1   And it came to passe after these thinges, that Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued the sister of Absalom the sonne of Dauid, being very beautiful, called Thamar,

2   and was fond on her excedingly, so that for the loue of her he was sicke: because wheras she was a virgin, it semed vnto him had hard to doe any thing vnhonestly with her.

3   But Amnon a freind, named Ionadab the sonne of Semmaa Dauids brother, a very wise man:

4   Who sayd to him: Why art thou so worne away with leanenes the kinges sonne, day by day? Why doest thou not tel me? And Amnon sayd to him: I loue Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.

5   To whom Ionadab answered: Lye vpon thy bed, and fayne sickenes: and when thy father shal come to visite thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray, come to me, to geue me meate, and to make me broth, that I may eate of her hand.

6   Amnon therefore lay downe, and began as it were to be sicke: and when the king came to visite him, Amnon sayd to the king: Let Thamar my sister come, I besech you, that she may make in my sight two litle suppinges, and I may take meate of her hand.

7   Dauid therfore sent home to Thamar, saying: Come into the house of Amnon thy brother, & make him broth.

8   And Thamar came into the house of Amnon her brother: and he lay, who taking meale tempered it: and resoluing it in his sight she made suppinges.

9   And taking that which she had boyled, she powred it out, and set it before him, and he would nor eate: and Amnon sayd: Put forth al from me. And when they had put forth al,

10   Amnon sayd to Thamar: Bring in the meate into the parler, that I may eate of thy hand Thamar therfore tooke the suppinges, which she had made, and caryed it in to Amnon her brother in the parler.

11   And when she had offered him the meate, he caught her, and sayd: Come, lie with me my sister.

12   Who answered him: Doe not so my brother, doe not rauish me: for this is not lawful in Israel. Doe not this folie.

13   For I shal not be able to beare my reproch, and thou shalt be as one of the foolish in Israel: but rather speake to the king, and he wil not denie me to thee.

14   But he would not rest at her petitions, but preuayling by

Dauid. force rauished her, and lay with her.

15   And Amnon hated her with exceding great hatred: so that the hatred was greater, wherewith he hated her, then the loue with the which before he loued her. And Amnon said to her: Arise; and goe.

16   Who answered him: This euil, which now thou doest against me expelling me, is greater then that which thou didst before. And he would not heare her:

17   but calling the seruant, that ministred to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me: and shut the doore after her.

18   Who was clothed with a garment downe to the foote: for the kinges daughters that were virgins, vsed such kinde of garmentes. His seruant therfore thrust her out: and shut the doore after her.

19   Who sprinkling ashes on her head, renting her long garment, and her handes vpon her head, went going on, and crying.

20   And Absolon her brother sayd to her: hath Amnon thy brother lyen with thee? but now sister hold thy peace, he is thy brother: neither afflict thou thy hart for this thing. Thamar therefore taryed pyning in the house of Absalom her brother.

21   And when Dauid the king had heard these wordes, he was greeued excedingly.

22   Moreouer Absalom spake not to Amnon neitheir good nor euil: for Absalom hated Amnon because he had rauished Thamar his sister.

23   And it came to passe after the space of two yeares, that the sheepe of Absalom were shorne in Baalhasor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom called al the kinges sonnes,

24   and he came to the king, and said to him: Behold thy seruantes sheepe are to be shorne: Let the king, I pray, with his seruantes come to his seruant.

25   And the king said to Absalom: Doe not so my sonne, request not that we come al, & charge thee. And when he was earnest with him, & he would not goe, he blessed him.

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

27   Absalom therefore was earnest with him, and he let Amnon and al the kinges sonnes goe with him. And Absalom made a feast as it were the feast of a king.

28   And Absalom had commanded his seruantes, saying: Marke when Amnon shal be drunke with wine, and I shal say to you: Strike him, and kil him, feare not: for it is I that command you: take courage, and play the valiant men.

29   Therefore the seruantes of Absalom did against Amnon, as Absalom had commanded them.

Dauid. And al the kinges sonnes rysing gatte vp euery one vpon their mules, and fled.

30   And when they yet went on in their way, a rumour came to Dauid, saying: Absalom hath stricken al the kinges sonnes, and there is not leift of them so much as one.

31   The king therfore rose vp, and rent his garmentes: and fel vpon the ground, and al his seruantes, that stood about him, rent their garmentes.

32   But Ionadab the sonne of Semmaa Dauids brother answering, sayd: Let not my lord the king thinke, that al the kinges sonnes be slayne: Amnon only is dead, because he was put in the mouth of Absalom since the day that he rauished Thamar his sister.

33   Now therefore let not my lord the king put this word vpon his hart, saying: Al the kinges sonnes are slayne: because Amnon only is dead. And Absalom fled: and the seruant that was the scoute watch, lifted vp his eies, and looked: and behold much people came by a byway on the side of the mountayne.

35   And Ionadab sayd to the king: Loe the kinges sonnes be come: according to the wordes of thy seruant so is it done.

36   And when he had ceased to speake, the kinges sonnes also appeared: & entring in they lifted vp their voice, and wept: yea the king also and al his seruantes bewailed with an exceding great weeping.

37   Moreouer Absalom fleing, went to Tholomai the sonne of Ammiud the king of Gessur, Dauid therefore mourned for his sonne al daies. And Absalom when he was fled, and come into Gessur, was there three yeares.

38   And king Dauid ceased to pursew Absalom, because he was comforted vpon the death of Amnon.

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