New International Version

New King James Version

The Gibeonites Avenged

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.”

1

David Avenges the Gibeonites

Now 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 [a]bloodthirsty house, because he killed the Gibeonites.”

2

The 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.)

2

So 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.

3

David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”

3

Therefore 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?”

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.

4

And 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.”
So he said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

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,

5

Then 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,

6

let 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.”

6

let 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.”
And the king said, “I will give them.”

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.

7

But 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.

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,a whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

8

So 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 [b]Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she [c]brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;

9

He 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.

9

and 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.

10

Rizpah 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.

10

Now 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.

11

When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done,

11

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

12

he 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.)

12

Then 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 [d]Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them up, after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa.

13

David 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.

13

So 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.

14

They 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.

14

They 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.

15

Wars Against the Philistines

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.

15

Philistine Giants Destroyed

When 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.

16

And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekelsb and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David.

16

Then Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the sons of [e]the giant, the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels, who was bearing a new sword, thought he could 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.”

17

But 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.”

18

In 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.

18

Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed [f]Saph, who was one of the sons of [g]the giant.

19

In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jairc the Bethlehemite killed the brother ofd Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.

19

Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of [h]Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.

20

In 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.

20

Yet 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 [i]the giant.

21

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

21

So when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of [j]Shimea, 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.

22

These four were born to [k]the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Parallel

New International Version

New King James Version

2 Samuel 21

2 Samuel 21