En los días de David hubo hambre por tres años consecutivos^a, y David buscó la presencia del SEÑOR^b. Y el SEÑOR dijo: Es por causa de Saúl y de su casa sangrienta, porque él dio muerte a los gabaonitas. 2 Y llamó el rey a los gabaonitas y les habló. (Los gabaonitas no eran de los hijos de Israel, sino del remanente de los amorreos, y los hijos de Israel habían hecho un pacto con¹ ellos^a, pero Saúl había procurado matarlos² en su celo por los hijos de Israel y de Judá.) 3 Dijo, pues, David a los gabaonitas: ¿Qué debo hacer por vosotros? ¿Y cómo haré restitución para que bendigáis la heredad del SEÑOR^a? 4 Los gabaonitas le respondieron: No nos importa la plata ni el oro^a de Saúl o de su casa, ni nos corresponde dar muerte a ningún hombre en Israel. Y él dijo: Haré por vosotros lo que digáis. 5 Y ellos dijeron al rey: Del hombre que nos consumió y que trató de exterminarnos^1a para que no quedáramos dentro del territorio de Israel, 6 que nos entreguen siete hombres de entre sus hijos, y los ahorcaremos^1a delante del SEÑOR en Guibeá de Saúl, el elegido del SEÑOR^b. Y el rey dijo: Los entregaré².

7 Pero el rey perdonó a Mefiboset, hijo de Jonatán, hijo de Saúl^a, a causa del pacto del SEÑOR que había entre ellos, entre David y Jonatán, hijo de Saúl^b. 8 El rey tomó a los dos hijos de Rizpa, hija de Aja^a, Armoni y Mefiboset, que ella había dado a Saúl, y a los cinco hijos de Merab¹, hija de Saúl, que ella había dado a Adriel^b, hijo de Barzilai meholatita^c, 9 y los entregó en manos de los gabaonitas, que los ahorcaron¹ en el monte delante del SEÑOR, de modo que los siete cayeron a la vez; les dieron muerte en los primeros días de la cosecha, al comienzo de la cosecha de la cebada^a.

10 Y Rizpa, hija de Aja, tomó tela de cilicio y lo tendió para sí sobre la roca, desde el comienzo de la cosecha hasta que llovió¹ del cielo sobre ellos; y no permitió² que las aves del cielo se posaran sobre ellos de día ni las fieras del campo^a de noche^b. 11 Cuando le fue contado a David lo que Rizpa, hija de Aja, concubina de Saúl, había hecho, 12 David fue y recogió los huesos de Saúl y los huesos de Jonatán su hijo en posesión de los hombres de Jabes de Galaad^a, quienes los habían robado de la plaza de Bet-sán^b, donde los filisteos los habían colgado^c el día que los filisteos mataron¹ a Saúl^d en Gilboa, 13 y trajo de allí los huesos de Saúl y los huesos de su hijo Jonatán, y recogieron los huesos de los ahorcados¹. 14 Y sepultaron los huesos de Saúl y de su hijo Jonatán en tierra de Benjamín, en Zela^a, en el sepulcro de su padre Cis, e hicieron todo lo que el rey había ordenado; después de esto Dios fue movido a misericordia para con la tierra^b.

15 Hubo de nuevo guerra de los filisteos contra Israel. Descendió David con sus siervos^a, y mientras peleaban contra los filisteos, David se cansó. 16 Entonces Isbi-benob, que era de los descendientes del gigante^1a, y cuya lanza pesaba trescientos siclos² de bronce, y que estaba ceñido con una espada nueva, trató de matar³ a David; 17 pero Abisai, hijo de Sarvia, vino en su ayuda, e hirió al filisteo y lo mató^a. Entonces los hombres de David le juraron, diciendo: Nunca más saldrás a la batalla con nosotros^b, para que no apagues la lámpara^c de Israel.

18 ^aSucedió después de esto que hubo otra vez guerra en Gob¹ contra los filisteos; entonces Sibecai husatita^b mató² a Saf, que era de los descendientes del gigante. 19 De nuevo hubo guerra contra los filisteos en Gob, y Elhanán, hijo de Jaare-oregim, de Belén, mató a Goliat¹ geteo; el asta de su lanza era como un rodillo de tejedor^a. 20 Y hubo guerra otra vez en Gat, donde había un hombre de gran estatura que tenía seis dedos en cada mano y seis dedos en cada pie, veinticuatro en total; él también descendía del gigante^a. 21 Cuando desafió a Israel, lo mató Jonatán, hijo de Simea, hermano de David. 22 Estos cuatro descendían del gigante en Gat y cayeron por mano de David y por mano de sus siervos^a.

