² Amnon became so emotionally distressed that he fell sick over his half-sister Tamar. She was a virgin, and Amnon found it difficult to do anything to her.

³ Meanwhile, Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Now Jonadab was a very shrewd man. ⁴ “Why are you so depressed these past few mornings,”^[a] Jonadab^[b] asked Amnon, “since you’re a son of the king? Why not tell me?”

Amnon replied, “I’m in love with my brother Absalom’s sister Tamar.”