2 Samuel 13:5 nasb — Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, '…

NASB

"Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.'""

— 2 Samuel 13:5, NASB

Read in Another Translation

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2 Samuel 13:5 in Other Translations

7 versions All translations
  • KJV

    “And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.”

  • ASV

    “And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, Let my sister Tamar come, I pray thee, and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand. ”

  • WEB

    “Jonadab said to him, "Lay down on your bed, and pretend to be sick. When your father comes to see you, tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and dress the food in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her hand.'"”

  • NET

    “Jonadab replied to him,“Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick. When your father comes in to see you, say to him,‘Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch. Then I will eat from her hand.’””

  • DRB

    “And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.”

  • BBE

    “Then Jonadab said to him, Go to your bed, and let it seem that you are ill: and when your father comes to see you, say to him, Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread, and get the food ready before my eyes, so that I may see it and take it from her hand.”

  • KJVA

    “And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come, and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.”

2 Samuel 13 — Context

2

Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.

3

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

4

He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."

5

Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.'"

6

So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."

7

Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him."

8

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

2 Samuel 13:5 — Frequently Asked Questions

7 questions
What does 2 Samuel 13:5 say?
2 Samuel 13:5 in the NASB reads: “Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.'"”
Where is 2 Samuel 13:5 in the Bible?
2 Samuel 13:5 is found in the Old Testament, in the book of 2 Samuel, chapter 13, verse 5.
Who wrote 2 Samuel?
2 Samuel is traditionally attributed to Anonymous (traditionally Nathan and Gad). It was written c. 930–722 BC.
What is the book of 2 Samuel about?
2 Samuel records David's reign — his rise to the throne, the conquest of Jerusalem, the eternal covenant God makes with his house, and the moral failure with Bathsheba that fractures his family. From the highs of triumph to the depths of repentance, David remains the messianic prototype.
What are the major themes of 2 Samuel?
2 Samuel explores themes including Davidic Covenant, Sin & Repentance, Kingdom, Mercy, Consequences. These themes shape the meaning and context of 2 Samuel 13:5.
What translation should I read 2 Samuel 13:5 in?
2 Samuel 13:5 is available on GodsGoodBook in the King James Version (KJV), American Standard Version (ASV), World English Bible (WEB), NET Bible, Young's Literal Translation, Darby Bible, Douay-Rheims Bible, and the Bible in Basic English. Each translation reflects different translation philosophies — use the translation picker on this page to compare them, or browse our full translations directory.
How can I memorize 2 Samuel 13:5?
2 Samuel 13:5 reads (NASB): “Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.'"” Read it aloud, break it into short phrases, repeat each phrase three times before adding the next, then put the phrases together. Reading it in multiple translations (above) often helps the meaning settle.
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