2Samuel 21

21During 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."H7458H3117H1732H7969H8141H8141H310H8141H1732H1245H6440H3068H3068H559H7586H1818H1004H4191H13932The 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.)H4428H7121H1393H559H1393H1121H3478H3499H567H1121H3478H7650H7586H1245H5221H7065H1121H3478H30633David asked the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? How shall I make amends so that you will bless the LORD'S inheritance?"H1732H559H1393H6213H3722H1288H5159H30684The 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.H1393H559H3701H2091H5973H7586H1004H4191H376H3478H559H559H62135They 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,H559H4428H376H3615H1819H8045H3320H1366H34786let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and exposed before the LORD at Gibeah of Saul--the Lord's chosen one." So the king said, "I will give them to you."H7651H582H1121H5414H3363H3068H1390H7586H3068H972H4428H559H54147The king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.H4428H2550H4648H1121H3083H1121H7586H3068H7621H1732H3083H1121H75868But 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, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.H4428H3947H8147H1121H7532H1323H345H3205H7586H764H4648H2568H1121H4324H1323H7586H3205H5741H1121H1271H42599He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed and exposed them 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.H5414H3027H1393H3363H2022H6440H3068H5307H7651H7659H3162H4191H3117H7105H7223H8462H8184H710510Rizpah 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 of the air touch them by day or the wild animals by night.H7532H1323H345H3947H8242H5186H6697H8462H7105H4325H5413H8064H5414H5775H8064H5117H3119H2416H7704H391511When David was told what Aiah's daughter Rizpah, Saul's concubine, had done,H5046H1732H7532H1323H345H6370H7586H621312he went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. (They had taken them secretly from the public square at Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hung them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)H1732H3212H3947H6106H7586H6106H3083H1121H1167H3003H1568H1589H7339H1052H6430H8511H8518H3117H6430H5221H7586H153313David 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.H5927H6106H7586H6106H3083H1121H622H6106H336314They 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.H6106H7586H3083H1121H6912H776H1144H6762H6913H7027H1H6213H4428H6680H310H430H6279H77615Once 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.H6430H4421H3478H1732H3381H5650H3898H6430H1732H577416And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David.H3430H3211H7497H4948H7013H7969H3967H5178H4948H2296H2319H559H5221H173217But 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."H52H1121H6870H5826H5221H6430H4191H582H1732H7650H559H3318H4421H3518H5216H347818In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.H310H4421H6430H1359H5444H2843H5221H5593H3211H749719In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite, who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod.H4421H1359H6430H445H1121H3296H1022H5221H1555H1663H6086H2595H707H450020In 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.H4421H1661H376H4067H4055H3027H8337H676H7272H8337H676H702H6242H4557H3205H749721When he taunted Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him.H2778H3478H3083H1121H8092H251H1732H522122These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.H702H3205H7497H1661H5307H3027H1732H3027H5650