2 Samuel 21 :: New International Version (NIV)

The Gibeonites Avenged

2Sa 21:1During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the LORD. The LORD said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”

2Sa 21:2

2Sa 21:2The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.)

2Sa 21:3

2Sa 21:3David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the LORD’s inheritance?”

2Sa 21:4

2Sa 21:4The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.” “What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.

2Sa 21:5

2Sa 21:5They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel,

2Sa 21:6

2Sa 21:6let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul—the LORD’s chosen one.” So the king said, “I will give them to you.”

2Sa 21:7

2Sa 21:7The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.

2Sa 21:8

2Sa 21:8But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,[fn] whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

2Sa 21:9

2Sa 21:9He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the LORD. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.

2Sa 21:10

2Sa 21:10Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night.

2Sa 21:11

2Sa 21:11When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done,

2Sa 21:12

2Sa 21:12he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)

2Sa 21:13

2Sa 21:13David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.

2Sa 21:14

2Sa 21:14They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of the land.

Wars Against the Philistines

(1Ch 20:4–8 )

2Sa 21:15

2Sa 21:15Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted.

2Sa 21:16

2Sa 21:16And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels[fn] and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David.

2Sa 21:17

2Sa 21:17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”

2Sa 21:18

2Sa 21:18In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.

2Sa 21:19

2Sa 21:19In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair[fn] the Bethlehemite killed the brother of[fn] Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

2Sa 21:20

2Sa 21:20In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha.

2Sa 21:21

2Sa 21:21When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.

2Sa 21:22

2Sa 21:22These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.

See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NIV Footnotes

(21:8)

Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal

(21:16)

That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms

(21:19)

See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim.

(21:19)

See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of.

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2 Samuel Chapter 21 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Westminster Leningrad Codex Septuagint Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Brenton's English Septuagint Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras

2 Samuel 21 :: New International Version (NIV)

The Gibeonites Avenged

Wars Against the Philistines

NIV Footnotes

2 Samuel Chapter 21 — Additional Translations:

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