Retribution for the Gibeonites

1One time there was a famine during David’s reign that went on for three straight years. David sought the LORD, whoa said, “Saul and his household are guilty because he executed the Gibeonites.”

2So the king called together the Gibeonites and conferred with them. Now the Gibeonites weren’t part of the nation of Israel, but were the survivors from the Amorites. Although the Israelis had promised to spare them, Saul had started to execute them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.

3So David asked the Gibeonites, “What am I to do for you? How am I to make atonement so that you will bless the LORD’s heritage?”

4“We’re not looking for mere silver or gold to be paid by Saul or his household to us,” the Gibeonites responded to him. “And it’s not for us to execute anyone in Israel.”

In reply, Davidb asked, “So what are you asking me to do for you?”

5They told the king, “The man who consumed us, who planned our destruction—intending to leave us with nothing in the territory of Israel— 6is to havec seven of his sons turned over to us. We will hangd them in the presence of the LORD at Gibeah, which belonged to Saul, whom the LORD chose.”

So the king answered, “I will give them.”e 7The king exempted Mephibosheth, the son of Saul’s son Jonathan, because of the promise to the LORD that existed between David and Saul’s son Jonathan.

8Instead, the king arrested Aiah’s daughter Rizpah’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Barzillai the Meholathite’s son Adriel. 9Then he turned them over to the custody of the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain in the presence of the LORD. All seven of them died at the same time. They were executed during the first days of harvest, just as the barley began to be gathered in.

10Then Aiah’s daughter Rizpah grabbed some sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock where her children had been hangedf from the beginning of harvest until the first rain fell from the sky. She would not allow any scavenger birdsg to land on them during the day nor the beasts of the field to approach themh at night.

11When David was informed what Rizpah, the daughter of Saul’s mistressi had done, 12David had Saul’s bones and the bones of his son Jonathan removed from the custody of certain men from Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square in Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them—that is, back on the day when the Philistines had killed Saul on Mountj Gilboa. 13He brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there along with the bones of those who had been hanged, 14and they buried Saul’s bones and his son Jonathan’s bones in the territory of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Saul’sk father Kish. After they had done everything that the king commanded, God responded to prayers for the land.l

Israel Battles Four Giants from Gath

(1 Chronicles 20:4-8)

15Afterwards, war broke out between the Philistines and Israel, so David went down to fight the Philistines. David became weary, 16and Ishbi-benob, who had been fathered by giants,m said he intended to kill David. (His bronze spearhead weighed 300 shekels,n and he carried state-of-the-arto weaponry.) 17But Zeruiah’s son Abishai came to David’s aid, attacked the Philistine, and killed him. After this, David’s army told him, “You’re not going out anymore with us to battle, so Israel’s beacon won’t be extinguished!” 18Sometime later after this incident, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who had been fathered by giants. 19In yet another battle at Gob, Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite’s son Elhanan killed Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear resembled that of a weaver’s beam. 20Later on, there was another battle at Gath, where there was a very tall man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—24 in number—who had also been fathered by giants. 21When he defied Israel, David’s brother Shimeah’s son Jonathan killed him. 22These four giants, who had been fathered by a giant in Gath, were killed at the hands of David and his servants.