2 Samuel 21 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

David Gives Saul’s Sons to the Gibeonites

1 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.”

2 So the king ^H4428 called ^H7121 the Gibeonites ^H1393 and spoke ^H559 to them (now the Gibeonites ^H1393 were not of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 but of the remnant ^H3499 of the Amorites ^H567, and the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 [fn]made ^H7650 a ^H7650 covenant ^H7650 with them, but Saul ^H7586 had sought ^H1245 to strike ^H5221 them down ^H5221 in his zeal ^H7065 for the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and Judah ^H3063). 3 Thus David ^H1732 said ^H559 to the Gibeonites ^H1393, “What ^H4100 should I do ^H6213 for you? And how ^H4100 can I make ^H3722 atonement ^H3722 that you may bless ^H1288 the inheritance ^H5159 of Yahweh ^H3068?” 4 Then the Gibeonites ^H1393 said ^H559 to him, “We have ^H369 no ^H369 concern of silver ^H3701 or gold ^H2091 with Saul ^H7586 or his house ^H1004, nor ^H369 is it for us to put ^H4191 any ^H376 man ^H376 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 in Israel ^H3478.” And he said ^H559, “I will do ^H6213 for you whatever ^H4100 you say ^H559.” 5 So they said ^H559 to the king ^H4428, “The man ^H376 who ^H834 consumed ^H3615 us and who ^H834 planned ^H1819 [fn]to eradicate ^H8045 us from standing ^H3320 within any ^H3605 border ^H1366 of Israel ^H3478, 6 let seven ^H7651 men ^H376 from his sons ^H1121 be given ^H5414 to us, and we will [fn]hang ^H3363 them before Yahweh ^H3068 in Gibeah ^H1390 of Saul ^H7586, the chosen ^H972 of Yahweh ^H3068.” And the king ^H4428 said ^H559, “I will give ^H5414 them.”

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. 8 So the king ^H4428 took ^H3947 the two ^H8147 sons ^H1121 of Rizpah ^H7532 the daughter ^H1323 of Aiah ^H345, Armoni ^H764 and Mephibosheth ^H4648 whom ^H834 she had borne ^H3205 to Saul ^H7586, and the five ^H2568 sons ^H1121 of [fn]Merab ^H4764 the daughter ^H1323 of Saul ^H7586, whom ^H834 she had borne ^H3205 to Adriel ^H5741 the son ^H1121 of Barzillai ^H1271 the Meholathite ^H4259. 9 Then he gave ^H5414 them into the hand ^H3027 of the Gibeonites ^H1393, and they [fn]hanged ^H3363 them in the mountain ^H2022 before ^H6440 Yahweh ^H3068, so that the seven ^H7651 of them fell ^H5307 together ^H3162; and they were put ^H4191 to ^H4191 death ^H4191 in the first ^H7223 days ^H3117 of harvest ^H7105 at the beginning ^H8462 of barley ^H8184 harvest ^H7105.

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. 11 Then it was told ^H5046 to David ^H1732 what ^H834 Rizpah ^H7532 the daughter ^H1323 of Aiah ^H345, the concubine ^H6370 of Saul ^H7586, had done ^H6213. 12 So David ^H1732 went ^H1980 and took ^H3947 the bones ^H6106 of Saul ^H7586 and the bones ^H6106 of Jonathan ^H3083 his son ^H1121 from the men ^H1167 of Jabesh-gilead ^H3003 H1568, who ^H834 had stolen ^H1589 them from the open ^H7339 square ^H7339 of Beth-shan ^H1052, where ^H834 H8033 the Philistines ^H6430 had hanged ^H8518 them on the day ^H3117 the Philistines ^H6430 struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 Saul ^H7586 in Gilboa ^H1533. 13 And he brought ^H5927 up ^H5927 the bones ^H6106 of Saul ^H7586 and the bones ^H6106 of Jonathan ^H3083 his son ^H1121 from there ^H8033, and they gathered ^H622 the bones ^H6106 of those who had been [fn]hanged ^H3363. 14 Then they buried ^H6912 the bones ^H6106 of Saul ^H7586 and Jonathan ^H3083 his son ^H1121 in the land ^H776 of Benjamin ^H1144 in Zela ^H6762, in the grave ^H6913 of Kish ^H7027 his father ^H1; thus they did ^H6213 all ^H3605 that the king ^H4428 commanded ^H6680, and afterwards ^H310 H3651 God ^H430 was moved ^H6279 by ^H6279 the entreaty ^H6279 for the land ^H776.

War with the Philistines

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.

16 Then Ishbi-benob ^H3430, who ^H834 was among those born ^H3211 to the [fn]giants ^H7497, the weight ^H4948 of whose spear ^H7013 was [fn]three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 shekels of bronze ^H5178 in weight ^H4948, [fn]was girded ^H2296 with a new ^H2319 sword, and he [fn]intended ^H559 to strike ^H5221 down ^H5221 David ^H1732. 17 But Abishai ^H52 the son ^H1121 of Zeruiah ^H6870 helped ^H5826 him, and struck ^H5221 the Philistine ^H6430 and put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191. Then ^H227 the men ^H376 of David ^H1732 swore ^H7650 to him, saying ^H559, “You shall not go ^H3318 out ^H3318 again ^H5750 with us to battle ^H4421, so that you do not extinguish ^H3518 the lamp ^H5216 of Israel ^H3478.”

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. 19 There was war ^H4421 with the Philistines ^H6430 again ^H5750 at Gob ^H1359, and Elhanan ^H445 the son ^H1121 of Jaare-oregim ^H3296 the Bethlehemite ^H1022 struck ^H5221 down ^H5221 [fn]Goliath ^H1555 the Gittite ^H1663, the shaft ^H6086 of whose spear ^H2595 was like a weaver’s ^H707 beam ^H4500. 20 Then there was war ^H4421 at Gath ^H1661 again ^H5750, and there was a man ^H376 of great stature ^H4055 who had six ^H8337 fingers ^H676 on each hand ^H3027 and six ^H8337 toes ^H676 on each foot ^H7272, twenty-four ^H6242 H702 in number ^H4557; and he also ^H1571 had been born ^H3205 to the [fn]giants ^H7497. 21 And he [fn]reproached ^H2778 Israel ^H3478, so Jonathan ^H3083 the son ^H1121 of Shimei ^H8096, David’s ^H1732 brother ^H251, struck ^H5221 him down ^H5221. 22 These ^H428 four ^H702 were born ^H3205 to the [fn]giants ^H7497 in Gath ^H1661, and they fell ^H5307 by the hand ^H3027 of David ^H1732 and by the hand ^H3027 of his servants ^H5650.