Now there was aa famine in the days
of David
for three
years
, year
after
year
; and bDavid
sought
the presence
of the LORD
. And the LORD
said
, "It is for Saul
and his bloody
house
, because
he put
the Gibeonites
to death
."
So the king called
the Gibeonites
and spoke
to them (now the Gibeonites
were not of the sons
of Israel
but of the remnant
of the Amorites
, and athe sons
of Israel
1made
a covenant
with them, but Saul
had sought
to 2kill
them in his zeal
for the sons
of Israel
and Judah
).
Thus David said
to the Gibeonites
, "What
should I do
for you? And how
can I make
atonement
that you may bless
athe inheritance
of the LORD
?"
Then the Gibeonites said
to him, " aWe have
no
concern of silver
or gold
with Saul
or his house
, nor
is it for us to put
any
man
to death
in Israel
." And he said
, "I will do
for you whatever
you say
."
So they said to the king
, " aThe man
who
consumed
us and who
planned
1to exterminate
us from remaining
within any
border
of Israel
,
let seven men
from his sons
be given
to us, and we will 1hang
them abefore the LORD
in Gibeah
of Saul
, bthe chosen
of the LORD
." And the king
said
, "I will give
them."
But the king spared
aMephibosheth
, the son
of Jonathan
the son
of Saul
, bbecause
of the oath
of the LORD
which
was between
them, between
David
and Saul's
son
Jonathan
.
So the king took
the two
sons
of aRizpah
the daughter
of Aiah
, Armoni
and Mephibosheth
whom
she had borne
to Saul
, and the five
sons
of 1 bMerab
the daughter
of Saul
, whom
she had borne
to Adriel
the son
of Barzillai
the cMeholathite
.
Then he gave them into the hands
of the Gibeonites
, and they 1hanged
them in the mountain
before
the LORD
, so that the seven
of them fell
together
; and they were put
to death
in the first
days
of harvest
at athe beginning
of barley
harvest
.
aAnd Rizpah the daughter
of Aiah
took
sackcloth
and spread
it for herself on the rock
, from the beginning
of harvest
until
1it rained
on them from the sky
; and bshe 2allowed
neither
the birds
of the sky
to rest
on them by day
nor
the beasts
of the field
by night
.
When it was told David
what
Rizpah
the daughter
of Aiah
, the concubine
of Saul
, had done
,
then David went
and took
athe bones
of Saul
and the bones
of Jonathan
his son
from the men
of Jabesh-gilead
, who
had stolen
them from the open
square
of bBeth-shan
, cwhere
the Philistines
had hanged
them on the day
dthe Philistines
struck
down
Saul
in Gilboa
.
He brought up the bones
of Saul
and the bones
of Jonathan
his son
from there
, and they gathered
the bones
of those who had been 1hanged
.
They buried the bones
of Saul
and Jonathan
his son
in the country
of Benjamin
in aZela
, in the grave
of Kish
his father
; thus they did
all
that the king
commanded
, and after
that bGod
was moved
by prayer
for the land
.
Now when athe Philistines were at war
again
with Israel
, David
went
down
and his servants
with him; and as they fought
against
the Philistines
, David
became
weary
.
Then Ishbi-benob, who
was aamong the descendants
of the 1giant
, the weight
of whose spear
was three
hundred
shekels of bronze
in weight
, 2was girded
with a new
sword, and he 3intended
to kill
David
.
But aAbishai the son
of Zeruiah
helped
him, and struck
the Philistine
and killed
him. Then
the men
of David
swore
to him, saying
, " bYou shall not go
out again
with us to battle
, so
that you do not extinguish
cthe lamp
of Israel
."
aNow it came about after
this
that there was war
again
with the Philistines
at Gob
; then
bSibbecai
the Hushathite
struck
down
Saph
, who
was among the descendants
of the 1giant
.
There was war with the Philistines
again
at Gob
, and Elhanan
the son
of Jaare-oregim
the Bethlehemite
1killed
2Goliath
the Gittite
, athe shaft
of whose spear
was like a weaver's
beam
.
There was war at Gath
again
, where there was a man
of great stature
who had six
fingers
on each hand
and six
toes
on each foot
, twenty-four
in number
; and he also
had been born
ato the 1giant
.
When he defied Israel
, Jonathan
the son
of Shimei
, David's
brother
, struck
him down
.
aThese four
were born
to the 1giant
in Gath
, and they fell
by the hand
of David
and by the hand
of his servants
.