and I eat from thy hand;' and Tamar taketh the cakes that she hath made, and bringeth in to Amnon her brother, into the inner chamber,

11and she bringeth nigh unto him to eat, and he layeth hold on her, and saith to her, 'Come, lie with me, my sister.'

12And she saith to him, 'Nay, my brother, do not humble me, for it is not done so in Israel; do not this folly.

13And I — whither do I cause my reproach to go? and thou — thou art as one of the fools in Israel; and now, speak, I pray thee, unto the king; for he doth not withhold me from thee.'

14And he hath not been willing to hearken to her voice, and is stronger than she, and humbleth her, and lieth with her.

15And Amnon hateth her — a very great hatred — that greater [is] the hatred with which he hath hated her than the love with which he loved her, and Amnon saith to her, 'Rise, go.'

16And she saith to him, 'Because of the circumstances this evil is greater than the other that thou hast done with me — to send me away;' and he hath not been willing to hearken to her,

17and calleth his young man, his servant, and saith, 'Send away, I pray thee, this one from me without, and bolt the door after her;'

18— and upon her [is] a long coat, for such upper robes do daughters of the king who [are] virgins put on, — and his servant taketh her out without, and hath bolted the door after her.

19And Tamar taketh ashes for her head, and the long coat that [is] on her she hath rent, and putteth her hand on her head, and goeth, going on and crying;

20and Absalom her brother saith unto her, 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, keep silent, he [is] thy brother; set not thy heart to this thing;' and Tamar dwelleth — but desolate — in the house of Absalom her brother.

21And king David hath heard all these things, and it is very displeasing to him;

22and Absalom hath not spoken with Amnon either evil or good, for Absalom is hating Amnon, because that he humbled Tamar his sister.

23And it cometh to pass, after two years of days, that Absalom hath shearers in Baal-Hazor, which [is] with Ephraim, and Absalom calleth for all the sons of the king.

24And Absalom cometh unto the king, and saith, 'Lo, I pray thee, thy servant hath shearers, let the king go, I pray thee, and his servants, with thy servant.'

25And the king saith unto Absalom, 'Nay, my son, let us not all go, I pray thee, and we are not too heavy on thee;' and he presseth on him, and he hath not been willing to go, and he blesseth him.

26And Absalom saith, 'If not — let, I pray thee, Amnon my brother go with us;' and the king saith to him, 'Why doth he go with thee?'

27and Absalom urgeth on him, and he sendeth with him Amnon, and all the sons of the king.

28And Absalom commandeth his young men, saying, 'See, I pray thee, when the heart of Amnon [is] glad with wine, and I have said unto you, Smite Amnon, that ye have put him to death; fear not; is it not because I have commanded you? be strong, yea, become sons of valour.'

29And the young men of Absalom do to Amnon as Absalom commanded, and rise do all the sons of the king, and they ride, each on his mule, and flee.

30And it cometh to pass — they [are] in the way — and the report hath come unto David, saying, 'Absalom hath smitten all the sons of the king, and there is not left of them one;'

31and the king riseth, and rendeth his garments, and lieth on the earth, and all his servants are standing by [with] rent garments.

32And Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, answereth and saith, 'Let not my lord say, The whole of the young men, the sons of the king, they have put to death; for Amnon alone [is] dead, for by the command of Absalom it hath been appointed from the day of his humbling Tamar his sister;

33and now, let not my lord the king lay unto his heart the word, saying, All the sons of the king have died, for Amnon alone [is] dead.'

34And Absalom fleeth, and the young man who is watching lifteth up his eyes and looketh, and lo, much people are coming by the way behind him, on the side of the hill.

35And Jonadab saith unto the king, 'Lo, the sons of the king have come; as the word of thy servant, so it hath been.'

36And it cometh to pass at his finishing to speak, that lo, the sons of the king have come, and they lift up their voice, and weep, and also the king and all his servants have wept — a very great weeping.

37And Absalom hath fled, and goeth unto Talmai, son of Ammihud, king of Geshur, and [David] mourneth for his son all the days.

38And Absalom hath fled, and goeth to Geshur, and is there three years;

39and [the soul of] king David determineth to go out unto Absalom, for he hath been comforted for Amnon, for [he is] dead.