2Samuel 21

1 One time there was a famine during David’s reign that went on for three straight years. David sought the LORD, who ^{a21:1 Lit. sought the face of the LORD, and the LORD} said, “Saul and his household are guilty because he executed the Gibeonites.”ISV — 2Samuel 21:1

2 So the king called together the Gibeonites and conferred with them. Now the Gibeonites weren’t part of the nation of Israel, but were the survivors from the Amorites. Although the Israelis had promised to spare them, Saul had started to execute them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.ISV — 2Samuel 21:2

3 So David asked the Gibeonites, “What am I to do for you? How am I to make atonement so that you will bless the LORD’s heritage?”ISV — 2Samuel 21:3

4 “We’re not looking for mere silver or gold to be paid by Saul or his household to us,” the Gibeonites responded to him. “And it’s not for us to execute anyone in Israel.” In reply, David ^{b21:4 Lit. he} asked, “So what are you asking me to do for you?”ISV — 2Samuel 21:4

5 They told the king, “The man who consumed us, who planned our destruction—intending to leave us with nothing in the territory of Israel—ISV — 2Samuel 21:5

6 is to have ^{c21:6 Lit. Israel… Let seven} seven of his sons turned over to us. We will hang ^{d21:6 Or impale; i.e. they would execute them and then expose the bodies} them in the presence of the LORD at Gibeah, which belonged to Saul, whom the LORD chose.” So the king answered, “I will give them.” ^{e21:6 The Heb. lacks them}ISV — 2Samuel 21:6

7 The king exempted Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the promise to the LORD that existed between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.ISV — 2Samuel 21:7

8 Instead, the king arrested Aiah’s daughter Rizpah’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Barzillai the Meholathite’s son Adriel.ISV — 2Samuel 21:8

9 Then he turned them over to the custody of the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain in the presence of the LORD. All seven of them died at the same time. They were executed during the first days of harvest, just as the barley began to be gathered in.ISV — 2Samuel 21:9

10 Then Aiah’s daughter Rizpah grabbed some sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock where her children had been hanged ^{f21:10 The Heb. lacks where her children had been hanged} from the beginning of harvest until the first rain fell from the sky. She would not allow any scavenger birds ^{g21:10 Lit. any birds of the sky} to land on them during the day nor the beasts of the field to approach them ^{h21:10 The Heb. lacks to approach them} at night.ISV — 2Samuel 21:10

11 When David was informed what Rizpah, the daughter of Saul’s mistress ^{i21:11 Lit. concubine; a secondary wife} had done,ISV — 2Samuel 21:11

12 David had Saul’s bones and the bones of his son Jonathan removed from the custody of certain men from Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square in Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them—that is, back on the day when the Philistines had killed Saul on Mount ^{j21:12 The Heb. lacks Mount} Gilboa.ISV — 2Samuel 21:12

13 He brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there along with the bones of those who had been hanged,ISV — 2Samuel 21:13

14 and they buried Saul’s bones and his son Jonathan’s bones in the territory of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Saul’s ^{k21:14 Lit. his} father Kish. After they had done everything that the king commanded, God responded to prayers for the land. ^{l21:14 Cf. 2Sam 24:25} ( )ISV — 2Samuel 21:14

15 Afterwards, war broke out between the Philistines and Israel, so David went down to fight the Philistines. David became weary,ISV — 2Samuel 21:15

16 and Ishbi-benob, who had been fathered by giants, ^{m21:16 Lit. by the Rapha; and so throughout the chapter} said he intended to kill David. (His bronze spearhead weighed 300 shekels, ^{n21:16 I.e., about seven and a half pounds at 0.4 shekels per ounce} and he carried state-of-the-art ^{o21:16 Or newly-issued; lit. newly girded} weaponry.)ISV — 2Samuel 21:16

17 But Zeruiah’s son Abishai came to David’s aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David’s army told him, “You’re not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel’s beacon won’t be extinguished!”ISV — 2Samuel 21:17

18 Sometime later after this incident, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who had been fathered by giants.ISV — 2Samuel 21:18

19 In yet another battle at Gob, Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite’s son Elhanan killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear resembled that of a weaver’s beam.ISV — 2Samuel 21:19

20 Later on, there was another battle at Gath, where there was a very tall man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—24 in number—who had also been fathered by giants.ISV — 2Samuel 21:20

21 When he defied Israel, David’s brother Shimeah’s son Jonathan killed him.ISV — 2Samuel 21:21

22 These four giants, who had been fathered by a giant in Gath, were killed at the hands of David and his servants.ISV — 2Samuel 21:22