After this Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother. Now Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

So Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and make yourself sick. 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 before my eyes, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.

And David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, Now go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him.

And she took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, Have everyone go out from me. And they all went out from him.

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

And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.

In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. Thus Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as you hear the sound of the shofar, then you shall say, Absalom is king in Hebron!

And Ahithophel said to Absalom, Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house; and all Israel will hear that you have become odious to your father. Then the hands of all who are with you will be strong.

So they spread out a tent for Absalom on the housetop, and Absalom went in to his father's concubines before the eyes of all Israel.

You shall betroth a wife, but another man shall lie with her; you shall build a house, but you shall not dwell in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but shall not begin to eat.

And if the prophet is induced to speak anything, I Jehovah have induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

Therefore I also gave them up to statutes that were not good, and judgments by which they could not live;

and I defiled them by their gifts, in that they caused all that open the womb to pass through the fire, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am Jehovah.

They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains and burn incense on the hills, under oaks and poplars and terebinth, because their shade is good. On account of this, your daughters shall prostitute themselves, and your brides shall commit adultery.

I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your brides when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go aside with harlots, and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. Therefore the people who do not understand will be thrust down.