4. Jonadab said to Amnon, “You are the king's son, yet day after day I see you looking sad. What's the matter?”“I'm in love with Tamar, the sister of my half-brother Absalom,” he answered.
5. Jonadab said to him, “Pretend that you are ill and go to bed. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please ask my sister Tamar to come and feed me. I want her to prepare the food here where I can see her, and then serve it to me herself.’ ”
6. So Amnon pretended that he was ill and went to bed.King David went to see him, and Amnon said to him, “Please let Tamar come and make a few cakes here where I can see her, and then serve them to me herself.”
7. So David sent word to Tamar in the palace: “Go to Amnon's house and prepare some food for him.”
8. She went there and found him in bed. She took some dough, prepared it, and made some cakes there where he could see her. Then she baked the cakes
9. and emptied them out of the pan for him to eat, but he wouldn't. He said, “Send everyone away” — and they all left.
10. Then he said to her, “Bring the cakes here to my bed and serve them to me yourself.” She took the cakes and went over to him.
11. As she offered them to him, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me!”
12. “No,” she said. “Don't force me to do such a degrading thing! That's awful!
13. How could I ever hold up my head in public again? And you — you would be completely disgraced in Israel. Please, speak to the king, and I'm sure that he will give me to you.”
14. But he would not listen to her; and since he was stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.
15. Then Amnon was filled with a deep hatred for her; he hated her now even more than he had loved her before. He said to her, “Get out!”
16. “No,” she answered. “To send me away like this is a greater crime than what you just did!”But Amnon would not listen to her;
17. he called in his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!”
18. The servant put her out and locked the door.Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves, the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.
19. She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying.
20. When her brother Absalom saw her, he asked, “Has Amnon molested you? Please, sister, don't let it upset you so much. He is your half-brother, so don't tell anyone about it.” So Tamar lived in Absalom's house, sad and lonely.
21. When King David heard what had happened, he was furious.
22. And Absalom hated Amnon so much for having raped his sister Tamar that he would no longer even speak to him.
23. Two years later Absalom was having his sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim, and he invited all the king's sons to be there.
24. He went to King David and said, “Your Majesty, I am having my sheep sheared. Will you and your officials come and take part in the festivities?”