There was ^afamine in the days of David for three consecutive years; and ^bDavid sought the presence (face) of the LORD asking the reason. The LORD replied, “It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because ¹he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons (descendants) of Israel but of the remnant (survivors) of the Amorites. ^aThe Israelites had sworn an oath to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah had sought to strike down the Gibeonites). 3 So David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? How can I make it good so that you will bless ^athe LORD’S inheritance (Israel) ?” 4 The Gibeonites said to him, “^aWe will not accept silver or gold belonging to Saul or his household (descendants) ; nor is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” David said, “I will do for you whatever you say.” 5 So they said to the king, “^aThe man who consumed us and planned to exterminate us from remaining in any territory of Israel, 6 let seven men chosen from his sons (descendants) be given to us and we will hang them ^abefore the LORD that is, put them on display, impaled with broken legs and arms in ¹Gibeah of Saul, ^bthe chosen one of the LORD.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

7 But the king spared ^aMephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, ^bbecause of the LORD’S oath that was between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. 8 So the king took the two sons of ^aRizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of ^1bMerab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the ^cMeholathite. 9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD, and the seven died together. They were put to death ^ain the first days of the grain harvest, the beginning of the barley harvest in the spring.

10 ^aRizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest in the spring until the autumn rain fell on them; and ^bshe allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on their bodies by day, nor the beasts of the field to feed on them by night. 11 David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the ¹concubine of Saul, had done. 12 Then David went and took ^athe bones of Saul and Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the open square of ^bBeth-shan, ^cwhere the Philistines had hanged them on the day when ^dthe Philistines had killed Saul in Gilboa. 13 He brought up the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son from there, and they gathered the bones of those who had been hanged with their arms and legs broken. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in ^aZela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all that the king commanded. After that, ^bGod was moved by prayer for the land.

15 ^aNow the Philistines were at war again with Israel. David went down with his servants, and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. 16 Then Ishbi-benob, who was ^aamong the descendants of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels (six pounds) of bronze, was armed with a new sword, and he intended to kill David. 17 But ^aAbishai the son of Zeruiah came to David’s aid, and struck and killed the Philistine. Then David’s men swore to him, “^bYou shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish ^cthe lamp of Israel.”

18 ^aAfter this, there was war again with the Philistines at Gob (Gezer) . At that time ^bSibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph (Sippai) , who was among the descendants of the giant. 19 There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Bethlehemite, killed Goliath the Gittite, whose spear ^ashaft was like a weaver’s beam. 20 There was war at Gath again, 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; he also was a descendant ^aof the giants. 21 And when he taunted and defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him. 22 ^aThese four warriors were descended from the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hands of David and his servants.

Now there was ^aa famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and ^bDavid sought the presence of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is for Saul and his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.” 2 So the king called the Gibeonites and spoke to them (now the Gibeonites were not of the sons of Israel but of the remnant of the Amorites, and ^athe sons of Israel ¹made a covenant with them, but Saul had sought to ²kill them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah). 3 Thus David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And how can I make atonement that you may bless ^athe inheritance of the LORD?” 4 Then the Gibeonites said to him, “^aWe have no concern of silver or gold with Saul or his house, nor is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.” And he said, “I will do for you whatever you say.” 5 So they said to the king, “^aThe man who consumed us and who planned ¹to exterminate us from remaining within any border of Israel, 6 let seven men from his sons be given to us, and we will ¹hang them ^abefore the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, ^bthe chosen of the LORD.” And the king said, “I will give them.”

7 But the king spared ^aMephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, ^bbecause of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Saul’s son Jonathan. 8 So the king took the two sons of ^aRizpah the daughter of Aiah, Armoni and Mephibosheth whom she had borne to Saul, and the five sons of ^1bMerab the daughter of Saul, whom she had borne to Adriel the son of Barzillai the ^cMeholathite. 9 Then he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they ¹hanged them in the mountain before the LORD, so that the seven of them fell together; and they were put to death in the first days of harvest at ^athe beginning of barley harvest.

10 ^aAnd Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until ¹it rained on them from the sky; and ^bshe ²allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 When it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done, 12 then David went and took ^athe bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the open square of ^bBeth-shan, ^cwhere the Philistines had hanged them on the day ^dthe Philistines struck down Saul in Gilboa. 13 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 ¹hanged. 14 They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in ^aZela, in the grave of Kish his father; thus they did all that the king commanded, and after that ^bGod was moved by prayer for the land.

15 Now when ^athe Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. 16 Then Ishbi-benob, who was ^aamong the descendants of the ¹giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, ²was girded with a new sword, and he ³intended to kill David. 17 But ^aAbishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “^bYou shall not go out again with us to battle, so that you do not extinguish ^cthe lamp of Israel.”

18 ^aNow it came about after this that there was war again with the Philistines at Gob; then ^bSibbecai the Hushathite struck down Saph, who was among the descendants of the ¹giant. 19 There was war with the Philistines again at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Bethlehemite ¹killed ²Goliath the Gittite, ^athe shaft of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam. 20 There was war at Gath again, 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 had been born ^ato the ¹giant. 21 When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, struck him down. 22 ^aThese four were born to the ¹giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.