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Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house — because you have shown contempt for me and taken the wife of Uriyah the Hitti as your own wife.'

For you did it secretly, but I will do this before all Isra'el in broad daylight.'"

Then David got up off the ground, washed, anointed himself and changed his clothes. He went into the house of Adonai and worshipped; then he went to his own palace; and when he asked for food, they served it to him; and he ate.

His servants asked him, "What are you doing? You fasted and wept for the child while it was alive; but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat food!"

and sent through Natan the prophet to have him named Y'didyah [loved by God], for Adonai 's sake.

Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her.

Where could I go with such shame? And as for you, you will be regarded as one of Isra'el's vulgar brutes. Now therefore, please! Speak to the king, because he won't keep me from you."

But then he was filled with utter revulsion for her — his hatred of her was even greater than the love he had had for her before. Amnon said to her, "Get up, and get out of here!"

he called his personal servant and said, "Get rid of this woman for me! Throw her out, and lock the door after her!"

As for Avshalom, he refused to say a word to Amnon, either good or bad; for Avshalom hated Amnon for having raped his sister Tamar.

But then Yonadav, the son of Shim‘ah, David's brother, spoke up; he said, "My lord shouldn't think they have killed all the young men, the king's sons. Only Amnon is dead; for Avshalom has meant to do this ever since the day he raped his sister Tamar.

Avshalom fled and went to Talmai the son of ‘Ammihud, king of G'shur. David mourned for his son every day.

so Yo'av sent to T'koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, "Please, pretend you're a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they're saying, ‘Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.' They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth."

For we will all die someday; we'll be like water spilled on the ground that can't be gathered up again; and God makes no exception for anyone. The king should think of some way to keep the son he banished from being forever an outcast.

For the king will listen and rescue his servant from the hands of those who would destroy me and my son together from our share of God's inheritance.'

Then your servant said, ‘Please let my lord the king say something that will give me relief; for my lord the king is like an angel of God in discerning good from bad — and may Adonai your God be with you.'"

Now in all Isra'el there was no one more praised for his beauty than Avshalom — there was no defect on him from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.

Avshalom answered Yo'av, "Look, I sent a message to you to come here, so that I could send you to the king to ask, ‘Why did I come from G'shur? It would have been better for me if I had stayed there. So now, let me appear before the king; and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.'"

Yo'av went to the king and told him; and when he had called for Avshalom, he went to the king and prostrated himself with his face to the ground before the king. Then the king kissed Avshalom.