ARKCODEX
2 Samuel
Ch. 13
Amnon and Tamar
1David's son Absalom had a beautiful unmarried sister named Tamar. Amnon, another of David's sons, fell in love with her.
2He was so much in love with her that he became sick, because it seemed impossible for him to have her; as a virgin, she was kept from meeting men.
3But he had a friend, a very shrewd man named Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah.
4Jonadab said to Amnon, “You are the king's son, yet day after day I see you looking sad. What's the matter?” “I'm in love with Tamar, the sister of my half brother Absalom,” he answered.
5Jonadab said to him, “Pretend that you are sick and go to bed. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please ask my sister Tamar to come and feed me. I want her to fix the food here where I can see her, and then serve it to me herself.’”
6So Amnon pretended that he was sick and went to bed. King David went to see him, and Amnon said to him, “Please let Tamar come and make a few cakes here where I can see her, and then serve them to me herself.”
7So David sent word to Tamar in the palace: “Go to Amnon's house and fix him some food.”
8She went there and found him in bed. She took some dough, prepared it, and made some cakes there where he could see her. Then she baked the cakes
9and emptied them out of the pan for him to eat, but he wouldn't. He said, “Send everyone away”—and they all left.
10Then he said to her, “Bring the cakes here to my bed and serve them to me yourself.” She took the cakes and went over to him.
11As she offered them to him, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me!”
12“No,” she said. “Don't force me to do such a degrading thing! That's awful!
13How could I ever hold up my head in public again? And you—you would be completely disgraced in Israel. Please, speak to the king, and I'm sure that he will give me to you.”
14But he would not listen to her; and since he was stronger than she was, he overpowered her and raped her.
15Then Amnon was filled with a deep hatred for her; he hated her now even more than he had loved her before. He said to her, “Get out!”
16“No,” she answered. “To send me away like this is a greater crime than what you just did!” But Amnon would not listen to her;
17he called in his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!”
18The servant put her out and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves, the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.
19She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying.
20When her brother Absalom saw her, he asked, “Has Amnon molested you? Please, sister, don't let it upset you so much. He is your half brother, so don't tell anyone about it.” So Tamar lived in Absalom's house, sad and lonely.
21When King David heard what had happened, he was furious.
22And Absalom hated Amnon so much for having raped his sister Tamar that he would no longer even speak to him.
Absalom's Revenge
23Two years later Absalom was having his sheep sheared at Baal Hazor, near the town of Ephraim, and he invited all the king's sons to be there.
24He went to King David and said, “Your Majesty, I am having my sheep sheared. Will you and your officials come and take part in the festivities?”
25“No, my son,” the king answered. “It would be too much trouble for you if we all went.” Absalom insisted, but the king would not give in, and he asked Absalom to leave.
26But Absalom said, “Well, then, will you at least let my brother Amnon come?” “Why should he?” the king asked.
27But Absalom kept on insisting until David finally let Amnon and all his other sons go with Absalom. Absalom prepared a banquet fit for a king
28and instructed his servants: “Notice when Amnon has had too much to drink, and then when I give the order, kill him. Don't be afraid. I will take the responsibility myself. Be brave and don't hesitate!”
29So the servants followed Absalom's instructions and killed Amnon. All the rest of David's sons mounted their mules and fled.
30While they were on their way home, David was told: “Absalom has killed all your sons—not one of them is left!”
31The king stood up, tore his clothes in sorrow, and threw himself to the ground. The servants who were there with him tore their clothes also.
32But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shammah, said, “Your Majesty, they haven't killed all your sons. Only Amnon is dead. You could tell by looking at Absalom that he had made up his mind to do this from the time that Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
33So don't believe the news that all your sons are dead; only Amnon was killed.”
34In the meantime Absalom had fled. Just then the soldier on sentry duty saw a large crowd coming down the hill on the road from Horonaim. He went to the king and reported what he had seen.
35Jonadab said to David, “Those are your sons coming, just as I said they would.”
36As soon as he finished saying this, David's sons came in; they started crying, and David and his officials also cried bitterly.
37-38Absalom fled and went to the king of Geshur, Talmai son of Ammihud, and stayed there three years. David mourned a long time for his son Amnon;
39but when he got over Amnon's death, he was filled with longing for his son Absalom.
1 Chronicles
Ch. 17
Nathan's Message to David
1King David was now living in his palace. One day he sent for the prophet Nathan and said to him, “Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but the Lord's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!”
