2 Samuel 21

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gibeonites to death."	1 In the days of David there was a famine which lasted for three years on end. David consulted Yahweh,and Yahweh said, 'Saul and his family have incurred blood-guilt, by putting the Gibeonites to death.'
2 So the king called the Gibeonites. Now the Gibeonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to slay them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.	2 Then the king summoned the Gibeonites and said-now, the Gibeonites were not Israelites, but were aremnant of the Amorites, to whom the Israelites had bound themselves by oath; Saul, however, in his zeal for theIsraelites and for Judah, had done his best to exterminate them -- hence David said to the Gibeonites,
3 And David said to the Gibeonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?"	3 'What can I do for you? How can I make amends, so that you wil cal a blessing down on Yahweh'sheritage?'
4 The Gibeonites said to him, "It is not a matter of silver or gold between us and Saul or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel." And he said, "What do you say that I shall do for you?"	4 The Gibeonites replied, 'Our quarrel with Saul and his family cannot be settled for silver or gold, nor byputting to death one man in Israel.' David said, 'Say what you want and I wil do it for you.'
5 They said to the king, "The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel,	5 Then they replied to the king, 'The man who dismembered us and planned to annihilate us, so that weshould not exist anywhere in Israelite territory-
6 let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them up before the LORD at Gibeon on the mountain of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."	6 we want seven of his descendants handed over to us; and we shal dismember them before Yahwehat Gibeon on Yahweh's hill.' 'I shal hand them over,' said the king.
7 But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.	7 The king, however, spared Meribbaal son of Jonathan, son of Saul, on account of the oath by Yahwehbinding them together, binding David and Jonathan son of Saul.
8 The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adri-el the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;	8 The king took the two sons born to Saul by Rizpah daughter of Aiah: Armoni and Meribbaal; and thefive sons borne by Merab daughter of Saul to Adriel son of Barzil ai, of Meholah.
9 and he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.	9 He handed these over to the Gibeonites who dismembered them before Yahweh on the hil . Theseven of them perished together; they were put to death in the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of thebarley harvest.
10 Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens; and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.	10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah, wearing sacking and spreading some out for herself on the rock, from thebeginning of the barley harvest until the rain fel on them from heaven, kept the birds of the sky away from themin the daytime, and the wild animals away at night.
11 When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done,	11 David was told of what Saul's concubine, Rizpah daughter of Aiah, had done.
12 David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilboa;	12 David went and recovered the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the notables of Jabesh inGilead. The latter had stolen them from the square in Beth-Shean, where the Philistines had hung them, whenthe Philistines had defeated Saul at Gilboa.
13 and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.	13 David fetched the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. The bones of the men who had beendismembered were col ected
14 And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded supplications for the land.	14 and these, with the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan, were buried in the territory of Benjamin, atZela, in the tomb of Saul's father, Kish. The king's orders were carried out to the letter and after that, God tookpity on the country.
15 The Philistines had war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines; and David grew weary.	15 Once again the Philistines made war on Israel. David went down with his retainers; they fought thePhilistines and David began to tire.
16 And Ishbi-benob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was girded with a new sword, thought to kill David.	16 There was a champion, one of the sons of Rapha. His spear weighed three hundred shekels ofbronze; he was wearing a new sword and was confident of kil ing David.
17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men adjured him, "You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."	17 Abishai son of Zeruiah came to his rescue, however, attacking the Philistine and kil ing him. Then itwas that David's men swore the fol owing oath to him, 'You are never to go into battle with us again, in case youshould extinguish the lamp of Israel!'
18 After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.	18 After this, war with the Philistines broke out again at Gob. This was when Sibbecai of Hushah kil edSaph, one of the sons of Rapha.
19 And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, the Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.	19 Again, war with the Philistines broke out at Gob, and Elhanan son of Jair, of Bethlehem, kil ed Goliathof Gath, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.
20 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand, and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number; and he also was descended from the giants.	20 There was further warfare at Gath, where there was a man of huge stature with six fingers on eachhand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in al . He too was a son of Rapha.
21 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shime-i, David's brother, slew him.	21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan son of Shimea, brother of David cut him down.
22 These four were descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.	22 These four were sons of Rapha in Gath and fel at the hands of David and his retainers.