1Solomon was able to strengthen his kingdom, because the LORD his God was with him, and greatly magnified him.
2Later, David’s daughter, Tamar, sister of Absalom, fled to the house of the king of Geshur, and she spent a year and eight months in her mother’s home, which is in the king’s palace.
3And King Solomon did not know that she left, because she went secretly, and she concealed her going not only from the king, but all the people as well.
4And King Solomon said: “I shall pay a reward of royal clothes plus fifty shekels of gold to whoever finds Tamar, the sister of my father, and brings her to me.”
5And the king’s servants searched for her throughout all the land of Israel, but they could not find her.
6And she was hiding at her mother’s home in Geshur, at her grandfather’s [the king] palace.
7And there was a friend of the king, whose name was Pirshaz, and he lusted after the young woman very much, for she was very beautiful and fair to look upon.
8In those days the king of Geshur went to see King Solomon, as all the kings of the land are required to do.
9King Solomon asked him, saying: “Is it well with you?” and he said: “It is well.”
10And he said: “Is it well with Maacah [Tamar’s mother] in your house?” And he said: “It is well.” And then King Solomon cunningly asked: “Is it well with Tamar, my sister?” And he lied to him, saying: “I do not know, for I have never met her.”
11And it came to pass when the king of Geshur was in Jerusalem, his friend, Pirshaz, came to Tamar’s room, saying to her: “Lie with me.”
12But Tamar refused him, saying: “Let us not, my lord; do not do this indecent thing to me, because I am a king’s daughter.”
13However he would not listen to her, because he was burning with lust.
14And Tamar knew she was no match for this man, so she cunningly said: “My lord, listen to the words of your maidservant.
15Behold, I play the harp beautifully. First, lie down at my knees and listen to my song.
16And after I play the song of my heart, then I will do all your heart’s desire.” And Pirshaz listened to Tamar, and he lay in her bosom.
17And as Tamar took the harp and began to play beautifully, she said in her heart: “LORD, king of my father David, Your servant,
18send Your light and truth to hold me, and do not allow this wicked, uncircumcised, impure man to have his way with me.
19For You know what is in my heart, so do not let this daughter of David, Your servant, sin.
20My Father, my Father, my Father, remember the disgrace of Your servant David, my father, and your daughter’s disgrace.
21I go before El Shaddai’s throne of glory, and ask mercy for myself, to the God of Hosts to help me by His help.
22For He does not want wicked men to triumph, and His desire is to help those who have been robbed to overcome the strong.
23I beseech You, O LORD, save me now. I beseech You, O LORD, let me prosper.
24I call on You this day because I am frightened; please answer me, and do not let this impure man cause me to lose holy seed by this impure act, for You are a holy God, and I trust You.”
25And the LORD heard the voice of David’s daughter, and God caused Pirshaz to fall into a deep sleep. He fell asleep on her bosom while she was playing the relaxing sounds of the harp.
26And when Tamar saw that he had fallen asleep, she unsheathed the sword that was girded around his waist.
27And she said: “LORD of Hosts, remember David my father, and sustain me with Your strength like You did my father.
28Help me as You helped [Jael] the wife of Heber the Kenite, to rid sins and sinners from the earth, so all will know that You are the only LORD.”
29And she took the sword and ran it through Pirshaz’s heart, and Pirshaz fell to the ground dead.
30And Tamar saw that Pirshaz was dead and she cried with a loud voice: “May all Your enemies and the enemies of Your people perish this way, O LORD.
31And now I have seen that You have heard my voice because of my father. You have intervened to not allow his daughter to be disgraced by this impure man.
32Blessed are You from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.”
33At the time of the noon meal, Pirshaz’s servants came to call their master to the king’s table.
34When they came to the inner chamber, they found Tamar with his bloody sword in her hand standing over the dead body of their master Pirshaz.
35And they turned trembling to one another, saying: “What happened?” And they took Tamar into custody and brought her to the king’s ministers.
36And the king’s servants said to Tamar: “What have you done? You have killed the king’s friend. You know that our master, the king will consider this a disgrace.”
37And Tamar said: “Should one deal with a king’s daughter like a harlot? His blood is upon his own head, and I will be seen as guiltless and pure in the king’s eyes.”
38And they took Tamar and put her in the hands of the warden of the prison.
39And they sent a letter to their king who was still in Jerusalem, by the hands of the couriers, that Tamar, the king’s granddaughter had killed his friend, Pirshaz, and that Tamar was sent to prison until the time the king returned.
40And the couriers came to Jerusalem and King Solomon’s guards stopped them. And he asked them: “Where are you from?”
41And they said: “We come from Geshur to bring letters to our master the king.”
42And the guards seized them and brought them to King Solomon.
43And King Solomon said: “You came here to spy out the land. Give me your king’s letters and I will see if you are sinning against me or not.”
44And King Solomon took the letters and gave them to the sons of Shisha, the king’s scribes, to read.
45And they read through them and found where Tamar had killed Pirshaz and that she was in prison.
46And King Solomon called Ahishar, who was head of the household, and said: “Put these uncircumcised men in jail, and bring the king of Geshur to me.”
47And he did exactly as he had been commanded. And the king of Geshur was brought before King Solomon and he bowed his head toward the ground.
48And King Solomon said: “Why have you deceived me, lying, while Tamar my sister was with you? You told me that you had never met her in your entire life.
49As the LORD lives, who has redeemed David, my father, out of all evil, this very day you will die.”
50And King Solomon called Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and said to him: “Go, and execute the king of Geshur and his couriers.” And he executed them, and they all died, because they had lied to King Solomon.
51And they buried them in a cave right before the Fish Gate.
52This is why the name of the cave right before the Fish Gate is called the Cave of the Uncircumcised Ones, unto this day.
53And Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and ten thousand valiant men of Judah with him, and he said to them:
54“Go to Geshur and bring back Tamar, my father’s daughter, with you, and destroy the royal palace, but be careful not to harm Tamar’s mother, for she was King David’s wife.”
55And they went and did all that King Solomon had commanded, and they brought Tamar before King Solomon.
56And Tamar bowed down to the ground, before the king, and said: “Let my lord the king, my brother, live forever.”
57And King Solomon asked her: “Why did you flee to Geshur?”
58And she answered: “I was living in my brother Absalom’s home, disgraced because of what my brother Amnon had done to me, and I decided to go to my mother’s house so I would not be disgraced in the eyes of the princes there.
59And King Solomon asked her: “Why did you kill Pirshaz?” And she answered: “This is what that uncircumcised one did to me, and this is what I did to him in revenge.”
60And King Solomon said: “The LORD has truly blessed you with discretion. You were wise, and acted, and you were victorious.”
61Then King Solomon spoke openly to all of his servants, saying: “Has anyone found such a charming and heroic woman?” And he said: “Daughter, God is gracious unto you.
62From this day forward you shall not be called my sister, but my daughter, because you were extremely wise.”
63And King Solomon gave his daughter Tamar to Abinadab’s son to be his wife, and she found grace in her husband’s eyes, and he loved her very much.
64He was an officer over all the region of Dor.
65And King Solomon renamed Tamar his daughter Taphath, for stacte, the first of the incense, and this was her name the rest of her life.