World English Bible · The united kingdom
2 Samuel 13
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After this, had a beautiful sister, whose name was ; and loved her. was so troubled that he became sick because of his sister , for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to to do anything to her. But had a friend whose name was the son of , brother; and was a very subtle man. He said to him, "Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day? Won't you tell me?" said to him, "I love , my brother sister." said to him, "Lay down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your comes to see you, tell him, 'Please let my sister come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'" So lay down and faked being sick. When the king came to see him, said to the king, "Please let my sister come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand." 7Then sent home to , saying, "Go now to your brother house, and prepare food for him." 8So went to her brother house; and he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. She took the pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. said, "Have all men leave me." Then every man went out from him. 10 said to , "Bring the food into the room, that I may eat from your hand." took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the room to her brother. When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister!" She answered him, "No, my brother, do not force me! For no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Don't you do this folly! As for me, where would I carry my ? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you." However, he would not listen to her voice; but being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. Then hated her with exceedingly great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. said to her, "Arise, be gone!" 16She said to him, "Not so, because this great wrong in sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me!" But he would not listen to her. 17Then he called his servant who ministered to him, and said, "Now put this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her." She had a garment of various colors on her, for the king's daughters who were virgins dressed in such robes. Then his servant brought her out and bolted the door after her. put on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went. her brother said to her, "Has your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother. Don't take this thing to ." So remained desolate in her brother house. But when King heard of all these things, he was very angry. spoke to neither good nor bad; for hated , because he had forced his sister . After two full years, had sheep shearers in , which is beside ; and invited all the king's sons. came to the king and said, "See now, has sheep shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with ." The king said to , "No, my son, let's not all go, lest we be burdensome to you." He pressed him; however he would not go, but him. Then said, "If not, please let my brother go with us." The king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" But pressed him, and he let and all the king's sons go with him. commanded his servants, saying, "Mark now, when is merry with ; and when I tell you, 'Strike ,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Haven't I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!" The servants of did to as had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got up on his mule and fled. 30While they were on , the news came to , saying, " has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left!" Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. the son of , brother, answered, "Don't let my suppose that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for only is ; for by the appointment of this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister . Now therefore don't let my the king take the thing to , to think that all the king's sons are ; for only is ." But fled. The young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming by way of the hillside behind him. 35 said to the king, "Behold, the king's sons are coming! It is as said." As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voices and wept. The king also and all his servants wept bitterly. But fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihur, king of Geshur. mourned for his son every day. So fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. King longed to go out to , for he was comforted concerning , since he was .
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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.