أمنون وتامار
1 وكانَ لأبشالومَ بنِ داوُدَ أختٌ جميلةٌ اسمُها تامارُ، فأحبَّها أمنونُ بنُ داوُدَ. 2 وبلَغَ بهِ الحبُّ حَدَّ المرضِ، وكانَ مَنالُها صعبا لأنَّها كانَت عذراءَ. 3 وكانَ لأمنونَ صاحبٌ اسمُهُ يونادابُ بنُ شَمعي أخي داوُدَ، وكانَ يونادابُ رجُلا ذكيًّا جِدًّا. 4 فقالَ لَه: «مالي أراكَ يا ابنَ المَلِكِ تَنغمُّ يوما فيوما، ألا تُخبِرُني؟» فقالَ لَه أمنونُ: «أُحِبُّ تامارَ أُختَ أبشالومَ». 5 فقالَ يونادابُ: «نَمْ على سريرِكَ وتَمارَضْ، فإذا جاءَ أبوكَ ليَزورَكَ فقُلْ لَه: «لتَجئْ تامارُ أختي وتُطعِمْني وتُهيِّئِ الطَّعامَ أمامَ عيني فمِنْ يَدِها وحدَها آكُلُ». 6 فنامَ أمنونُ وتَمارضَ، فجاءَ المَلِكُ يَزورُهُ، فقالَ لَه أمنونُ: «لِتَجئْ تامارُ أختي وتعمَلْ أمامي كعكَتَينِ وآكُل مِنْ يَدِها».
7 فأرسلَ داوُدُ يقولُ لتامارَ في القصرِ: «إذهبـي إلى بَيتِ أمنونَ أخيكِ واعمَلي لَه طَعاما». 8 فذهَبت إليهِ وهوَ مُستَلقٍ، فأخذَت دقيقا وعجَنت وعَمِلَت كَعكا أمامَهُ وقَلَتْهُ. 9 وأخذَتِ المِقلاةَ وسكبَت أمامَهُ، فرفضَ أنْ يأكُلَ وقالَ لِمَن حَولَهُ: «أُخرُجوا كُلُّكُم مِنْ عِندي». فخرَجوا جميعا. 10 فقالَ أمنونُ لتامارَ: «أَدخلي الطَّعامَ إلى غُرفَتي فآكُلَ مِنْ يَديكِ». فأخَذَت تامارُ الكعكَ وجاءت بهِ إلى أمنونَ أخيها في غُرفَتِهِ. 11 وقدَّمَت لَه ليأكُلَ فأمسَكَها وقالَ: «تَعالَي نامي معي يا أُختي». 12 فقالَت لَه: «لا تُغصِبْني يا أخي. هذِهِ فاحِشَةٌ لا يفعَلُها أبناءُ إِسرائيلَ، فلا تَفعَلْها أنتَ. 13 فأنا أينَ أذهَبُ بعاري؟ وأنتَ، ألا تكونُ كواحدٍ مِنَ السُّفهاءِ في إِسرائيلَ، فكلِّمِ المَلِكَ، فهوَ لا يَمنَعُني عَنكَ». 14 فرفَضَ أنْ يَسمعَ لِكلامِها، وهجمَ علَيها واغتَصَبها.
15 ثُمَّ أبغضَها أمنونُ بُغضا أشدَّ مِنَ الحُبِّ الّذي أحبَّها إيَّاهُ، وقالَ لها: «قومي انصَرِفي». 16 فقالَت لَه: «لِماذا تَطرُدُني؟ هذا شَرٌّ أعظَمُ مِمَّا فَعلتَهُ بـي». فرفَضَ أنْ يسمَعَ لها 17 ودَعا خادِمَهُ وقالَ لَه: «أخرِجْ هذِهِ عنِّي وأغلِقِ البابَ وراءَها». 18 وكانَ علَيها ثوبٌ موشًّى، لأنَّ بَناتِ المَلِكِ العذارى كُنَّ يَلبَسنَ مِثلَهُ. فأخرَجَها الخادِمُ وأغلَقَ البابَ وراءَها. 19 فذرَّتْ تامارُ رمادا على رأسِها، ومزَّقت ثوبَها الموشَّى وغَطَّت وجهَها بِيَدِها وراحت تبكي عاليا.
