1. Now David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon loved her.
2. Tamar was a virgin. Amnon did not think he should do anything bad to her. But he wanted her very much. He made himself sick just thinking about her.
3. Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah. (Shimeah was David’s brother.) Jonadab was a very clever man.
4. He asked Amnon, “Why do you look so sad day after day? You are the king’s son! Tell me what’s wrong!”Amnon told him, “I love Tamar. But she is the sister of my half-brother Absalom.”
5. Jonadab said to Amnon, “Go to bed. Act as if you are sick. Then your father will come to see you. Tell him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food in front of me. Then I will see it and eat it from her hand.’”
6. So Amnon lay down in bed and acted as if he were sick. King David came in to see him. Amnon said to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come in. Let her make two of her special cakes for me while I watch. Then I will eat them from her hands.”
7. David sent messengers to Tamar in the palace. They told her, “Go to your brother Amnon’s house and make some food for him.”
8. So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house. He was in bed. Tamar took some dough and pressed it together with her hands. She made some special cakes while Amnon watched. Then she baked them.
9. Next she took the pan and took out the cakes for Amnon. But he refused to eat.He said to his servants, “All of you, leave me alone!” So all his servants left the room.