2 Samuel 21
1 There was a famine in David's time for three years in a row, and David sought the face of Yahweh. So Yahweh said, “This famine is on you because of Saul and his murderous family, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David besought the presence of the Lord. And the Lord said, On account of Saul, and on account of the house of blood, is this; because he hath slain the Gib'onites.
2 Now the Gibeonites were not from the people of Israel; they were from what remained of the Amorites. The people of Israel had sworn not to kill them, but Saul tried to kill them all anyway in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.
And the king called for the Gib'onites, and said unto them: [now the Gib'onites are not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Emorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them; but Saul had sought to slay them in his zeal for the children of Israel in Judah: ]
3 So King David called together the Gibeonites and said to them, “What should I do for you? How can I make atonement, so that you may bless the people of Yahweh, who inherit his goodness and promises?”
Wherefore David said unto the Gib'onites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the Lord?
4 The Gibeonites responded to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his family. In the same way it is not for us to put to death any man in Israel.” David replied, “What are you saying that I should do for you?”
And the Gib'onites said unto him, We have no concern of silver or gold with Saul and with his house: nor do we wish to kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye say, will I do for you.
5 They answered the king, “The man who tried to kill us all, who schemed against us, so that we are now destroyed and have no place within the borders of Israel—
And they said to the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed, so that we should have no footing in all the boundaries of Israel.
6 let seven men from his descendants be handed over to us, and we will hang them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the one chosen by Yahweh.” So the king said, “I will give them to you.”
Let there be delivered unto us seven men of his sons, and we will hang them up unto the Lord in Gib'ah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord. And the king said, I will give them.
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul, because of Yahweh's oath between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
But the king had pity on Mephibosheth, 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.
8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, sons whom she bore to Saul—the two sons were named Armoni and Mephibosheth; and David also took the five sons of Merab daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
And the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Ayah, whom she had born unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she had brought up for 'Adriel the son of Barzillai the Mecholathite:
9 He handed them over into the hands of the Gibeonites. They hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and they died all seven together. They were put to death during the time of harvest, during the first days at the beginning of barley harvest.
And he delivered them into the hand of the Gib'onites, and they hanged them on the mount before the Lord; and they fell, these seven, together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest, in the beginning of the barley-harvest.
10 Then Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the mountain beside the dead bodies, from the beginning of harvest until the rain poured down on them from the sky. She did not allow the birds of the sky to disturb the bodies by day or the wild animals by night.
And Rizpah the daughter of Ayah took sackcloth, and spread out it for herself upon the rock, from the beginning of the harvest until water dropped down upon them out of heaven, and she suffered neither the birds of heaven to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.
11 It was told to David what Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, the slave wife of Saul, had done.
And it was told to David what Rizpah the daughter of Ayah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
12 So David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh Gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, after the Philistines had killed Saul in Gilboa.
And David then went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Yabeshgil'ad, who had stolen them from the market-place of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them up, at the time the Philistines had smitten Saul at Gilboa':
13 David took away from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of the seven men who had been hanged, as well.
And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered up the bones of those that had been hanged.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. They performed all that the king commanded. After that God answered their prayers for the land.
And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin at Zela', in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king had commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land.
15 Then the Philistines went to war again with Israel. So David went down with his army and fought against the Philistines. David was overcome with battle fatigue.
And the Philistines had again a war with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David became fatigued.
16 Ishbi-Benob, a descendant of the giants, whose bronze spear weighed three hundred shekels, and who was armed with a new sword, intended to kill David.
And Yishbi at Nob, who was of the children of the Raphah, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of copper, he being girded with a new armor, thought to slay David.
17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah rescued David, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You must not go to battle anymore with us, so that you do not put out the lamp of Israel.”
But Abishai the son of Zeruyah succored him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then swore the men of David unto him, saying, Thou shalt go out no more with us to battle, that thou mayest not quench the lamp of Israel.
18 It came about after this that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob, when Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the Rephaim.
And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle at Gob, with the Philistines: then smote Sibbechai the Chushathite Saph, who was of the children of the Raphah.
19 It came about again in a battle with the Philistines at Gob, that Elhanan son of Jair the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
And there was again a battle at Gob with the Philistines, when Elchanan the son of Ya'are-oregim, the Bethlechemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
20 It came about in another battle at Gath that there was a man of great height who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number. He also was descended from the Rephaim.
And there was again a battle in Gath, where was a man of [great] stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, [in all] four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the Raphah.
21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.
And he defied Israel; but Jonathan the son of Shim'ah, the brother of David, slew him.
22 These were descendants of the Rephaim of Gath, and they were killed by the hand of David and by the hand of his soldiers.
These four were born to the Raphah in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
