18. The servant made her leave, and he locked the door behind her.The king's unmarried daughters used to wear long robes with sleeves.
19. Tamar tore the robe she was wearing and put ashes on her head. Then she covered her face with her hands and cried loudly as she walked away.
20. Tamar's brother Absalom said to her, “How could Amnon have done such a terrible thing to you! But since he's your brother, don't tell anyone what happened. Just try not to think about it.”Tamar soon moved into Absalom's house, but she was always sad and lonely.
21. When David heard what had happened to Tamar, he was very angry. But Amnon was his eldest son and also his favourite, and David would not do anything to make Amnon unhappy.
22. Absalom treated Amnon as though nothing had happened, but he hated Amnon for what he had done to his sister Tamar.
23. Two years later, Absalom's servants were cutting wool from his sheep in Baal-Hazor near the town of Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons to be there.
24. Then he went to David and said, “My servants are cutting the wool from my sheep. Please come and join us!”
25. David answered, “No, my son, we won't go. It would be too expensive for you.” Absalom tried to get him to change his mind, but David did not want to go. He only said that he hoped they would have a good time.
26. Absalom said, “If you won't go, at least let my brother Amnon come with us.”David asked, “Why should he go with you?”
27. But Absalom kept on insisting, and finally David let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom.Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king.
28. But he told his servants, “Keep an eye on Amnon. When he gets a little drunk from the wine and is feeling good, I'll give the signal. Then kill him! I've commanded you to do it, so don't be afraid. Be strong and brave.”
29. Absalom's servants killed Amnon, just as Absalom had told them. The rest of the king's sons quickly rode away on their mules to escape from Absalom.
30. While they were on their way to Jerusalem, someone told David, “Absalom has killed all your sons! Not even one is left.”
31. David got up, and in his sorrow he tore his clothes and lay down on the ground. His servants remained standing, but they tore their clothes too.
32. Then David's nephew Jonadab said, “Your Majesty, not all your sons were killed! Only Amnon is dead. On the day that Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom decided to kill him.
33. Don't worry about the report that all your sons were killed. Only Amnon is dead,
34. and Absalom has run away.”One of the guards noticed a lot of people coming along the hillside on the road to Horonaim. He went and told the king, “I saw some men coming along Horonaim Road.”