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."
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.”
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.)
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.
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?"
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?”
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."
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?”
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,
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—
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 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.”
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 spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul, because of Yahweh's oath between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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, 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.
11 It was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the secondary wife of Saul, had done.
It was told to David what Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah, the slave wife of Saul, 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
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.
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 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.
When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed 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 were descendants of the Rephaim of Gath, and they were killed by the hand of David and by the hand of his soldiers.
