1Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, “It is because of Saul and his 21:1 Lit. house of bloodshedbloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

2So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them. Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them, but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah.

3Therefore David said to the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? And with what shall I make atonement, that you may bless the inheritance of the Lord?”

4And the Gibeonites said to him, “We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us.”

5Then they answered the king, “As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel,

6let seven men of his descendants be delivered to us, and we will hang them before the Lord in Gibeah of Saul, whom the Lord chose.”

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

8So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of 21:8 Merab, 1 Sam. 18:19; 25:44; 2 Sam. 3:14; 6:23Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she 21:8 Lit. bore to Adrielbrought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;

9and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the Lord. So they fell, all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

10Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven. And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

11And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12Then 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 street of 21:12 Beth Shean, Josh. 17:11Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa.

13So 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 hanged.

14They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. So they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded the prayer for the land.

15When the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines; and David grew faint.

16Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of 21:16 Or Raphathe giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could kill David.

17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “You shall go out no more with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”

18Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed 21:18 Sippai, 1 Chr. 20:4Saph, who was one of the sons of 21:18 Or Raphathe giant.

19Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of 21:19 Jair, 1 Chr. 20:5Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

20Yet again there was 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; and he also was born to 21:20 Or Raphathe giant.

21So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of 21:21 Shammah, 1 Sam. 16:9 and elsewhereShimea, David’s brother, killed him.

22These four were born to 21:22 Or Raphathe giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.