The Daily Audio Bible
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Amnon and Tamar
13 David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister. Her name was Tamar. After some time, David's son Amnon began to love Tamar very much.[a] 2 Amnon was very upset because he loved his sister Tamar so much. He became ill because of this. Tamar had never had sex with any man, so Amnon knew that it would be difficult to get near her.
3 Amnon had a friend called Jonadab. He was the son of David's brother, Shimeah. Jonadab was a clever man. 4 He said to Amnon, ‘You are the king's son! So why do you seem so sad every morning? Tell me about your trouble.’
Amnon said to him, ‘I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.’
5 Jonadab told him, ‘Go and lie down on your bed. Pretend that you are ill. Your father will come to see you. Then you can say to him, “Please send my sister Tamar in here to give me something to eat. I will watch her as she prepares the food. Then she can use her own hand to feed me.” ’
6 So Amnon lay down on his bed. He pretended that he was ill. When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in here. I want her to cook some little cakes while I watch her. Then she can feed me herself.’
7 David sent a message to Tamar in the palace. He told her, ‘Go to your brother Amnon's house. Prepare some food for him to eat there.’ 8 So Tamar went to Amnon's house. He was lying down on his bed. She took some flour and water and she mixed them together. She made the cakes while he watched her. Then she baked them.
9 Then she put the cakes on a plate and she put them in front of him. But he refused to eat them. Instead, Amnon said, ‘Everyone must go out and leave me alone here.’ So everyone left him alone with Tamar.
10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, ‘Bring the food here into my bedroom. Then you can use your own hand to feed me.’
So Tamar took the cakes that she had made. She brought them to Amnon in his bedroom. 11 But when she offered the cakes to him, he took hold of her. He said to her, ‘Come here, my sister! Come into bed with me.’
12 Tamar answered him, ‘Do not do this, my brother! Do not make me ashamed. Nobody in Israel would do such a wicked thing. Do not be so foolish! 13 Think about me. I would have to hide because of my shame. And people would say that you are the worst fool in Israel. No, you should speak to the king. I am sure that he will let you marry me.’
14 But Amnon refused to listen to her. He was stronger than she was. So he took hold of her and he had sex with her.
15 After that, Amnon hated Tamar very much. He now hated her more strongly than he had loved her. He said to her, ‘Go away from here!’
16 But Tamar replied, ‘No, I will not go! If you send me away, that would be even worse. It would be more evil that what you have already done to me.’
But Amnon refused to listen to her. 17 He called out to his own special servant. He told him, ‘Throw this woman out of my house! Then lock the door after she has gone.’ 18 So the servant took her out and then he locked the door. Tamar was wearing a beautiful long dress. All the king's daughters who were not yet married wore beautiful dresses like that. 19 Now Tamar put ashes on her head. She tore the beautiful dress that she was wearing. She covered her head with her hands. She wept loudly as she went home.
20 When her brother Absalom saw her, he said, ‘Has your brother Amnon done this to you? Now be quiet. Remember that he is your brother. So do not be too upset.’
After that, Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house. She was sad and lonely.
21 When King David heard about what had happened, he was very angry. 22 But Absalom would not say anything to Amnon, good or bad. He hated Amnon because he had brought shame on his sister, Tamar.
Absalom kills Amnon
23 Two years later, Absalom's men were cutting the wool from his sheep. They were in Baal Hazor, near to Ephraim's land. Absalom asked all the king's sons to meet him there. 24 Then he went to the king and he said, ‘My men have started to cut the wool from my sheep. Please will your and your officers come and join us at this happy time?’
25 King David replied to Absalom, ‘No, my son, we should not all go. It would cause you too much trouble.’
Absalom asked him again, but the king still refused to go. Instead, he asked God to bless Absalom.
26 So Absalom said, ‘If you will not come with me, please let my brother Amnon come.’
The king said, ‘Why do you want him to go with you?’ 27 But Absalom asked the king more strongly. So the king agreed to send Amnon and all his other sons.
28 Absalom then told his servants, ‘When Amnon has drunk a lot of wine I will tell you, “Knock him down!” Then you must kill him immediately. Do not be afraid. I am the one who is commanding you to do this. So be strong and brave.’
29 So Absalom's men killed Amnon, as Absalom had told them to do. Then all the king's other sons got on their mules. They quickly rode away.
30 While they were still on the way home, David heard news about what had happened. Someone told him, ‘Absalom has attacked all the king's sons. Not one son is still alive.’ 31 The king was very upset. He stood up and he tore his clothes. Then he lay down on the ground. All his servants were standing around him. They had torn their clothes, too.
32 But Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah, said, ‘My lord, do not think that they have killed all your sons. Only Amnon is dead. Absalom has decided to do this since Amnon brought shame on his sister Tamar. 33 My lord the king, you should not believe the report that all your sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.’
34 While this was happening, Absalom had run away.
There was an officer standing on the wall of Jerusalem to watch. When he looked, he saw a big group of people who were coming from the west. They were coming down the hill on the road from Horonaim. He went to the king and he told him the news.
