1 Houve uma fome durante o reinado de David que durou três anos consecutivos. David consultou o Senhor que lhe disse: "Esta fome é por causa da maldade de Saul e da sua família sanguinária que matou os gibeonitas."

2 O rei chamou os gibeonitas. Estes não faziam parte de Israel; tinham ficado da nação dos amorreus. Israel jurara não os matar, mas Saul, no seu zelo nacionalista, tentou liquidá-los. 3 David perguntou-lhes: "Que posso fazer por vocês, para que nos livremos desta culpa que recai sobre nós, e para que possamos enfim pedir a bênção do Senhor?"

4 "O caso não se resolve com dinheiro e também não pretendemos matar seja quem for dos israelitas." David perguntou de novo: "Que posso eu fazer? Digam-me para que assim proceda."

5,6 Eles responderam: "Dá-nos sete descendentes de Saul, esse homem que procurou destruir-nos. Enforcá-los-emos em Gibeá, a cidade de Saul." E disse-lhes: "Está certo; farei isso."

7 No entanto, poupou Mefibosete, filho de Jónatas e neto de Saul, devido ao juramento que fizera a Jónatas. 8 Mas deu-lhes os dois filhos de Rispa, Armoni e Mefibosete, que eram netos de Saul através da sua mulher Aiá. Também lhes entregou cinco filhos de Merabe, filha de Saul, que tivera de Adriel, filho de Barzilai, meolatita. 9 Os homens de Gibeão enforcaram-nos na montanha perante o Senhor. Os sete morreram juntos no princípio da colheita da cevada.

10 Rispa, a mãe de dois dos homens, estendeu um saco de serapilheira sobre um rochedo e ficou ali a guardar os cadáveres, durante toda a estação da sega, para evitar que as aves de rapina os despedaçassem de dia e que de noite os animais selvagens os comessem. 11 David, ao saber do que ela tinha feito, 12-14 ordenou que os ossos dos homens fossem enterrados no túmulo de Cis, o pai de Saul, em Zela, na terra de Benjamim. Enviou também um pedido à população de Jabes-Gileade para que lhe trouxessem os ossos de Saul e Jónatas. Estes tinham furtado os seus corpos duma praça pública em Bete-Seã, onde os filisteus os tinham pendurado, depois de terem morrido na batalha do monte Gilboa. Desta forma, Deus respondeu às orações e fez terminar aquela fome.

15 Uma vez mais os filisteus estavam em guerra com Israel. David e os seus homens participavam na batalha, tendo o rei ficado exausto e muito fraco. 16 Isbi-Benobe, um gigante cuja lança de bronze pesava mais de 3 quilos e que usava uma armadura nova, aproximou-se de David com a intenção de o matar. 17 Mas Abisai, o filho de Zeruía, chegou a tempo e matou este gigante filisteu. Na sequência desse incidente os homens de David disseram-lhe: "Nunca mais voltarás a combater! Por que razão haveríamos de correr o risco de se apagar a luz de Israel?"

18 Mais tarde, durante uma guerra com os filisteus também em Gobe, Sibecai, o husatita, matou Safe, um outro gigante.

19 Durante outra guerra contra os filisteus, El-Hanã, filho de Jaré-Oreguim, natural de Belém, matou o irmão de Golias, o giteu, cuja lança era tão grande como a viga dum tecelão.

20 Noutra batalha, em Gate, um gigante com seis dedos em cada mão e em cada pé, filho também dum gigante, 21 injuriava a nação de Israel; Jónatas, sobrinho de David, filho de Simeia, irmão de David, matou-o.

22 Estes quatro gigantes pertenciam à tribo dos gigantes de Gate e foram mortos por elementos das tropas de David.

1 Then there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David enquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites.*21.1 enquired…: Heb. sought the face, etc 2 And the king called the Gibeonites, and said unto them; (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them: and Saul sought to slay them in his zeal to the children of Israel and Judah.) 3 Wherefore David said unto the Gibeonites, What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD? 4 And the Gibeonites said unto him, We will have no silver nor gold of Saul, nor of his house; neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel. And he said, What ye shall say, that will I do for you.*21.4 We will…: or, It is not silver nor gold that we have to do with Saul or his house, neither pertains it to us to kill, etc 5 And they answered the king, The man that consumed us, and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of Israel,*21.5 devised…: or, cut us off 6 Let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD did choose. And the king said, I will give them.*21.6 whom…: or, chosen of the LORD 7 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. 8 But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:*21.8 Michal: or, Michal’s sister*21.8 brought…: Heb. bear to Adriel 9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and 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.

10 And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water dropped upon them out of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night. 11 And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12 And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, which had stolen them from the street of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa: 13 And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of them that were hanged. 14 And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulchre of Kish his father: and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was intreated for the land.

15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint. 16 And Ishbi-benob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.*21.16 the giant: or, Rapha*21.16 spear: Heb. the staff, or, the head 17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.*21.17 light: Heb. candle, or, lamp 18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.*21.18 the giant: or, Rapha*21.18 Saph: or, Sippai 19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim, a Beth-lehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.*21.19 Jaare-oregim: or, Jair 20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.*21.20 the giant: or, Rapha 21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.*21.21 defied: or, reproached*21.21 Shimea: also called, Shammah 22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.