2 Samuel 21 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Gives Saul’s Sons to the Gibeonites

And there was a famine^H7458 in the days^H3117 of David^H1732 for three^H7969 years^H8141, year^H8141 after^H310 year^H8141; and David^H1732 sought^H1245 the presence^H6440 of Yahweh^H3068. And Yahweh^H3068 said^H559, “It is for Saul^H7586 and his bloody^H1818 house^H1004, because^H5921^H834 he put^H4191 the Gibeonites^H1393 to^H4191 death^H4191.”

2Sa 21:2

2Sa 21:2So 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 [fn]made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to strike them down in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah).

2Sa 21:3

2Sa 21:3Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless the inheritance of Yahweh?”

2Sa 21:4

2Sa 21:4Then 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.”

2Sa 21:5

2Sa 21:5So they said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who planned [fn]to eradicate us from standing within any border of Israel,

2Sa 21:6

2Sa 21:6let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will [fn]hang them before Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

2Sa 21:7

But the king^H4428 spared^H2550 Mephibosheth^H4648, the son^H1121 of Jonathan^H3083 the son^H1121 of Saul^H7586, because^H5921 of the oath^H7621 of Yahweh^H3068 which^H834 was between^H996 them, between^H996 David^H1732 and Saul’s^H7586 son^H1121 Jonathan^H3083.

2Sa 21:8

2Sa 21:8So 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 [fn]Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

2Sa 21:9

2Sa 21:9Then he gave them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they [fn]hanged them in the mountain before Yahweh, 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.

2Sa 21:10

And Rizpah^H7532 the daughter^H1323 of Aiah^H345 took^H3947 sackcloth^H8242 and spread^H5186 it for herself on the rock^H6697, from the beginning^H8462 of harvest^H7105 until^H5704 [fn]it rained^H5413 on them from the sky^H8064; and she [fn]allowed^H5414 neither^H3808 the birds^H5775 of the sky^H8064 to rest^H5117 on them by day^H3119 nor^H3808 the beasts^H2416 of the field^H7704 by night^H3915.

2Sa 21:11

2Sa 21:11Then it was told to David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

2Sa 21:12

2Sa 21:12So 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.

2Sa 21:13

2Sa 21:13And he 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 [fn]hanged.

2Sa 21:14

2Sa 21:14Then they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and afterwards God was moved by the entreaty for the land.

War with the Philistines

(1Ch 20:4–8 )

2Sa 21:15

And the Philistines^H6430 were at war^H4421 again^H5750 with Israel^H3478, so David^H1732 went^H3381 down^H3381 and his servants^H5650 with him; and as they fought^H3898 against^H854 the Philistines^H6430, David^H1732 became^H5888 weary^H5888.

2Sa 21:16

2Sa 21:16Then Ishbi-benob, who was among those born to the [fn]giants, the weight of whose spear was [fn]three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, [fn]was girded with a new sword, and he [fn]intended to strike down David.

2Sa 21:17

2Sa 21:17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and put him to death. 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.”

2Sa 21:18

Now it happened^H1961 afterwards^H310^H3651 that there was war^H4421 again^H5750 with the Philistines^H6430 at Gob^H1359; then^H227 Sibbecai^H5444 the Hushathite^H2843 struck^H5221 down^H5221 Saph^H5593, who^H834 was among those born^H3211 to the [fn]giants^H7497.

2Sa 21:19

2Sa 21:19There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite struck down [fn]Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

2Sa 21:20

2Sa 21:20Then there was war at Gath again, and 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 [fn]giants.

2Sa 21:21