1. It came to pass after this that Absalom son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar, so Amnon, son of David, fell in love with her.
2. But Amnon was so frustrated that he fell sick because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin and it seemed impossible in Amnon to do anything to her.
3. However, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
4. So he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, so miserable morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon told him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
5. So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you are sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some bread to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may see it and eat from her hand.’”
6. So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick, and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in front of me so I may eat from her hand.”
7. Then David sent someone to the house for Tamar saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare bread for him.”
8. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house while he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in front of him and baked the cakes.
9. Then she took the pan and poured them out in front of him but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Everyone, leave me!” So everyone left him.
10. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the bread into the bedroom that I may eat from your hand.” So Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.