35 Jonadab said to the king, ‘See, the king's sons are coming now, as I said they would.’
36 As he said that, the king's sons arrived. They were weeping loudly. The king and all his servants were also weeping. King David continued to weep for his son Amnon every day.
37 Absalom ran away to Ammihud's son, Talmai, the king of Geshur. 38 He stayed in Geshur for three years.
39 By this time, King David had stopped being so upset about Amnon's death. He wanted very much to see Absalom again.
Jesus prays for himself
17 After Jesus said this, he looked up to heaven. He said, ‘Father, the time has now arrived. Show everyone how great your Son is. So then I, the Son, can show how great you are. 2 You gave me authority over all people. You did this so that I could give people life for ever. Those are the people that you gave to me. 3 What does it mean for people to live with you for ever? It means that they know you, the one who is the only true God. They also know me, Jesus Christ, the one that you have sent. 4 I have shown people here on the earth how great you are. In that way, I have finished the work that you gave to me to do. 5 So, Father, now that I return to you, show people how great I am. Before the world began, I had great glory with you. Show again that I am great like that.’
Jesus prays for his disciples
6 ‘You gave some people to me who were from this world.[a] I have shown them who you are. They were yours and you gave them to me. They have obeyed your message. 7 Everything that I have comes from you. Now they know that you gave me everything. 8 I gave to them the message that you gave to me. They accepted that message. They know certainly that I came from you. They believe that you sent me.
9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the people who belong to this world. No, I am praying for those people that you have given to me. I am praying for them because they are yours. 10 Everything that I have is yours. And everything that you have is mine. These people have shown how great I am. 11 I will not remain in the world any longer. I will return to you now. But they will still be here in the world. Holy Father, please keep them safe in your name. That is the powerful name that you gave to me. Then they can be united in the same way that you and I are united. 12 While I was with them, I kept them safe in the power of your name. That is the name that you gave to me. I kept them safe so that only one of them turned away from you. That was the man who had to become lost. The Bible already said that it would happen in that way.[b]
13 Now, Father, I will come to you. I am saying these things while I am still in the world. Then these people, my disciples, can be completely happy. I want them to be completely happy in the same way that I am happy. 14 I have given your message to them. The world's people have hated them because they do not belong to the world. They do not belong to the world, in the same way that I do not belong to the world. 15 I am not asking that you will take them out of the world. But I ask you to keep them safe from the Devil. 16 They do not belong to the world, in the same way that I do not belong to the world. 17 Help them to belong completely to you, as they follow the truth. Your message is the truth. 18 I have sent them into the world, in the same way that you sent me into the world. 19 On their behalf I give myself to you, so that I belong completely to you. Then they also can completely belong to you, as they follow the truth.’
Jesus prays for everyone who will believe in him
20 ‘I do not pray only for these people, my disciples. I pray also for those people who will believe in me because of my disciples' message. 21 I pray that all of them will become united. You, Father, are in me and I am in you. I pray that they also will be united in us. Then the world's people will believe that you sent me. 22 I have given to them the same honour that you gave to me. Now they can be united in the same way that you and I are united. 23 I will be in them, and you will be in me, so that they can be completely united. As a result, the world's people will know that you sent me. They will also know that you love my own people as you love me.
24 Father, you have given these people to me. I want them to be with me where I am. Then they will see how great I am. You made me great because you loved me. You loved me even before the world began. 25 Father, you always do what is right. The world's people do not know you, but I know you. These disciples know that you have sent me. 26 I have shown them what you are like. And I will continue to show them what you are like. Then they will love other people, in the same way that you love me. And I myself will be in them.’
KAPH
81 As I wait for you to save me,
I feel tired and weak.
I trust in your word.
82 As I wait for you to do what you have promised,
my eyes are too tired to stay open.
I ask, ‘When will you come to help me?’
83 I am like an old wineskin that has become useless.
But I have not forgotten your rules.
84 As your servant, help me to be patient.
Please punish the people who want to hurt me.
Please do it soon.
85 Proud people want to catch me in their traps.
That is against your Law!
86 I know that I can trust all your commands,
but people still give me trouble with their lies.
Quickly, help me!
87 People here on earth have almost destroyed me,
but I continue to obey your teaching.
88 Please use your faithful love to keep me alive.
Then I can continue to obey the rules that you have taught me.
LAMED
89 Lord, your teaching will always be there.
You keep it safe in heaven.
90 You continue to show that people can trust you,
from one century to the next.
You have fixed the earth in its place,
and it will remain.
91 It is by your command that all things continue.
You have put them there to serve you.
92 If your Law had not made me happy,
I would have been sad until I died.
93 I will never forget your rules,
because you have used them to give me life.
94 I belong to you. Please save me!
I have respected your rules.
95 Wicked people are ready to kill me,
but I think carefully about your teaching.
96 I have learned that all things will come to an end,
but your commands have no end.
6 If you love the Lord faithfully,
he will forgive your sins.
If you respect and obey him,
you will not do evil things.
7 If you live in a way that pleases the Lord,
even your enemies will become your friends.
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