The Gibeonites Avenged
1During the reign of David, there was a famine for three successive years; so David sought the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2The king summoned the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) 3David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”
4The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.
5They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, 6let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen one.”
So the king said, “I will give them to you.”
7The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,21:8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite. 9He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.
10Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night. 11When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 12he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.) 13David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
14They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer in behalf of 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, and he became exhausted. 16And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels21:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17But Abishai son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp of Israel will not be extinguished.”
18In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim. the Bethlehemite killed the brother of21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of. Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.
20In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David’s brother, killed him.
22These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
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？我该怎样赎罪，你们才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请把他的七个子孙交给我们，我们好在耶和华面前把他们吊死在基比亚，就是耶和华选立扫罗的地方。”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他把爱亚的女儿利斯巴为扫罗所生的两个儿子亚摩尼、米非波设，以及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。他们都一同死去，那时正好是收割大麦的时候。
10爱亚的女儿利斯巴取麻布为自己铺在磐石上。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大卫知道扫罗的嫔妃——爱亚的女儿利斯巴的事以后， 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非利士人又和以色列人交战，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，以色列人与非利士人在歌伯交战，户沙人西比该杀了另一个非利士巨人撒弗。 19在歌伯与非利士人的另一次交战中，伯利恒人雅雷·俄珥金的儿子伊勒哈难杀了迦特人歌利亚。歌利亚的枪杆粗如织布机的轴。 20在迦特的一次交战中，有一个非利士巨人每只手和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。
