Bible Reading for April 8

2 Samuel Chapter 13

1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a
fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for
she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah
David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.

4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from
day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love
Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

5 And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself
sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee,
let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my
sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.

6 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come
to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister
come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.

7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's
house, and dress him meat.

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And
she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did
bake the cakes.

9 And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to
eat. And Amnon said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every
man from him.

10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I
may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and
brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her,
and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.

12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such
thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.

13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou
shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee,
speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.

14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than
she, forced her, and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he
hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And
Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

16 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me
away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not
hearken unto her.

17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put
now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

18 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes
were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant
brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers
colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been
with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard
not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

21 But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for
Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

23 And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had
sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited
all the king's sons.

24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath
sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with
thy servant.

25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go,
lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would
not go, but blessed him.

26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with
us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?

27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go
with him.

28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when
Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon;
then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be
valiant.

29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded.
Then all the king's sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule,
and fled.

30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to
David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not
one of them left.

31 Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and
all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

32 And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said,
Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the
king's sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom
this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

33 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 Amnon only is dead.

34 But Absalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his
eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the
hill side behind him.

35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king's sons come: as thy
servant said, so it is.

36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that,
behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and
the king also and all his servants wept very sore.

37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of
Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

38 So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

39 And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he
was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

2 Samuel Chapter 14

1 Now Joab the son of Zeruiah perceived that the king's heart was toward
Absalom.

2 And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said
unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now
mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman
that had a long time mourned for the dead:

3 And come to the king, and speak on this manner unto him. So Joab put
the words in her mouth.

4 And when the woman of Tekoah spake to the king, she fell on her face
to the ground, and did obeisance, and said, Help, O king.

5 And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, I am
indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

6 And thy handmaid had two sons, and they two strove together in the
field, and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other, and
slew him.

7 And, behold, the whole family is risen against thine handmaid, and
they said, Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him, for
the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also:
and so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall not leave to
my husband neither name nor remainder upon the earth.

8 And the king said unto the woman, Go to thine house, and I will give
charge concerning thee.

9 And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the
iniquity be on me, and on my father's house: and the king and his throne
be guiltless.

10 And the king said, Whosoever saith ought unto thee, bring him to me,
and he shall not touch thee any more.

11 Then said she, I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God,
that thou wouldest not suffer the revengers of blood to destroy any
more, lest they destroy my son. And he said, As the LORD liveth, there
shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth.

12 Then the woman said, Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word
unto my lord the king. And he said, Say on.

13 And the woman said, Wherefore then hast thou thought such a thing
against the people of God? for the king doth speak this thing as one
which is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

14 For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which
cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet
doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him.

15 Now therefore that I am come to speak of this thing unto my lord the
king, it is because the people have made me afraid: and thy handmaid
said, I will now speak unto the king; it may be that the king will
perform the request of his handmaid.

16 For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of
the man that would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance
of God.

17 Then thine handmaid said, The word of my lord the king shall now be
comfortable: for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern
good and bad: therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.

18 Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I
pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my
lord the king now speak.