2Nathan answered, “Do whatever you have in mind, because God is with you.”
3But that night God said to Nathan,
4“Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in.
5From the time I rescued the people of Israel from Egypt until now I have never lived in a temple; I have always lived in tents and moved from place to place.
6In all my traveling with the people of Israel I never asked any of the leaders that I appointed why they had not built me a temple made of cedar.’
7“So tell my servant David that I, the Lord Almighty, say to him, ‘I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel.
8I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world.
9-10I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to defeat all your enemies and to give you descendants.
11When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong.
12He will be the one to build a temple for me, and I will make sure that his dynasty continues forever.
13I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not withdraw my support from him as I did from Saul, whom I removed so that you could be king.
14I will put him in charge of my people and my kingdom forever. His dynasty will never end.’”
15Nathan told David everything that God had revealed to him.
David's Prayer of Thanksgiving
16Then King David went into the Tent of the Lord's presence, sat down, and prayed, “I am not worthy of what you have already done for me, Lord God, nor is my family.
17Yet now you are doing even more; you have made promises about my descendants in the years to come, and you, Lord God, are already treating me like someone great.
18What more can I say to you! You know me well, and yet you honor me, your servant.
19It was your will and purpose to do this for me and to show me my future greatness.
20Lord, there is none like you; we have always known that you alone are God.
21There is no other nation on earth like Israel, whom you rescued from slavery to make them your own people. The great and wonderful things you did for them spread your fame throughout the world. You rescued your people from Egypt and drove out other nations as your people advanced.
22You have made Israel your own people forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
23“And now, O Lord, fulfill for all time the promise you made about me and my descendants, and do what you said you would.
24Your fame will be great, and people will forever say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel.’ And you will preserve my dynasty for all time.
25I have the courage to pray this prayer to you, my God, because you have revealed all this to me, your servant, and have told me that you will make my descendants kings.
26You, Lord, are God, and you have made this wonderful promise to me.
27I ask you to bless my descendants so that they will continue to enjoy your favor. You, Lord, have blessed them, and your blessing will rest on them forever.”
Psalms
Ch. 35
A Prayer for Help
1Oppose those who oppose me, Lord, and fight those who fight against me!
2Take your shield and armor and come to my rescue.
3Lift up your spear and war ax against those who pursue me. Promise that you will save me.
4May those who try to kill me be defeated and disgraced! May those who plot against me be turned back and confused!
5May they be like straw blown by the wind as the angel of the Lord pursues them!
6May their path be dark and slippery while the angel of the Lord strikes them down!
7Without any reason they laid a trap for me and dug a deep hole to catch me.
8But destruction will catch them before they know it; they will be caught in their own trap and fall to their destruction!
9Then I will be glad because of the Lord; I will be happy because he saved me.
10With all my heart I will say to the Lord, “There is no one like you. You protect the weak from the strong, the poor from the oppressor.”
11Evil people testify against me and accuse me of crimes I know nothing about.
12They pay me back evil for good, and I sink in despair.
13But when they were sick, I dressed in mourning; I deprived myself of food; I prayed with my head bowed low,
14as I would pray for a friend or a brother. I went around bent over in mourning, as one who mourns for his mother.
15But when I was in trouble, they were all glad and gathered around to make fun of me; strangers beat me and kept striking me.
16Like those who would mock a cripple, they glared at me with hate.
17How much longer, Lord, will you just look on? Rescue me from their attacks; save my life from these lions!
18Then I will thank you in the assembly of your people; I will praise you before them all.
19Don't let my enemies, those liars, gloat over my defeat. Don't let those who hate me for no reason smirk with delight over my sorrow.
20They do not speak in a friendly way; instead they invent all kinds of lies about peace-loving people.
21They accuse me, shouting, “We saw what you did!”
22But you, O Lord, have seen this. So don't be silent, Lord; don't keep yourself far away!
23Rouse yourself, O Lord, and defend me; rise up, my God, and plead my cause.
24You are righteous, O Lord, so declare me innocent; don't let my enemies gloat over me.
25Don't let them say to themselves, “We are rid of him! That's just what we wanted!”
26May those who gloat over my suffering be completely defeated and confused; may those who claim to be better than I am be covered with shame and disgrace.
27May those who want to see me acquitted shout for joy and say again and again, “How great is the Lord! He is pleased with the success of his servant.”
28Then I will proclaim your righteousness, and I will praise you all day long.