King James Version · The united kingdom
2 Samuel 13
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And it came to pass after this, that had a fair sister, whose name was ; and loved her. And was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister ; for she was a virgin; and thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. But had a friend, whose name was , the son of ’s brother: and was a very subtil man. And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And said unto him, I love , my brother ’s sister. And said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy cometh to see thee, say unto him, I thee, let my sister come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand. So lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, said unto the king, I thee, let my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand. 7Then sent home to , saying, Go now to thy brother ’s house, and dress him meat. 8So went to her brother ’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. And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And said, Have out all men from me. And they went out every man from him. 10And said unto , Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to her brother. 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. 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. And I, whither shall I cause my to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. Howbeit he would not unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. Then hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And said unto her, Arise, be gone. 16And 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 unto her. 17Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. 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. And put 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. And her brother said unto her, Hath thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So remained desolate in her brother ’s house. But when king heard of all these things, he was very wroth. And spake unto his brother neither good nor bad: for hated , because he had forced his sister . And it came to pass after two full years, that had sheepshearers in –hazor, which is beside : and invited all the king’s sons. And 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. And the king said to , 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 him. Then said , If not, I thee, let my brother go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee? But pressed him, that he let and all the king’s sons go with him. Now had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when ’s is merry with , and when I say unto you, Smite ; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant. And the servants of did unto as had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled. 30And it came to pass, while they were in , that tidings came to , saying, hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left. Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. And , the son of ’s brother, answered and said, Let not my suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s sons; for only is : for by the appointment of this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister . Now therefore let not my the king take the thing to , to think that all the king’s sons are : for only is . But fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by of the hill side behind him. 35And said unto the king, Behold, the king’s sons come: as thy servant said, so it is. 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. But fled, and went to Talmai, the son of , king of Geshur. And mourned for his son every day. So fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. And the of king longed to go forth unto : for he was comforted concerning , seeing he was .
The 1611 translation, public domain. Its original printing included the Apocrypha, which is why the deuterocanonical books can be read here. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
The world at this moment · The united kingdom, 1050 BC to 931 BC ›
Saul, David, and Solomon. A rare window when both Egypt and Mesopotamia are weak, which is how a small kingdom in the corridor between them could briefly become a regional power.
- The power vacuum
- This is the whole political explanation for the united kingdom. Egypt is fragmented, Assyria is recovering but still local, the Hittites are gone, and nobody is in a position to object to a strong state in the corridor. It lasts about a century, and Israel's golden age fits exactly inside it.
- Phoenicia
- Tyre under Hiram is the commercial power of the coast, and supplies the cedar, the craftsmen, and the shipping for Solomon's building programme. The alliance is trade, not charity: Israel had grain and a land route, Tyre had timber and ships.
- Egypt
- Weak enough that a pharaoh gives a daughter in marriage to an Israelite king, which is the opposite of Egyptian practice in stronger centuries. Late in the era it recovers under a new house, and Shishak will invade within five years of Solomon's death.
- Further afield
- Greece is still in its dark age but beginning to recover, and will adopt the Phoenician alphabet within a century or two. Carthage is founded by settlers from Tyre by tradition in 814 BC. In the Americas the Olmec centre shifts to La Venta.