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.
Dawid Tɔ Were Ma Gibeonfoɔ
1Dawid ahennie so no, ɛkɔm baa asase no so mfeɛ mmiɛnsa, enti Dawid bisaa Awurade ɛkɔm no ho asɛm. Na Awurade kaa sɛ, “Esiane ɛfɔ a Saulo ne ne fiefoɔ di wɔ kunkum a wɔkunkumm Gibeonfoɔ no ho enti na ɛkɔm saa aba no.”
2Enti, ɔhene Dawid frɛɛ Gibeonfoɔ no nyinaa. Na wɔnka Israelfoɔ no ho, na mmom, wɔyɛ Amorifoɔ21.2 Edin Amorifoɔ yɛ din a wɔde frɛ Kanaanfoɔ nyinaa ansa na wɔredi wɔn so (1 Mose 15.16; Yos 24.18). Nokorɛm, Gibeonfoɔ yɛ Hiwifoɔ (Yos 9.7; 11.19). nkaeɛfoɔ bi. Israel kaa ntam sɛ, wɔrenkum wɔn, nanso ɛsiane Saulo ahopereɛ enti, ɔpɛɛ sɛ ɔtɔre wɔn ase. 3Dawid bisaa Gibeonfoɔ no sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na mɛtumi ayɛ de apata mo? Monka, sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a Awurade bɛhyira ne nkurɔfoɔ bio.”
4Gibeonfoɔ no buaa sɛ, “Anokwa, sika rentumi, na yɛmpɛ nso sɛ wɔbɛkunkum Israelfoɔ aweretɔ so.”
Enti, Dawid kɔɔ so bisaa wɔn sɛ, “Enti, ɛdeɛn na menyɛ? Monka nkyerɛ me, na mɛyɛ ama mo.”
5Na wɔbuaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ Saulo na ɔdwenee ho sɛ ɔbɛsɛe yɛn, sɛdeɛ yɛrennya afa biara wɔ Israel. 6Enti, wɔnyi Saulo mmammarima anaa ne nananom mmarima baason mma yɛn, na yɛbɛkum wɔn wɔ Awurade anim wɔ Gibea bepɔ no so.”
Ɔhene no kaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ. Mɛyɛ.”
7Dawid gyaee Yonatan babarima Mefiboset a na ɔyɛ Saulo nana no, ɛsiane ntam a na Dawid ne Yonatan aka wɔ Awurade anim no enti. 8Nanso, ɔde Saulo mmammarima baanu a na wɔn edin de Armoni ne Mefiboset a na wɔn maame Rispa no yɛ Aia babaa maa wɔn. Ɔsane de Saulo babaa Mikal a na ɔyɛ Adriel a na ɔyɛ Barsilai a ɔfiri Mehola no yere mmammarima baanum no maeɛ. 9Na Gibeon mmarima no kunkumm wɔn wɔ bepɔ no so wɔ Awurade anim. Enti, nnipa baason no nyinaa, wɔkunkumm wɔn wɔ ɛberɛ a wɔrefiri atokotwa afahyɛ no ase no.
10Rispa a ɔyɛ mmarima no mu baanu maame no de ayitoma sɛɛ ɔbotan bi so, tenaa hɔ otwaberɛ no nyinaa mu. Wamma apete ammɛtete wɔn amu no awiaberɛ mu, na anadwo nso, ɔsii nkekaboa ho kwan. 11Ɛberɛ a Dawid tee deɛ Rispa a na ɔyɛ Saulo mpena no ayɛ no, 12ɔkɔɔ nkurɔfoɔ a wɔfiri Yabes Gilead nkyɛn, kɔbisaa wɔn Saulo ne ne babarima Yonatan nnompe ase. (Ɛberɛ a Saulo ne Yonatan totɔɔ ɔko a wɔne Filistifoɔ koeɛ no ano no, Yabes Gileadfoɔ na wɔkɔtasee wɔn amu Filistifoɔ kuro Bet-San abɔntene so.) 13Enti, Dawid de Saulo ne Yonatan nnompe baeɛ. Saa ara na ɔde mmarima a Gibeonfoɔ kunkumm wɔn no nnompe baeɛ.
14Ɔsiee wɔn nyinaa wɔ Saulo agya Kis ɔboda a ɛwɔ kuro Sela a ɛwɔ Benyamin asase so no mu. Ɛno akyi, Onyankopɔn twaa ɛkɔm no so wɔ Israel asase so.
Israel Ne Filistifoɔ Akokoakoko
15Bio, Filistifoɔ ne Israel koeɛ. Na ɛberɛ a ɔko no duruu ne mpɔmpɔnsoɔ no, Dawid tɔɔ baha. 16Na Yisbi-Benob yɛ abrane no asefoɔ mu baako. Na ne pea mu duru kari boro kilogram mmiɛnsa ne fa, a wɔde akofena foforɔ ahyehyɛ ne ho. Na waka Dawid ahyɛ a anka ɔrebɛkum no. 17Nanso, Seruia babarima Abisai bɛgyee Dawid, na ɔkumm Filistini no. Ɛno akyi, Dawid mmarima no kaa ntam sɛ, “Wo ne yɛn renkɔ ɔko bio. Anyɛ saa a, Israel kanea bɛdum.”
18Yei akyi, ɔko foforɔ ba de tiaa Filistifoɔ no wɔ Gob. Wɔgu so reko no, Sibekai21.18 Na Sibekai da Dawid akodɔm a ɛtɔ so nwɔtwe no ano (1 Be 27.11). a ɔfiri Husan, kumm Saf a na ɔno nso yɛ abrane no asefoɔ no bi.
19Ɔko foforɔ bi a wɔkoo wɔ Gob no nso, Yair babarima Elhanan a ɔfiri Betlehem kumm Gatni Goliat nuabarima bi. Na ne pea nsa mu duru bɛyɛ sɛ ntomanwomfoɔ nsadua. 20Ɔko bi a ɛsii bio wɔ Gat nso, ɔbarima tetetuo bi a na ɔyɛ nsansia ne nansia a ɔyɛ abrane no aseni no 21pɛɛ sɛ ɔbu fa Israel so, gu nʼanim ase. Ɔno nso, Dawid nua Simea babarima Yonatan na ɔkumm no.
22Saa Filistifoɔ abrane baanan yi yɛ Gat abrane no asefoɔ. Na Dawid ne nʼakofoɔ na wɔkunkumm wɔn nyinaa.
