21:1 In the days of David there was a famine for three consecutive years, leading David to seek the LORD’s face. The LORD said, “It is because of Saul and the house of blood, because he put to death the Gibeonites.”

21:2 So the king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke with them. (Now the Gibeonites are not descendants of Israel; they are a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a covenant¹ with them, but Saul sought to kill them because of his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.) 21:3 David said to the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you, and how can I make amends so that you will feel disposed to bless² the LORD’s inheritance?”

21:4 They said to him, “We³ have no claim to silver or gold from Saul or from his house, nor would we be justified in putting to death anyone in Israel.” He said, “What then are you asking that I do for you?” 21:5 They replied to the king, “As for this man who exterminated us and who schemed against us so that we were destroyed and left without standing throughout all the borders of Israel—21:6 let seven men of his descendants be turned over to us, and we will execute⁴ them for the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, who was the LORD’s chosen one.” The king replied, “I will turn them over.”

21:7 But the king had compassion on Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan son of Saul in light of the LORD’s oath that had been taken between David and Jonathan the son of Saul. 21:8 So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah whom she had born to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul whom she had born to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 21:9 He turned them over to the Gibeonites, and they executed them on a hill before the LORD. The seven of them⁵ died⁶ together; they were put to death during the days of the harvest—the first days of the beginning⁷ of the barley harvest.

21:10 Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest until rain⁸ was poured out on them, she did not allow the birds of the sky to light on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night. 21:11 When David was informed about what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah Saul’s concubine had done, 21:12 he⁹ went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the leaders¹⁰ of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken¹¹ them from the plaza at Beth Shan. It was there that Philistines¹² had hung them when they¹³ killed Saul at Gilboa. 21:13 He brought the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there; they also gathered up the bones of those who had been executed.

21:14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin at Zela in the grave of his father Kish. After they had done everything¹⁴ that the king had commanded, God responded to their prayers¹⁵ for the land.

21:15 Then further battle occurred between the Philistines and Israel. So David went down with his servants and fought the Philistines. David thus became weary. 21:16 Now Ishbi-Benob, who was one of the descendants of Rapha,¹⁶ had a spear¹⁷ that weighed three hundred bronze shekels¹⁸ and was gird with a new weapon.¹⁹ He had said that he would kill David. 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, striking the Philistine and putting him to death. Then David’s men took an oath saying, “You should not again go out to battle with us! You should not by so doing extinguish the lamp of Israel!

21:18 Some time later there was another battle with the Philistines, this time in Gob. On that occasion Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of Rapha. 21:19 Yet another battle occurred with the Philistines in Gob. On that occasion Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite,²⁰ the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 21:20 Yet another battle occurred in Gath. On that occasion there was a large man,²¹ also a descendant of Rapha, both of whose hands had six fingers and both of whose feet had six toes, giving him a total of twenty-four digits. 21:21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah brother of David killed him. 21:22 These four men were descendants of Rapha in Gath; they were dealt a mortal blow²² by David and his servants.