2 Samuel 21:7-22 ▼

7 And the king had pity on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul, because of the oath of YHWH that was between them, between David and between Jonathan son of Saul.

8 And the king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Merab daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite,

9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the face of YHWH. And they fell seven together, and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days in the beginning of the harvest of barley.

10 And Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and she spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from the heavens. And she did not allow the birds of the heavens to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

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

12 And 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 broad place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them there after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa.

13 And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.

14 And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the tomb of Kish his father. And they performed all that the king commanded, and God heeded the prayer for the land after that.

15 And again were the Philistines at war with Israel, and David went down, and his servants with him, and they fought against the Philistines, and David grew faint.

16 And Ishbi-benob, who was one of the sons of Rapha—and the weight of his spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, and he was bearing a new one—spoke of striking David.

17 And Abishai son of Zeruiah came to aid him 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 And it came to pass after thus, that the battle there was again at Gob with the Philistines. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the sons of Rapha.

19 And there was war again at Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite struck the brother of Goliath the Gittite, and the shaft of his spear was like a weavers’ beam.

20 And there was war again at Gath, where there was a man of stature, and the fingers of his hands were six, and the toes of his feet six—twenty-four in number. And also he was born from Rapha.

21 And he defied Israel, and Jonathan son of Shimei the brother of David killed him.

22 These four were born of Rapha in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.