The King James Version of the Bible
Part 108
2290 words | Chapter 108
t hard for him to do anything
to her.
13:3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of
Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.
13:4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean
from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I
love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
13:5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make
thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I
pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the
meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.
13:6 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was
come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my
sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat
at her hand.
13:7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother
Amnon’s house, and dress him meat.
13:8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down.
And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and
did bake the cakes.
13:9 And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he
refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they
went out every man from him.
13:10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that
I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made,
and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
13:11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of
her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
13:12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no
such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
13:13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee,
thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray
thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
13:14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger
than she, forced her, and lay with her.
13:15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith
he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And
Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.
13:16 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending
me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he
would not hearken unto her.
13:17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said,
Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
13:18 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such
robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his
servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers
colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on
crying.
13:20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother
been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother;
regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother
Absalom’s house.
13:21 But when king David heard of all these things, he was very
wroth.
13:22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad:
for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
13:23 And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had
sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom
invited all the king’s sons.
13:24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant
hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go
with thy servant.
13:25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now
go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he
would not go, but blessed him.
13:26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go
with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
13:27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s
sons go with him.
13:28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when
Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite
Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be
courageous, and be valiant.
13:29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had
commanded.
Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his
mule, and fled.
13:30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings
came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and
there is not one of them left.
13:31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the
earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
13:32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother, answered and
said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men
the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of
Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his
sister Tamar.
13:33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his
heart, to think that all the king’s sons are dead: for Amnon only is
dead.
13:34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted
up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the
way of the hill side behind him.
13:35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as
thy servant said, so it is.
13:36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking,
that, behold, the king’s sons came, and lifted up their voice and
wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore.
13:37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king
of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.
13:38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
13:39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for
he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
14:1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king’s heart was
toward Absalom.
14:2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and
said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on
now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a
woman that had a long time mourned for the dead: 14:3 And come to the
king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put the words in her
mouth.
14:4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her
face to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.
14:5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I
am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.
14:6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in
the field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the
other, and slew him.
14:7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid,
and they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill
him, for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the
heir also: and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall
not leave to my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.
14:8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will
give charge concerning thee.
14:9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the
iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his
throne be guiltless.
14:10 And the king said, Whoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to
me, and he shall not touch thee any more.
14:11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy
God, that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy
any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth,
there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.
14:12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one
word unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.
14:13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a
thing against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as
one which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his
banished.
14:14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground,
which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any
person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled
from him.
14:15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord
the king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy
handmaid said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king
will perform the request of his handmaid.
14:16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand
of the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the
inheritance of God.
14:17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now
be comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to
discern good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.
14:18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from
me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said,
Let my lord the king now speak.
14:19 And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all
this? And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord
the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought
that my lord the king hath spoken: for thy servant Joab, he bade me,
and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid: 14:20 To
fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing:
and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to
know all things that are in the earth.
14:21 And the king said unto Joab, Behold now, I have done this thing:
go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again.
14:22 And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and
thanked the king: and Joab said, To day thy servant knoweth that I
have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath
fulfilled the request of his servant.
14:23 So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to
Jerusalem.
14:24 And the king said, Let him turn to his own house, and let him
not see my face. So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the
king’s face.
14:25 But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as
Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of
his head there was no blemish in him.
14:26 And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year’s end
that he polled it: because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he
polled it:) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels
after the king’s weight.
14:27 And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter,
whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.
14:28 So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the
king’s face.
14:29 Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king;
but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time,
he would not come.
14:30 Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab’s field is near
mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom’s
servants set the field on fire.
14:31 Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said
unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire? 14:32 And
Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither,
that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from
Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now
therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in
me, let him kill me.
14:33 So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called
for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the
ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.
15:1 And it came to
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