1Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.21.1 enquired…: Heb. sought the face, etc 2And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.) 3Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD? 4And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.21.4 We will…: or, It is not silver nor gold that we have to do with Saul or his house, neither pertains it to us to kill, etc 5And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,21.5 devised…: or, cut us off 6Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.21.6 whom…: or, chosen of the LORD 7But 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. 8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:21.8 Michal: or, Michal’s sister21.8 brought…: Heb. bear to Adriel 9And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and 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¶ And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11And it was told David what Rizpah the 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, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa: 13And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.
15¶ Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.21.16 the giant: or, Rapha21.16 spear: Heb. the staff, or, the head 17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.21.17 light: Heb. candle, or, lamp 18And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.21.18 the giant: or, Rapha21.18 Saph: or, Sippai 19And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.21.19 Jaare-oregim: or, Jair 20And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.21.20 the giant: or, Rapha 21And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.21.21 defied: or, reproached21.21 Shimea: also called, Shammah 22These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
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。
