1 N ow there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David 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.”

There was a three-year famine in the days of David, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. The Lord replied, It is on account of Saul and his bloody house, for he put to death the Gibeonites.

2 S o 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 the sons of Israel made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah).

So the king called the Gibeonites—now the Gibeonites were not Israelites but of the remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah had sought to slay the Gibeonites—

3 T hus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord ?”

So David said to the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? How can I make atonement that you may bless the Lord’s inheritance?

4 T hen the Gibeonites said to him, “ We 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.”

The Gibeonites said to him, We will accept no silver or gold of Saul or of his house; neither for us shall you kill any man in Israel. David said, I will do for you what you say.

5 S o they said to the king, “ The man who consumed us and who planned to exterminate us from remaining within any border of Israel,

They said to the king, The man who consumed us and planned to prevent us from remaining in any territory of Israel,

6 l et seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of the Lord.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

Let seven men of his sons be delivered to us and we will hang them up before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul, of the Lord. And the king said, I will give them.

7 B ut the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the oath of the Lord which was between them, between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.

But the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the Lord’s oath that was between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

8 S o the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

But the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

9 T hen he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged 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 the beginning of barley harvest.

He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hung them up on the hill before the Lord, and all seven perished together. They were put to death in the first days of barley harvest.

10 A nd Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until it rained on them from the sky; and she allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them, and she did not allow either the birds of the air to come upon them by day or the beasts of the field by night.

11 W hen it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done,

It was told David what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 t hen David went and took the 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 Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa.

And David went and took the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hung them up when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa.

13 H e 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 hanged.

He brought from there the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of those who were hung up.

14 T hey buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that God was moved by prayer for the land.

And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son they buried in the country of Benjamin in Zelah in the tomb of Kish, father, and they did all that the king commanded. And after that, God heard and answered when His people prayed for the land.

15 N ow when the 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.

The Philistines had war again with Israel. And David went down and his servants with him and fought against the Philistines, and David became faint.

16 T hen Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, was girded with a new sword, and he intended to kill David.

Ishbi-benob, who was of the sons of the giants, the weight of whose spear was 300 shekels of bronze, was girded with a new sword, and thought to kill David.

17 B ut Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “ You shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish the lamp of Israel.”

But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, and smote and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men charged him, You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.

18 N ow it came about after this that there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was among the descendants of the giant.

After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob (Gezer). Then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph (Sippai), who was a descendant of the giant.

19 T here was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

There was again war at Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.

20 T here 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 to the giant.

And there was again war 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 a descendant of the giants.

21 W hen he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down.

And when he defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimei, brother of David, slew him.

22 T hese four were born to the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

These four were descended from the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.