20 فقالَ لها أبشالومُ أخوها: «هل فعَلَ أخوكِ أمنونُ شيئا معَكِ؟ اسكُتي الآنَ يا أُختي، فهوَ أخوكِ ولا يَحُزَّ في قلبِكِ هذا الأمرُ». فاعتَزَلت تامارُ في بَيتِ أبشالومَ أخيها. 21 وسمِعَ داوُدُ المَلِكُ بِكُلِّ ما جَرى، فغضِبَ جِدًّا لكِنْ لم يَشأْ أذيَّةَ ابنِهِ أمنونَ، لأنَّه كانَ يُحبُّه، فهوَ ابنُه البِكرُ. 22 أمَّا أبشالومُ فلم يكلِّمْ أمنونَ بشَرٍّ ولا بخيرٍ، لأنَّهُ أبغَضَهُ لاغتِصابِهِ تامارَ أختَهُ.
23 وبَعدَ سنَتينِ كانَ الجَزَّازونَ يَجزُّونَ غنَمَ أبشالومَ في بَعلِ حاصورَ بالقربِ مِنْ مدينةِ أفرايمَ، فدَعا جميعَ بَني المَلِكِ إلى وليمةٍ. 24 وجاءَ إلى المَلِكِ وقالَ لَه: «عِندي، يا سيِّدي جزَّازونَ، فتعالَ أنتَ وحاشيَتُك معي إلى الوليمةِ». 25 فأجابَهُ المَلِكُ: «لا يا ابني، لا نذهَبُ كُلُّنا لِئلاَّ نُثقِّلَ علَيكَ». فألَحَّ علَيهِ فلم يقبَلْ، بل باركَهُ. 26 فقالَ أبشالومُ: «إذا يذهَبُ معَنا أمنونُ أخي». فقالَ المَلِكُ: «لماذا؟» 27 فألحَّ علَيهِ أبشالومُ، فأرسلَ معهُ أمنونَ وجميعَ بَني المَلِكِ. وأقامَ أبشالومُ وليمةً كوليمةِ المُلوكِ. 28 وقالَ أبشالومُ لِرجالِه: «إنتَبِهوا، إذا سكِرَ أمنونُ وقلتُ لكُمُ اقتُلوهُ، أُقتُلوهُ ولا تَخافوا. أنا أمَرتُكُم فتَشَجَّعوا وكونوا رِجالا». 29 ففعَلوا بأمنونَ كما أمرَهُم. فقامَ بَنو المَلِكِ ورَكِبوا بِــغالَهُم وهرَبوا.
30 وبَينَما هُم في الطَّريقِ قيلَ لداوُدَ إنَّ أبشالومَ قتَلَ بَنيكَ كُلَّهُم وما أبقى على أحدٍ. 31 فقامَ ومَزَّقَ ثيابَهُ وتَمدَّدَ على الأرضِ، كذلِكَ مزَّقَ رِجالُ حاشيتِهِ ثيابَهُم ووقَفوا بَينَ يَدَيهِ. 32 فقالَ يونادابُ بنُ شَمعي أخي داوُدَ: «لا تَحسِبْ يا سيِّدي المَلِكُ أنَّ أبشالومَ قتَلَ جميعَ بَنيكَ، وإنَّما قتَلَ أمنونَ وحدَهُ، وكانَ يَنوي ذلِكَ مُنذُ أنِ اغتصَبَ تامارَ أختَهُ. 33 فلا تُصدِّقْ أنَّ جميعَ بَنيكَ قُتِلوا، بل قُتِلَ أمنونُ وحدَهُ».
34 وهربَ أبشالومُ. وتطلَّعَ الحارِسُ فرَأى جمعا كبـيرا يسيرونَ على طريقِ حورانيمَ بجانِبِ الجبَلِ. 35 فقالَ يونادابُ للمَلِكِ: «ها هُم بَنوكَ مُقبِلونَ، كما قُلتُ لكَ يا سيِّدي». 36 فما إنْ فرِغَ مِنْ كلامِهِ حتّى جاءَ بَنو المَلِكِ ورفَعوا أصواتَهُم بالبُكاءِ. وبكى المَلِكُ وجميعُ رجالِ حاشيتِهِ بُكاءً شديدا.
37 وأمَّا أبشالومُ فهربَ والتَجأ إلى تَلمايَ بنِ عَميهودَ مَلِكِ جَشورَ. وناحَ داوُدُ على ابنِهِ أيّاما طويلَةً. 38 وأقامَ أبشالومُ في جَشورَ ثَلاثَ سِنينَ. 39 واشتاقَ داوُدُ إلى لقاءِ أبشالومَ، لأنَّه بدأ يُشفَى مِنْ حُزنِهِ على أمنونَ.
1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man. 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. 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.
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. 7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon’s house, and dress him meat. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
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. 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. 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. 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.
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. 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.
21 ¶ But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. 22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 ¶ And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 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. 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. 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? 27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him.
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. 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.
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. 31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. 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. 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. 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. 35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is. 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.
37 ¶ But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.