Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from 2 Samuel chapters
13 and 14. Chapter 13 After this Absalom the
son of David had a lovely sister whose name was
Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar
that he became sick, for she was a virgin, and
it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her.
But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab,
the son of Shimea, David's brother. Now Jonadab
was a very crafty man, and he said to him, Why
are you, the king's son, becoming thinner day
after day? Will you not tell me? Amnon said to
him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
So Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed
and pretend to be ill, and when your father comes
to see you, say to him, Please let my sister
Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the
food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it
from her hand. Then Amnon lay down and pretended
to be ill. And when the king came to see him,
Amnon said to the king, Please let Tamar my sister
come and make a couple of cakes for me in my
sight that I may eat from her hand. And David
sent home to Tamar, saying, Now go to your brother
Amnon's house and prepare food for him. So Tamar
went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was
lying down. Then she took flour and kneaded it,
made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes.
And she took the pan and placed them out before
him, but he refused to eat. then Amnon said have
everyone go out from me and they all went out
from him then Amnon said to Tamar bring the food
into the bedroom that I may eat from your hand
and Tamar took the cakes which she had made and
brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom
now when she had brought them to him to eat he
took hold of her and said to her come lie with
me my sister but she answered him no my brother
do not force me for no such thing should be done
in Israel do not do this disgraceful thing and
I where could I take my shame and as for you
You would like to be like one of the fools in
Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king,
for he will not withhold me from you. However,
he would not heed her voice. And being stronger
than she, he forced her and lay with her. Then
Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred
with which he hated her was greater than the
love which he had loved her. And Amnon said to
her, Arise, begone. So she said to him, No, indeed.
This evil of sending me away is worse than the
other that you did to me. But he would not listen
to her. Then he called his servant who attended
him and said, Here, put this woman out away from
me and bolt the door behind her. Now she had
on a robe of many colors, for the king's virgin
daughters wore such apparel. And his servant
put her out and bolted the door behind her. Then
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe
of many colors that was on her, and laid her
hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.
And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon
your brother been with you? But now hold your
peace, my sister. He is your brother. Do not
take this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate
in her brother Absalom's house. But when King
David heard of all these things, he was very
angry. And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon
neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon,
because he had forced his sister Tamar. And it
came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom
had sheep shearers in Baal Hazor, which is near
Ephraim. So Absalom invited all the king's sons.
Then Absalom came to the king and said, Kindly
note, your servant has sheep shearers. Please
let the king and his servants go with your servant.
But the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let
us not all go now, lest we be a burden to you.
Then he urged him, but he would not go, and he
blessed him. Then Absalom said, If not, please
let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king
said to him, Why should he go with you? But Absalom
urged him, so he let Amnon and all the king's
sons go with him. Now Absalom had commanded his
servants, saying, Watch now when Amnon's heart
is merry with wine, and when I say to you, Strike
Amnon, then kill him. Do not be afraid. Have
I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant.
So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom
had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose,
and each one got on his mule and fled. And it
came to pass, while they were on the way, that
news came to David, saying, Absalom has killed
all the king's sons, and not one of them is left.
So the king arose and tore his garments and lay
on the ground. And all his servants stood by
with their clothes torn. Then Yonadab, the son
of Shimea, David's brother, answered and said,
Let not my lord suppose they have killed all
the young men, the king's sons, for only Amnon
is dead. For by the command of Absalom this has
been determined from the day that he forced his
sister Tamar. now therefore let not my lord the
king take the thing to his heart to think that
all the king's sons are dead for only amnon is
dead then absalom fled and the young man who
was keeping watch lifted his eyes and looked
and there many people were coming from the road
on the hillside behind him And Jonadab said to
the king, Look, the king's sons are coming, as
your servant said. So it is. So it was as soon
as he had finished speaking that the king's sons
indeed came, and they lifted up their voice and
wept. Also the king and all his servants wept
very bitterly. But Absalom fled and went to Talmai,
the son of Amihud, king of Geshur. And David
mourned for his son every day. So Absalom fled
and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he
had been comforted concerning Amnon, because
he was dead. Chapter 14 So Joab the son of Zeruiah
perceived that the king's heart was concerned
about Absalom. And Joab sent to Tekoia, and brought
from there a wise woman, and said to her, Please
pretend to be a mourner, and put on mourning
apparel. Do not anoint yourself with oil, but
act like a woman who has been mourning a long
time for the dead. Go to the king and speak to
him in this manner. So Joab put the words in
her mouth. And when the woman of Tekoa spoke
to the king, she fell on her face to the ground
and prostrated herself and said, Help, O king.
