2 Samuel 21
1 In David’s time there was a famine for three years, year after year, and David sought the LORD’s presence. The LORD said, “It is because of Saul and his bloodstained house, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2 The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. The Gibeonites were not Israelites but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn an oath to them, but Saul had tried to kill them in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah.
3 David asked the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make amends, so that you may bless the LORD’s inheritance?”
4 The Gibeonites answered him, “It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul and his house, nor is it for us to put anyone in Israel to death.” He asked, “What do you say I should do for you?”
5 They answered the king, “That man wiped us out and plotted against us, intending to destroy us and leave none of us anywhere in Israel’s territory.
6 Let seven of his descendants be handed over to us, and we will hang them before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul, the LORD’s chosen one.” The king said, “I will hand them over.”
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath sworn before the LORD between them, between David and Jonathan, son of Saul.
8 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 Saul’s daughter Michal, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain before the LORD. All seven fell together. They were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock. From the beginning of the harvest until rain fell from the sky on them, she did not let the birds of the sky settle on them by day or the wild animals by night.
11 David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, Saul’s concubine, had done.
12 Then David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the people of Jabesh-gilead. They had stolen them from the public square at Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them on the day the Philistines killed Saul at Gilboa.
13 He brought back from there the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin, at Zela, in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. They did everything the king had commanded, and afterward God was moved to show favor to the land.
15 War broke out again between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men, and they fought the Philistines. David grew weary.
16 Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new weapon, intended to kill David.
17 But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his aid, struck the Philistine, and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, “You must not go out with us to battle again, so that you do not extinguish Israel’s lamp.”
18 After this, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19 There was another battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.
20 There was another battle at Gath. A man of great stature was there, with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in all. He too was a descendant of Rapha.
21 He taunted Israel, and Jonathan son of Shimea, David’s brother, killed him.
22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
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