2Sa 1, 2Sa 13 | ESV | STEP | After the death of Saul , when David had returned from striking down the Amalekites , David remained two days in Ziklag .

1 After the death of Saul, when David had returned ^afrom striking down the Amalekites, David remained two days in Ziklag. 2 And on the third day, behold, ^ba man came from Saul’s camp, ^cwith his clothes torn and dirt on his head. And when he came to David, ^dhe fell to the ground and paid homage. 3 David said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I have escaped from the camp of Israel.” 4 And David said to him, ^e“How did it go? Tell me.” And he answered, “The people fled from the battle, and also many of the people have fallen and are dead, and Saul and his son Jonathan are also dead.” 5 Then David said to the young man who told him, “How do you know that Saul and his son Jonathan are dead?” 6 And the young man who told him said, ^f“By chance I happened to be on Mount Gilboa, and there was Saul leaning on his spear, and behold, the chariots and the horsemen were close upon him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me, and called to me. And I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 8 And he said to me, ‘Who are you?’ I answered him, ‘I am an Amalekite.’ 9 And he said to me, ^g‘Stand beside me and kill me, for anguish has seized me, and yet my life still lingers.’ 10 So I stood beside him and killed him, because I was sure that he could not live after he had fallen. ^hAnd I took the crown that was on his head and the armlet that was on his arm, and I have brought them here to my lord.”

11 Then David took hold of his clothes and ⁱtore them, and so did all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept ^jand fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son and for the people of the Lord and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said to the young man who told him, “Where do you come from?” And he answered, “I am the son of a sojourner, an Amalekite.” 14 David said to him, “How is it you were not ^kafraid to put out your hand to destroy ^lthe Lord’s anointed?” 15 Then ^mDavid called one of the young men and said, “Go, execute him.” And he struck him down so that he died. 16 And David said to him, ⁿ“Your blood be on your head, for your own mouth has testified against you, saying, ‘I have killed ^othe Lord’s anointed.’”

David’s Lament for Saul and Jonathan

17 And David ^plamented with this lamentation over Saul and Jonathan his son, 18 and he said it ^{▼▼Septuagint; Hebrew the Bow, which may be the name of the lament’s tune} should be taught to the people of Judah; behold, it is written in ^rthe Book of Jashar. ^{▼▼Or of the upright} He said:

19 “Your glory, O Israel, is slain on your high places!
^tHow the mighty have fallen!
20 ^uTell it not in Gath,
^vpublish it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
^wlest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest the daughters of ^xthe uncircumcised exult.
21 ^y“You mountains of Gilboa,
let there be no dew or rain upon you,
nor fields of offerings! ^{▼▼Septuagint firstfruits}
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
the shield of Saul, not ^aaanointed with oil.
22 “From the blood of the slain,
from the fat of the mighty,
^abthe bow of Jonathan turned not back,
and the sword of Saul returned not empty.
23 “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and lovely!
In life and in death they were not divided;
they were ^acswifter than eagles;
they were ^adstronger than lions.
24 “You daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
who clothed you luxuriously in scarlet,
^aewho put ornaments of gold on your apparel.
25 ^af“How the mighty have fallen
in the midst of the battle!
“Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
^agyour love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.
27 ^ah“How the mighty have fallen,
and the weapons of war perished!”

2 Samuel 13

Amnon and Tamar

1 Now ^aiAbsalom, David’s son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was ^ajTamar. And after a time Amnon, David’s son, loved her. 2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of ^akShimeah, David’s brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?” Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 5 Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and ^almake a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, ^am“Send out everyone from me.” So everyone went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother. 11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.” 12 She answered him, “No, my brother, do not violate ^{▼▼Or humiliate; also verses 14, 22, 32} me, for ^aosuch a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this ^apoutrageous thing. 13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of ^aqthe outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that 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!” 16 But she said to him, “No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” ^{▼▼Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain} But he would not listen to her. 17 He called the young man who served him and said, “Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her.” 18 Now she was wearing ^asa long robe ^{▼▼Or a robe of many colors (compare Genesis 37:3); also verse 19} with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. 19 And Tamar ^auput ashes on her head and ^avtore the long robe that she wore. And ^awshe laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 And her brother Absalom said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart.” So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house. 21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn} 22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon ^ayneither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

Absalom Murders Amnon

23 After two full years Absalom had ^azsheepshearers at Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24 And Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold, your servant has sheepshearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him, but he would not go but gave him his blessing. 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?” 27 But Absalom pressed him until he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. 28 Then Absalom commanded his servants, “Mark when Amnon’s ^baheart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Do not fear; have I not commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and each mounted his mule and fled.

30 While they were on the way, news came to David, “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose and ^bbtore his garments and ^bclay on the earth. And all his servants who were standing by tore their garments. 32 But ^bdJonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king’s sons, for Amnon alone is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has been determined from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33 Now therefore let not my lord the king so ^betake it to heart as to suppose that all the king’s sons are dead, for Amnon alone is dead.”

Absalom Flees to Geshur

34 ^bfBut Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him ^{▼▼Septuagint the Horonaim Road} by the side of the mountain. 35 And Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king’s sons have come; as your servant said, so it has come about.” 36 And as soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king’s sons came and lifted up their voice and wept. And the king also and all his servants wept very bitterly.

37 ^bhBut Absalom fled and went to ^biTalmai the son of Ammihud, king of ^bjGeshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. 38 ^bkSo Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the spirit of the king ^{▼▼Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint; Hebrew David} longed to go out ^{▼▼Compare Vulgate ceased to go out} to Absalom, because ^bnhe was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.