2Samuel:21

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* Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years , year after year ; and David inquired of the LORD . And the LORD answered , "It is because of Saul and his bloodthirsty house , because he killed the Gibeonites ." * So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them . Now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel , but of the remnant of the Amorites ; the children of Israel had sworn protection to them , but Saul had sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah . * Therefore David said to the Gibeonites , "What shall I do for you ? And with what shall I make atonement , that you may bless the inheritance of the LORD ?" * And the Gibeonites said to him , "We will have no silver or gold from Saul or from his house , nor shall you kill any man in Israel for us ." So he said , "Whatever you say , I will do for you ." * Then they answered the king , "As for the man who consumed us and plotted against us , that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the territories of Israel , * let seven men of his descendants be delivered to us , and we will hang them before the LORD in Gibeah of Saul , whom the LORD chose ." And the king said , "I will give them ." * But 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 . * So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth , the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah , whom she bore to Saul , and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul , whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite ; * and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites , and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD . So 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 . * Now Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock , from the beginning of harvest until the late rains poured on them from heaven . And she did not allow the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night . * And David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah , the concubine of Saul , had done . * Then David went and took the bones of Saul , and the bones of Jonathan his son , from the men of Jabesh Gilead who had stolen them from the street of Beth Shan , where the Philistines had hung them up , after the Philistines had struck down Saul in Gilboa . * So he brought up the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from there ; and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged . * They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zelah , in the tomb of Kish his father . So they performed all that the king commanded . And after that God heeded the prayer for the land . * When the Philistines were at war again with Israel , David and his servants with him went down and fought against the Philistines ; and David grew faint . * Then Ishbi-Benob , who was one of the sons of the giant , the weight of whose bronze spear was three hundred shekels , who was bearing a new sword , thought he could kill David . * But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid , and struck the Philistine and killed him . Then the men of David swore to him , saying , "You shall go out no more with us to battle , lest you quench the lamp of Israel ." * Now it happened afterward that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob . Then Sibbechai the Hushathite killed Saph , who was one of the sons of the giant . * Again there was war at Gob with the Philistines , where Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed the brother of Goliath the Gittite , the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver 's beam . * Yet again there was 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 born to the giant . * So when he defied Israel , Jonathan the son of Shimea , David 's brother , killed him . * These four were born to the giant in Gath , and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants .

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