26. Absalom said, “If you don’t want to go, please let my brother Amnon go with me.” King David asked Absalom, “Why should he go with you?”
27. Absalom kept begging David. Finally, David let Amnon and all the king’s other sons go with Absalom.
28. Then Absalom gave this command to his servants, “Watch Amnon. When he is drunk and feeling good from the wine, I will give you the command. You must attack Amnon and kill him. Don’t be afraid of being punished. After all, you will only be obeying my command. Now, be strong and brave.”
29. So Absalom’s young soldiers did what he said. They killed Amnon. But all of David’s other sons escaped. Each son got on his mule and escaped.
30. The king’s sons were still on their way into town. But King David got a message about what happened. But the message was, “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons! Not one of the sons was left alive.”
31. King David tore his clothes and lay on the ground. All of David’s officers standing near him also tore their clothes.
32. But then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, said, “Don’t think that all the king’s sons were killed! Only Amnon is dead. Absalom has been planning this from the day that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
33. My lord and king, don’t think that all of your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
34. Absalom ran away. There was a guard standing on the city wall. He saw many people coming from the other side of the hill, and went to tell the king.
35. So Jonadab said to King David, “Look, I was right! The king’s sons are coming.”
36. The king’s sons came in just after Jonadab said that. They were crying loudly. David and all of his officers began crying. They all cried very hard.
37. David cried for his son every day. Absalom ran away to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.
38. After Absalom had run away to Geshur, he stayed there for three years.