< 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 is a famine in the days of David three years, year after year, and David seeketh the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah saith, 'For Saul and for the bloody house, because that he put to death the Gibeonites.'
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 calleth for the Gibeonites, and saith unto them — as to the Gibeonites, they [are] not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorite, and the sons of Israel had sworn to them, and Saul seeketh to smite them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and 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?”
yea, David saith unto the Gibeonites, 'What do I do for you? and with what do I make atonement? and bless ye the inheritance of Jehovah.'
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 Gibeonites say to him, 'We have no silver and gold by Saul and by his house, and we have no man to put to death in Israel;' and he saith, 'What ye are saying I do to 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 say unto the king, 'The man who consumed us, and who devised against us — we have been destroyed from stationing ourselves in all the border 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 given to us seven men of his sons, and we have hanged them before Jehovah, in the height of Saul, the chosen of Jehovah.' And the king saith, 'I do give;'
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.
and the king hath pity on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath of Jehovah that [is] between them, between David and Jonathan 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 taketh the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul whom she bare to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite,
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 giveth them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hang them in the hill before Jehovah; and the seven fall together, and they have been put to death in the days of harvest, in the first [days], the commencement of 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 daughter of Aiah taketh the sackcloth, and stretcheth it out for herself on the rock, from the commencement of harvest till water hath been poured out upon them from the heavens, and hath not suffered a fowl of the heavens to rest upon them by day, or the beast 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 is declared to David that which Rizpah daughter of Aiah, concubine of Saul, hath 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 goeth and taketh the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the possessors of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-Shan, where the Philistines hanged them, in the day of the Philistines smiting Saul in 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 bringeth up thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gather the bones of those 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 bury the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the burying-place of Kish his father, and do all that the king commanded, and God is entreated for the land afterwards.
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 again have the Philistines war with Israel, and David goeth down, and his servants with him, and they fight with the Philistines; and David is weary,
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 Ishbi-Benob, who [is] among the children of the giant — the weight of his spear [is] three hundred [shekels] weight of brass, and he is girded with a new one — speaketh of smiting 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.”
and Abishai son of Zeruiah giveth help to him, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death; then swear the men of David to him, saying, 'Thou dost not go out again with us to battle, nor 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 cometh to pass afterwards, that the battle is again in Gob with the Philistines, then hath Sibbechai the Hushathite smitten Saph, who [is] among the children of the giant.
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 the battle is again in Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim, the Beth-Lehemite, smiteth [a brother of] Goliath the Gittite, and the wood of his spear [is] like a beam of weavers.
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 the battle is again in Gath, and there is a man of stature, and the fingers of his hands [are] six, and the toes of his feet [are] six, twenty and four in number, and he also hath been born to the giant,
21 When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.
and he reproacheth Israel, and smite him doth Jonathan son of Shimeah, brother of David;
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 have been born to the giant in Gath, and they fall by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.