< 2 Samuel 21 >
1 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.
During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2 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)—
At this, David summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had taken an oath concerning them, but in his zeal for Israel and Judah, Saul had sought to kill them.)
3 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?
So David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How can I make amends so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?”
4 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?
The Gibeonites said to him, “We need no silver or gold from Saul or his house, nor should you put to death anyone in Israel for us.” “Whatever you ask, I will do for you,” he replied.
5 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,
And they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us to exterminate us from existing within any border of Israel,
6 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.
let seven of his male descendants be delivered to us so that we may hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” “I will give them to you,” said the king.
7 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.
Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
8 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;
But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah daughter of Aiah had borne to Saul, as well as the five sons whom Merab daughter of Saul had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
9 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.
And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD. So all seven of them fell together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
10 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.
And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until the rain from heaven poured down on the bodies, she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
11 And it was told David, —what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done.
When David was told what Saul’s concubine Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, had done,
12 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;
he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan where the Philistines had hung the bodies after they had struck down Saul at Gilboa.
13 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;
So David had the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan brought from there, along with the bones of those who had been hanged.
14 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.
And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in Zela in the land of Benjamin, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. After they had done everything the king had commanded, God answered their prayers for the land.
15 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.
Once again the Philistines waged war against Israel, and David and his servants went down and fought against the Philistines; but David became exhausted.
16 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;
Then Ishbi-benob, a descendant of Rapha, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels and who was bearing a new sword, resolved to kill David.
17 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.
But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must never again go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel may not be extinguished.”
18 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.
Some time later at Gob, there was another battle with the Philistines. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19 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.
Once again there was a battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
20 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;
And there was still another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great stature with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He too was descended from Rapha,
21 but, when he reproached Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah David’s brother, smote, him.
and when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of David’s brother Shimei killed him.
22 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.
So these four descendants of Rapha in Gath fell at the hands of David and his servants.