2 Samuel
Chapter 21
1 There was a food shortage during David’s time for three years in a row, and David asked God. God said, “It is because of Saul and his violent family, for he killed the Gibeonites.”
2 The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. The Gibeonites were not part of the Israelites but were leftover Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to them, but Saul wanted to kill them to show his commitment to the Israelites and Judah.
3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you? And how can I make things right so you will bless God’s people?”
4 The Gibeonites told him, “We don’t want any silver or gold from Saul or his family, and you shouldn’t kill anyone in Israel for us.” He replied, “Tell me what you want, and I’ll do it for you.”
5 The people told the king, “The man who destroyed us and planned for us to be wiped out from all over Israel,”
6 Give us seven of his sons, and we will hang them before God in Saul’s town of Gibeah, whom God chose. And the king said, I will give them.
7 The king did not harm Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, because of the promise that David and Jonathan had made before God.
8 The king took Rizpah’s two sons, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons Michal raised for Adriel.
9 God let the Gibeonites capture them, and they hung them on a hill before God. All seven died at the same time during the early days of the barley harvest.
10 Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter, laid a rough cloth on a rock. She kept it there from harvest start until rain fell from the sky. She did not let birds land on it during the day or wild animals at night.
11 David was told about what Rizpah, Aiah’s daughter and Saul’s concubine, had done.
12 David retrieved the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the people of Jabeshgilead, who had taken them from Bethshan where the Philistines hung them after killing Saul in Gilboa.
13 He brought up the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there; they also gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin at Zelah, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king ordered. After that, God answered prayers for the land.
15 The Philistines went to war with Israel again; David and his men fought against them, and David became very tired.
16 Ishbibenob, one of the giant’s sons, had a spear that weighed three hundred shekels of brass. He wore a new sword and planned to kill David.
17 Abishai, son of Zeruiah, helped him and struck the Philistine, killing him. Then David’s men promised him, “You will not go with us to fight anymore, so you do not put out Israel’s light.”
18 After this, another battle happened with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the giant’s sons.
19 Another battle happened in Gob with the Philistines. There, Elhanan, son of Jaareoregim from Bethlehem, killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s tool.
20 Another battle took place in Gath. There was a very tall man there who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—24 in total. He was also a descendant of the giant.
21 When he challenged Israel, Jonathan, David’s nephew and Shimeah’s son, killed him.
22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and were killed by David and his men.