基遍人向扫罗家复仇
1在大卫执政期间，连续有三年饥荒，大卫就求问耶和华。耶和华说：“发生这饥荒是因为扫罗一家人的血债，他们杀害了基遍人。” 2原来基遍人不是以色列人，他们是亚摩利人的遗民。以色列人曾起誓不伤害他们，但扫罗为以色列人和犹大人发热心，试图铲除基遍人。大卫就召来基遍人， 3问他们：“我可以为你们做些什么来赎罪，使你们愿意祝福耶和华的子民21:3 “子民”希伯来文是“产业”。呢？” 4基遍人答道：“金银不能解决我们和扫罗一家人的问题，我们也不想处死任何以色列人。”大卫说：“你们要我怎么办？” 5他们说：“扫罗曾试图灭绝我们，把我们从以色列境内铲除。 6请你把扫罗的七个子孙交给我们。耶和华选立了扫罗，我们就在耶和华面前把他们吊死在扫罗的家乡基比亚城。”王说：“我必把他们交给你们。”
7大卫王因为与扫罗的儿子约拿单在耶和华面前起过誓，就没有把扫罗的孙子、约拿单的儿子米非波设交出来。 8他把埃亚的女儿利斯巴为扫罗所生的两个儿子亚摩尼、米非波设和扫罗女儿米拉为米何拉人巴西莱的儿子亚得列所生的五个儿子交给基遍人。 9基遍人在耶和华面前把他们七人吊死在山上，那时正好是收割大麦的时候。
10扫罗的嫔妃、埃亚的女儿利斯巴在一块磐石上用麻布搭了一座棚看尸。她白天不让飞鸟靠近，夜间不容野兽走近，从开始收割大麦，一直守到降下雨来。 11大卫知道这件事以后， 12就去基列·雅比人那里把扫罗和约拿单的骸骨运来。从前非利士人在基利波杀死扫罗和约拿单，把他们的尸体挂在伯珊的广场，后来基列·雅比人把尸体偷走了。 13大卫运回扫罗和约拿单的骸骨，又收殓了扫罗那七个子孙的骸骨。 14众人按照大卫的吩咐，把扫罗和约拿单的骸骨埋葬在扫罗父亲基士的墓里，在便雅悯境内的洗拉。此后，上帝垂听了人们为国家的祷告。
与非利士人交战
15以色列人又和非利士人交战，大卫亲自出征。在他十分疲倦的时候， 16一个名叫以实·比诺的巨人佩戴新刀，手拿三公斤半重的铜矛，冲上来要杀他。 17洗鲁雅的儿子亚比筛赶来救驾，杀死了非利士巨人。这事以后，大卫的部下向他起誓说：“你绝不可再跟我们一起出战，免得以色列的灯熄灭。” 18后来，以色列人和非利士人在歌伯打仗，户沙人西比该杀了另一个非利士巨人撒弗。 19在同一个地方，伯利恒人雅雷俄珥金的儿子伊勒哈难又杀了迦特人歌利亚。歌利亚的长矛粗如织布机的轴。 20在迦特的一次交战中，有一个非利士巨人每只手脚各有六个手指和脚趾，共二十四个手指和脚趾。 21他向以色列人骂阵，大卫的哥哥示米亚的儿子约拿单就杀了他。 22这四个迦特巨人的后裔都死在大卫和他的部下手里。
David Makes Things Right for the People of Gibeon
1For three years in a row there wasn’t enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn’t blessing his people. The Lord said, “It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death.”
2The people of Gibeon weren’t a part of Israel. Instead, they were some of the Amorites who were still left alive. The Israelites had promised to spare them. But Saul had tried to put an end to them. That’s because he wanted to make Israel and Judah strong. So now King David sent for the people of Gibeon and spoke to them. 3He asked them, “What would you like me to do for you? How can I make up for the wrong things that were done to you? I want you to be able to pray that the Lord will once again bless his land.”
4The people of Gibeon answered him. They said, “No amount of silver or gold can make up for what Saul and his family did to us. And we can’t put anyone in Israel to death.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.
5They answered the king, “Saul nearly destroyed us. He made plans to wipe us out. We don’t have anywhere to live in Israel. 6So let seven of the males in his family line be given to us. We’ll kill them. We’ll put their dead bodies out in the open in the sight of the Lord. We’ll do it at Gibeah of Saul. Saul was the Lord’s chosen king.”
So King David said, “I’ll give seven males to you.”
7The king spared Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. David had made a promise in front of the Lord. He had promised to be kind to Jonathan and the family line of his father Saul. 8But the king chose Armoni and another Mephibosheth. They were the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah. Saul was their father. The king also chose the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab. Adriel, the son of Barzillai, was their father. Adriel was from Meholah. 9King David handed them over to the people of Gibeon. They killed them. They put their dead bodies out in the open on a hill in the sight of the Lord. All seven of them died together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest. It happened just when people were beginning to harvest the barley.
10Aiah’s daughter Rizpah took some rough cloth people wear when they’re sad. She spread it out for herself on a rock. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until it rained. The rain poured down from the sky on the dead bodies of the seven males. She didn’t let the birds touch them by day. She didn’t let the wild animals touch them at night. 11Someone told David what Rizpah had done. She was Aiah’s daughter and Saul’s concubine. 12David went and got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. He got them from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. They had stolen their bodies from the main street in Beth Shan. That’s where the Philistines had hung their bodies up on the city wall. They had done it after they struck Saul down on Mount Gilboa. 13David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Jabesh Gilead. The bones of the seven males who had been killed and put out in the open were also gathered up.
14The bones of Saul and his son Jonathan were buried in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. The tomb was at Zela in the territory of Benjamin. Everything the king commanded was done. After that, God answered prayer and blessed the land.
Wars Against the Philistines
15Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines. He became very tired. 16Ishbi-Benob belonged to the family line of Rapha. The tip of his bronze spear weighed seven and a half pounds. He was also armed with a new sword. He said he would kill David. 17But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, came to save David. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men made a promise. They said to David, “We never want you to go out with us to battle again. You are the lamp of Israel’s kingdom. We want that lamp to keep on burning brightly.”
18There was another battle against the Philistines. It took place at Gob. At that time Sibbekai killed Saph. Sibbekai was a Hushathite. Saph was from the family line of Rapha.
19In another battle against the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan killed Goliath’s brother. Elhanan was the son of Jair from Bethlehem. Goliath was from the city of Gath. His spear was as big as a weaver’s rod.
20There was still another battle. It took place at Gath. A huge man lived there. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. So the total number of his toes and fingers was 24. He was also from the family of Rapha. 21He made fun of Israel. So Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of David’s brother Shimeah.
22Those four Philistine men lived in Gath. They were from the family line of Rapha. David and his men killed them.
