Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
2 Samuel 21
Famine and the Gibeonites
There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. David sought the face of the LORD, and the LORD said, “There is bloodguilt upon Saul and upon his house because he put the Gibeonites to death.” So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not from the children of Israel but from the remnant of the Amorites. The children of Israel had sworn to them, but Saul had sought to strike them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah. David said to the Gibeonites, “What will I do for you? And how will I make atonement, so that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD?” The Gibeonites said to him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold for us with Saul or with his house, and it is not for us to put any man in Israel to death.” He said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who planned to destroy us, so that we would have no place in all the territory of Israel— let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the LORD.” The king said, “I will give them.”
Seven Descendants of Saul Are Given Over
But the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath of the LORD that was between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul. The king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah whom she had borne to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Merab daughter of Saul whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. He gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven fell together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.
Rizpah Guards the Bodies
Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from the heavens. She did not allow the birds of the heavens to rest upon them by day or the animals of the field by night. It was told to David what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, concubine of Saul, had done.
Saul and Jonathan Are Buried with Saul’s House
David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son 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 the Philistines struck Saul at Gilboa. He brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of people who had been hanged. They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin at Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father. They did all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land.
Wars with Philistine Giants
There was again war between the Philistines and Israel. David went down, and his servants with him, and they fought the Philistines. David became weary. Ishbi-Benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze and who was girded with a new weapon, thought to strike David. Yet Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid and struck the Philistine and put him to death. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You will not go out with us to battle again, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”
Further Victories over the Giants
After this there was again battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck Saph, who was among the descendants of the giant. There was again battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite struck Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. There was again battle at Gath, 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. He also was descended from the giant. He taunted Israel, and Jonathan son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him. These four were descended from the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.