2 Samuel 21
1 Once during David's reign there was a famine for three years in a row, and David asked the Lord about it. The Lord replied, “It's because Saul and his family are guilty of murdering the Gibeonites.”
And there came to be a famine, in the days of David, for three years, year after year, so then David sought the face of Yahweh, —and Yahweh said—It respecteth Saul and his house, as to bloodshed, in that he put to death the Gibeonites.
2 David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. The Gibeonites were not Israelites, but what was left of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn an oath to them, but in his nationalistic passion for the Israelites and Judah, Saul had tried to wipe them out.
The king therefore called the Gibeonites, and said unto them (now, the Gibeonites, were, not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites, with whom, the sons of Israel, had entered into an oath, and Saul had sought to smite them, in his jealousy for the sons of Israel and Judah)—
3 “What can I do for you?” David asked the Gibeonites. “How can I compensate you so that you may bless the Lord's people?”
wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites—What shall I do for you, and wherewith shall I make propitiation, so that ye may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?
4 “This isn't a question of us receiving payment in silver or gold from Saul or his family,” the Gibeonites replied. “In addition we don't have the right to have anyone in Israel put to death for us.” “I'll do whatever you ask,” David answered.
And the Gibeonites said unto him—It is not a matter with us of silver or gold, with Saul or with his house, neither would we have a man put to death in Israel. And he said, —What do ye say I should do for you?
5 They replied, “Regarding the man who destroyed us, who planned to prevent us having any place to live in the whole country of Israel,
Then said they unto the king, The man who consumed us, and who thought to have destroyed us from taking a place within any of the bounds of Israel,
6 have seven of Saul's male descendants be handed over to us, and we will hang them in the presence of the Lord at Gibeon of Saul, the Lord's chosen one.” “I will hand them over to you,” said the king.
let there be delivered up to us—seven men of his sons, and we will crucify them unto Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh. And the king said, I, will deliver them up.
7 However, the king spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath sworn before the Lord between David and Jonathan, son of Saul.
But the king had pity upon Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, Saul’s son, —because of the oath of Yahweh that was between them, between David and Jonathan, Saul’s son.
8 The king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab, the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel, son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
So the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she had borne to Saul, even Armoni and Mephibosheth, —and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai, the Meholathite;
9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill in the presence of the Lord. All seven of them died at the same time, executed at the beginning of the barley harvest.
and delivered them up into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they crucified them in the mountain, before Yahweh, so they seven fell together, —they being put to death in the first days of harvest, in the beginning of the barley harvest.
10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took some sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the time the rains came and poured down on the bodies, she kept the birds away from them during the day and the wild animals at night.
Then Rizpah daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth, and spread it out for herself, on the rock, from the beginning of harvest, until water poured out upon them from the heavens, —and suffered neither the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the wild beasts of the field, [to devour them] by night.
11 When David heard what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine of Saul had done,
And it was told David, —what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done.
12 he retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had taken them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had killed Saul at Gilboa.
So David went and fetched the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the owners of Jabesh-gilead, —who stole them from the broadway of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day when the Philistines had smitten Saul in Gilboa;
13 David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought back, and also had the bones of those who had been hanged gathered up.
and he brought up from thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, —and they gathered together the bones of them who had been crucified;
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan at Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul's father Kish. Once they finished doing everything the king had ordered, God answered their prayers to end the famine in the land.
so they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the grave of Kish his father, thus did they all that the king commanded, —and God suffered himself to be entreated for the land, after this.
15 There was war once more between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight the Philistines, and he got worn out.
And the Philistines had yet again a war with Israel, —so David went down, and his servants with him, and fought the Philistines, and David became faint.
16 Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels, and who was carrying a new sword, said he was going to kill David.
So, Ishbi-benob, who was of the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear-head, was three hundred shekels of bronze, he also being newly armed, thought to smite David;
17 But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, came to his rescue, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “Don't ever go out with us to battle again, so that the Israel's light isn't snuffed out!”
but Abishai son of Zeruiah, came to his help, and smote the Philistine, and slew him. Then, sware the men of David unto him, saying—Thou must not go forth any more with us, to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.
18 Some time after this there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. But then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Repha.
And it came to pass, after this, that there was yet again a battle in Gob, with the Philistines, —then, Sibbekai the Hushathite smote Saph, who was of the descendants of the giant.
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan, son of Jair, from Bethlehem, killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite. The shaft of his spear was as thick as a weaver's rod.
And there was yet again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, —when Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim of Bethlehem, smote Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20 In yet another battle at Gath, there was a gigantic man, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, making twenty-four all. He too was descended from the giants.
And there was yet again a battle in Gath; when there was a man of stature, with six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; he also, having been born to the giant;
21 But when he insulted Israel, Jonathan, son of Shimea, David's brother, killed him.
but, when he reproached Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah David’s brother, smote, him.
22 These four were the descendants of the giants in Gath, but they were all killed by David and his men.
These four, had been born to the giant in Gath, —but they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
