2 Samuel 12:29

So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it.

2 Samuel 12:30

Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city in great amounts.

2 Samuel 12:31

He also brought out the people who were in it, and set them under saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

2 Samuel 13:1

Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 Samuel 13:3

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

2 Samuel 13:4

He said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Then Amnon said to him, “I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom.”

2 Samuel 13:5

Jonadab then said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.’”

2 Samuel 13:6

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

2 Samuel 13:7

Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.”

2 Samuel 13:8

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

2 Samuel 13:9

She took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” So everyone went out from him.

2 Samuel 13:10

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

2 Samuel 13:13

As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.”

2 Samuel 13:15

Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for 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 away!”

2 Samuel 13:16

But she said to him, “No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!” Yet he would not listen to her.

2 Samuel 13:17

Then he called his young man who attended him and said, “Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her.”

2 Samuel 13:18

Now she had on a long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her.

2 Samuel 13:23

Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

2 Samuel 13:24

Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.”

2 Samuel 13:25

But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you.” Although he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him.

2 Samuel 13:26

Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”

2 Samuel 13:27

But when Absalom urged him, he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.

2 Samuel 13:29

The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled.

2 Samuel 13:30

Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.”

2 Samuel 13:31

Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn.

2 Samuel 13:32

Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, responded, “Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead; because by the intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated his sister Tamar.

2 Samuel 13:33

Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, namely, ‘all the king’s sons are dead,’ for only Amnon is dead.”

2 Samuel 13:34

Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain.

2 Samuel 13:35

Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; according to your servant’s word, so it happened.”

2 Samuel 13:36

As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.

2 Samuel 13:37

Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

2 Samuel 13:39

The heart of King David longed to go out to Absalom; for he was comforted concerning Amnon, since he was dead.

2 Samuel 14:1

Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was inclined toward Absalom.

2 Samuel 14:2

So Joab sent to Tekoa and brought a wise woman from there and said to her, “Please pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning garments now, and do not anoint yourself with oil, but be like a woman who has been mourning for the dead many days;

2 Samuel 14:3

then go to the king and speak to him in this manner.” So Joab put the words in her mouth.

2 Samuel 14:4

Now when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and prostrated herself and said, “Help, O king.”

2 Samuel 14:5

The king said to her, “What is your trouble?” And she answered, “Truly I am a widow, for my husband is dead.

2 Samuel 14:6

Your maidservant had two sons, but the two of them struggled together in the field, and there was no one to separate them, so one struck the other and killed him.

2 Samuel 14:7

Now behold, the whole family has risen against your maidservant, and they say, ‘Hand over the one who struck his brother, that we may put him to death for the life of his brother whom he killed, and destroy the heir also.’ Thus they will extinguish my coal which is left, so as to leave my husband neither name nor remnant on the face of the earth.”

2 Samuel 14:8

Then the king said to the woman, “Go to your house, and I will give orders concerning you.”

2 Samuel 14:9

The woman of Tekoa said to the king, “O my lord, the king, the iniquity is on me and my father’s house, but the king and his throne are guiltless.”

2 Samuel 14:10

So the king said, “Whoever speaks to you, bring him to me, and he will not touch you anymore.”

2 Samuel 14:11

Then she said, “Please let the king remember the LORD your God, so that the avenger of blood will not continue to destroy, otherwise they will destroy my son.” And he said, “As the LORD lives, not one hair of your son shall fall to the ground.”

2 Samuel 14:12

Then the woman said, “Please let your maidservant speak a word to my lord the king.” And he said, “Speak.”

2 Samuel 14:13

The woman said, “Why then have you planned such a thing against the people of God? For in speaking this word the king is as one who is guilty, in that the king does not bring back his banished one.

2 Samuel 14:14

For we will surely die and are like water spilled on the ground which cannot be gathered up again. Yet God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished one will not be cast out from him.

2 Samuel 14:15

Now the reason I have come to speak this word to my lord the king is that the people have made me afraid; so your maidservant said, ‘Let me now speak to the king, perhaps the king will perform the request of his maidservant.

2 Samuel 14:16

For the king will hear and deliver his maidservant from the hand of the man who would destroy both me and my son from the inheritance of God.’

2 Samuel 14:17

Then your maidservant said, ‘Please let the word of my lord the king be comforting, for as the angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and evil. And may the LORD your God be with you.’”

2 Samuel 14:18

Then the king answered and said to the woman, “Please do not hide anything from me that I am about to ask you.” And the woman said, “Let my lord the king please speak.”