The three years' famine for the Gibeonites ceaseth, by hanging seven of Saul's sons.

1 ¶ Then there was² a famineº in the daysº of Davidº threeº years,º yearº afterº year;º and Davidº enquiredºª² of¹ the LORD.º And the LORDº answered,ºª [It is] for² Saul,º and for² [his] bloodyº house,º because²² he slewºª² the Gibeonites.º 2 And the kingº calledºª the Gibeonites,º and saidºª unto² them; (now the Gibeonitesº [were] not² of the childrenº² of Israel,º but²² of the remnantº² of the Amorites;º and the childrenº of Israelº had swornºª unto them: and Saulº soughtºª to slayºª them in his zealºª to the childrenº of Israelº and Judah.)º 3 Wherefore Davidº saidºª unto² the Gibeonites,º What² shall I doºª for you? and wherewith² shall I make the atonement,ºª that ye may blessºª² the inheritanceº of the LORD?º 4 And the Gibeonitesº saidºª unto him, We will have no² silverº nor goldº ofº Saul,º nor of² his house;º neither² for us shalt thou killºª any manº in Israel.º And he said,ºª What² ye² shall say,ºª [that] will I doºª for you. 5 And they answeredºª² the king,º The manº that² consumedºª us, and that² devisedºª against us [that] we should be destroyedºª from remainingºª² in any² of the coastsº of Israel,º 6 Let sevenº men¹² of his sonsº² be deliveredºª unto us, and we will hang² them up¹ª unto the LORDº in Gibeahº of Saul,º [whom] the LORDº did choose.º And the kingº said,ºª I² will giveºª [them]. 7 But the kingº sparedºª² Mephibosheth,º the sonº of Jonathanº the sonº of Saul,º because² of the LORD'Sº oathº that² [was] between² them, between² Davidº and Jonathanº the sonº of Saul.º 8 But the kingº tookºª² the twoº sonsº of Rizpahº the daughterº of Aiah,º whom² she bareºª unto Saul,º² Armoniº and Mephibosheth;º and the fiveº sonsº of Michalº the daughterº of Saul,º whom² she brought upºª for Adrielº the sonº of Barzillaiº the Meholathite:º 9 And he deliveredºª them into the handsº of the Gibeonites,º and they hangedºª them in the hillº beforeº the LORD:º and they fellºª [all] sevenºª¹ together,º and were put to deathºª in the daysº of harvest,º in the firstº [days], in the beginningº of barleyº harvest.º

Rizpah's kindness unto the dead.

10 ¶ And Rizpahº the daughterº of Aiahº tookºª² sackcloth,º and spreadºª it for her upon² the rock,º from the beginningº² of harvestº until² waterº droppedºª upon² them out of² heaven,º and sufferedºª neither² the birdsº of the airº to restºª on² them by day,º nor the beastsº of the fieldº by night.º 11 And it was toldºª Davidº² what² Rizpahº the daughterº of Aiah,º the concubineº of Saul,º had done.ºª

David burrieth the bones of Saul and Jonathan in his father's sepulchre.

12 ¶ And Davidº went¹ª² and tookºª² the bonesº of Saulº and the bonesº of Jonathanº his sonº from²² the menº of Jabeshgilead,ºº which² had stolenºª them from the streetº² of Bethshan,º where²² the Philistinesº had hangedºªª¹ them, whenº the Philistinesº had slainºª² Saulº in Gilboa:º 13 And he brought upºª from thence²²² the bonesº of Saulº and the bonesº of Jonathanº his son;º and they gatheredºª² the bonesº of them that were hanged.ºª 14 And² the bonesº of Saulº and Jonathanº his sonº buriedºª they in the countryº of Benjaminº in Zelah,º in the sepulchreº of Kishº his father:º and they performedºª all² that² the kingº commanded.ºª And after¹ that²² Godº was intreatedºª for the land.º

Four battles against the Philistines, wherein four valiants of David slay four giants.

15 ¶ Moreover the Philistinesº had² yet warº again with² Israel;º and Davidº went down,ºª and his servantsº with² him, and fought¹ª against²² the Philistines:º and Davidº waxed faint.ºª 16 And Ishbibenob,º which² [was] of the sonsº of the giant,¹² the weightº of whose spearº [weighed] threeº hundredº [shekels] of brassº in weight,º he² being girdedºª with a newº [sword], thoughtºª to have slainºª² David.º 17 But Abishaiº the sonº of Zeruiahº succouredºª him, and smoteºª² the Philistine,º and killedºª him. Then² the men¹² of Davidº swareºª unto him, saying,ºª Thou shalt goºª no² more² out with us to battle,º that thou quenchºª not²² the lightº of Israel.º 18 And it came to pass² after² this,¹² that there was² again² a battleº with² the Philistinesº at Gob:º then² Sibbechaiº the Hushathiteº slewºª² Saph,º which² [was] of the sonsº of the giant.¹² 19 And there was² again² a battleº in Gobº with² the Philistines,º where Elhananº the sonº of Jaareoregim,º a Bethlehemite,º slewºª [the brother of]² Goliathº the Gittite,º the staffº of whose spearº [was] like a weaver'sºª beam.º 20 And there was² yet² a battleº in Gath,º where was² a manº of [great] stature,º¹ª that had on every handº sixº fingers,º and on every footº sixº toes,º fourº and twentyº in number;º and he² also² was bornºª to the giant.¹² 21 And when he defiedºª² Israel,º Jonathanº the sonº of Shimeaº the brotherº of Davidº slewºª him. 22 These²² fourº were bornºª to the giant¹² in Gath,º and fellºª by the handº of David,º and by the handº of his servants.º