1During David’s reign, there was a famine for three consecutive years. David sought Yahweh’s guidance. Yahweh said, “It is because of Saul and his bloody family, because he killed the Gibeonites.”
2So the king called for the Gibeonites and spoke to them. (The Gibeonites were not Israelites, but a remnant of the Amorites. The Israelites had made a promise to them, but Saul, in his zeal for the Israelites and Judah, had tried to kill them.)
3David asked the Gibeonites, “What can I do for you? How can I make things right so that you will bless Yahweh’s inheritance?”
4The Gibeonites replied to him, “We don’t want silver or gold from Saul or his household, nor do we want to put any person to death in Israel.” He said, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”
5They said to the king, “The man who attacked us and planned for us to be wiped out from within all the borders of Israel—
6let seven of his sons be handed over to us, and we will hang them in Yahweh’s presence in Gibeah of Saul, Yahweh’s chosen one.” The king said, “I will give them to you.”
7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Saul, because of the promise Yahweh had witnessed between David and Jonathan, Saul's son.
8However, the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons Rizpah daughter of Aiah had with Saul, and the five sons Michal daughter of Saul had with Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
9He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who hanged them on the mountain in front of Yahweh. All seven died together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest, at the beginning of the barley harvest.
10Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock. She stayed there from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the sky. She didn't let the birds of the sky rest on them by day, nor the wild animals by night.
11David was told what Rizpah, daughter of Aiah, Saul's concubine, had done.
12So David went and took the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from the men of Jabesh Gilead. These men had secretly taken the bones from the public square of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them on the day the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa.
13From there, David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. They also gathered the bones of those who had been hanged.
14They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin at Zela, in the tomb of Kish, Saul's father. They carried out everything the king commanded. After that, God answered the prayers for the land.
15The Philistines went to war against Israel again. David and his servants went down and fought the Philistines. David grew tired;
16and Ishbibenob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose bronze spear weighed about seven and a half pounds and who was armed with a new sword, intended to kill David.
17But Abishai, son of Zeruiah, helped David. He attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men made him swear, “You must not go out with us to battle anymore, so that you don't extinguish the light of Israel.”
18After this, there was another battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.
19There was yet another battle with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan, son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, whose spear shaft was like a weaver’s beam.
20There was another battle at Gath, where there was a man of great size who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was a descendant of the giants.
21When he insulted Israel, Jonathan, son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him.
22These four were born to the giant in Gath, and they were killed by David and his servants.