2 Samuel 13:1-39
13:1-4 A brief recapitulation: David has eight wives and tons of children, 1 Chronicles 3. David's firstborn, Amnon, falls in lust with his half-sister Tamar. He desires her so much that he stops eating regularly, too consumed by his want of her.
13:5 Amnon's friend Jonadab devises a cunning way for Amnon to get Tamar alone with him.
13:6 Amnon follows Jonadab's advice: he pretends to be sick and requests that his sister Tamar come to cook and feed him (presumably back to health).
13:7 Concerned about his son (and not catching on to the ruse) David sends Tamar to help Amnon.
13:8-9 Tamar begins to cook for Amnon and when she tries to feed him, he sends everyone else out away.
13:10-11 When Amnon has Tamar alone, he calls her into the bedroom and asks her to lie with him.
13:12-14 Although Tamar protests and refuses, Amnon takes her anyway and rapes her.
13:15 Afterward, Amnon directs his anger (shame, guilt and fear) on Tamar and tells her to get away from him.
13:16 Tamar is stunned. She confronts Amnon again and tells him that his actions are evil. To her, it's even worse that he's being cruel to her after he raped her.
13:17 Amnon calls for his servants and has Tamar removed.
13:18-19 In her culture especially, her virginity was a thing of honor and Amnon stole it through incestuous relations. Tamar is distraught and tears her gown apart (colored to signify her virginity). Amnon's door is bolted behind her as she is forced outside. She begins to weep.
13:20 Tamar's brother, Absalom, figures out what happened to Tamar and tries (but fails) to soothe her.
13:21 David learns about Amnon's rape of Tamar and becomes very angry. Unfortunately, that's all David does. Perhaps David's own indiscretion against Uriah stopped him from feeling he could enact justice. Or perhaps he did not know how to severely discipline a son and simultaneously soothe his daughter.
13:22 Absalom continues to mask his anger but his hatred for Amnon is fierce.
13:23-25 Two years later, Absalom is still planning revenge against Amnon. He plans a family outing with David's permission. He wants all of David's sons to gather for the sheepshearering (a festive time).
13:26-29 Absalom specifically requests Amnon's attendance. But when all of the brothers are gathered, Absalom commands his servants to kill Amnon on his signal. He tells them not to be afraid because the command comes from him and therefore lies with him, not them. The servants do as he says and they kill Amnon. All of David's other sons flee immediately.
13:30-33 The news reaches David... except that he hears that all of his sons were killed. Jonadab corrects the information and informs David that all of his sons are alive except for Amnon, who was killed by the command of Absalom. Jonadab explains that Absalom has been plotting the murder since the day of the rape.
13:34-36 David's sons return weeping and David mourns as well.
13:37-39 Absalom flees to Geshur for three years. After three years, David is yearns to be reunited with his son.
