The Gibeonites Avenged
1
During 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."
2
The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them.
(Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors the Amorites;
the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah
had tried to annihilate them.)
3
David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you?
How shall I make amends so that you will bless thre LORD's inheritance?"
4
The 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.
5
They 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,
6
let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed
before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul - the LORD's chosen one."
So the king said, "I will give them to you."
7
The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul,
because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.
8
But 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, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
9
He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them 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 beginnng.
10
Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackc;oth 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 of the air touch them nt day
or the wild animals by night.
11
When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done,
12
he went and took te bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of
Jabesh Gilead.
(They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan,
where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)
13
David brought the bones of Saul and his son Joathan from there,
and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
14
They buried the bones of Saul and his son Joathan 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
15
Once 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.
16
And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead
weighed three hundred shekels ad who was armed with a new sword,
said he would kill David.
17
But 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."
18
In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob.
At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants
of Rapha.
19
In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim
the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite,
who had a spear with a saft like a weaver's rod.
20
In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man
with six fingers on each hand ad six toes on each foot - twenty-four in all.
He also was descended from Rapha.
21
When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.
22
These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath,
and they fell at the hands of David and his men.