< 2 Samuel 21 >

1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three consecutive years, so David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he murdered 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 So the king summoned the Gibeonites, and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites. And the children of Israel had sworn to them, but Saul sought to exterminate them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.)
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 And David said to the Gibeonites, "What can I do for you? And how can I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"
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 The Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house, nor is it our place to put anyone to death in Israel." Then he said, "What do you want? For I will do it for you."
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 So they said to the king, "The man who opposed us and persecuted us, who meant to eradicate us from having a place anywhere in the territory 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 let seven of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeon on the mountain of the LORD." And the king replied, "I will do it."
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 But the king spared Mippibaal, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the 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 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mippibaal; and the five sons of Merob the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the 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 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and all seven of them fell together. And they were put to death in the first days of harvest at the beginning of 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 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on a rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky. And she did not allow the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the wild animals by 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 It was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the secondary wife of Saul, had done.
And it was told David, —what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done.
12 Then David went and obtained the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them on the day that the Philistines killed Saul on 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 and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son. And they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
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 And he buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they performed all that the king commanded. After that God responded to prayers for 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 The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. Now David became exhausted,
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 and Dodo son of Joash, of the descendants of the Raphah, captured him. His spear weighed three hundred bronze shekels, and he was girded with a new sword, and he thought he could 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 the son of Zeruiah helped him and struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David took an oath, saying, "You must not go out to battle with us again, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel."
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 Now it came to pass after this that there was another battle with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, a descendant of the Raphah.
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 There was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
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 There was another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature who had on six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty four in number, and he also was a descendant of Raphah.
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 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.
but, when he reproached Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah David’s brother, smote, him.
22 These four were descendants of Raphah in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
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.

< 2 Samuel 21 >