And the king said to her, What troubles you?
And she answered, Indeed, I am a widow. My husband
is dead. Now your maidservant had two sons. And
the two fought with each other in the field,
and there was no one to part them. But the one
struck the other and killed him. and now the
whole family has risen up against your maidservant
and they said deliver him who struck his brother
that we may execute him for the life of his brother
whom he killed and we will destroy the heir also
so they would extinguish my ember that is left
and leave to my husband neither name nor remnant
on the earth then the king said to the woman
go to your house and i will give orders concerning
you and the woman of tekoa said to the king My
lord, O king, let the iniquity be on me and on
my father's house, and the king and his throne
be guiltless. So the king said, Whoever says
anything to you, bring him to me, and he shall
not touch you any more. Then she said, Please
let the king remember the lord your god, and
do not permit the avenger of blood to destroy
any more, lest they destroy my son. And he said,
As the lord lives, not one hair of your son shall
fall to the ground. Therefore the woman said,
Please let your maidservant speak another word
to my lord the king. And he said, Say on. So
the woman said, Why then have you schemed such
a thing against the people of God? For the king
speaks this thing as one who is guilty, in that
the king does not bring his banished one home
again. For we will surely die and become like
water spilled on the ground, which cannot be
gathered up again. Yet God does not take away
a life, but he devises means so that his banished
ones are not expelled from him. Now therefore
I have come to speak of this thing to my lord
the king, because the people have made me afraid.
And your maidservant said, I will now speak to
the king. It may be that the king will perform
the request of his maidservant. For the king
will hear and deliver his maidservant from the
hand of the man who would destroy me and my son
together from the inheritance of God. Your maidservant
said, The word of my lord the king will now be
comforting. For as the angel of God, so is my
lord the king in discerning good and evil. And
may the lord your God be with you. Then the king
answered and said to the woman, Please do not
hide from me anything that I ask you. And a woman
said, Please let my lord the king speak. So the
king said, Is the hand of Joab with you in all
this? And a woman answered and said, As you live,
my lord the king, no one can turn to the right
hand or to the left from anything that my lord
the king has spoken. For your servant Joab commanded
me, and he put all these words in the mouth of
your maidservant. To bring about this change
of affairs, your servant Joab has done this thing.
But my lord is wise, according to the wisdom
of the angel of God, to know everything that
is in the earth. And the king said to Joab, All
right, I have granted this thing. Go, therefore,
bring back the young man Absalom. Then Joab fell
to the ground on his face and bowed himself and
thanked the king. And Joab said, Today your servant
knows that I have found favor in your sight,
my lord, O king, in that the king has fulfilled
the request of his servant. So Joab arose and
went to Geshur and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
And the king said, Let him return to his own
house, but do not let him see my face. So Absalom
returned to his own house, but did not see the
king's face. Now in all Israel there was no one
who was praised as much as Absalom for his good
looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown
of his head there was no blemish in him. And
when he cut the hair of his head at the end of
every year, he cut it because it was heavy on
him. When he cut it, he weighed the hair of his
head at 200 shekels according to the king's standard.
To Absalom were born three sons and one daughter
whose name was Tamar. She was a woman of beautiful
appearance. And Absalom dwelt two full years
in Jerusalem. but did not see the king's face.
Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to send him to
the king, but he would not come to him. And when
he sent again the second time, he would not come.
So he said to his servants, See, Joab's field
is near mine, and he has barley there. Go and
set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set the
field on fire. Then Joab arose and came to Absalom's
house and said to him, Why have your servants
set my field on fire? And Absalom answered Joab,
Look, I sent you, saying, Come here, so that
I may send you to the king, to say, Why have
I come from Geshur? It would be better for me
to be there still. Now therefore let me see the
king's face, but if there is iniquity in me,
let him execute me. So Joab went to the king
and told him. And when he had called for Absalom,
he came to the king and bowed himself on his
face to the ground before the king. Then the
king kissed Absalom. I hope you enjoyed today's
reading as much as I did and I look forward to
seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.