21For three years in a row there wasn’t enough food in the land. That was while David was king. So David asked the Lord why he wasn’t showing his favor to his people. The Lord said, “It is because Saul and his family committed murder. He put the people of Gibeon to death.”

²The people of Gibeon weren’t a part of Israel. Instead, they were some of the Amorites who were still left alive. The people of Israel had promised with an oath to spare them. But Saul had tried to put an end to them. That’s because he wanted to make Israel and Judah strong.

So now King David sent for the people of Gibeon and spoke to them. ³He asked them, “What would you like me to do for you? How can I make up for the wrong things that were done to you? I want you to be able to pray that the Lord will once again bless his land.”

⁴The people of Gibeon answered him. They said, “No amount of silver or gold can make up for what Saul and his family did to us. And we can’t put anyone in Israel to death.”

“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.

⁵They answered the king, “Saul nearly destroyed us. He made plans to wipe us out. We don’t have anywhere to live in Israel. ⁶So let seven of the males in his family line be given to us. We’ll kill them. We’ll put their dead bodies out in the open in the sight of the Lord. We’ll do it at Gibeah of Saul. Saul was the Lord’s chosen king.”

So King David said, “I’ll give seven males to you.”

⁷The king spared Mephibosheth. He was the son of Jonathan and the grandson of Saul. David had taken an oath in the sight of the Lord. He had promised to be kind to Jonathan and the family line of his father Saul.

⁸But the king chose Armoni and another Mephibosheth. They were the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah. Saul was their father. The king also chose the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab. Adriel, the son of Barzillai, was their father. Adriel was from Meholah.

⁹King David handed them over to the people of Gibeon. They killed them. They put their dead bodies out in the open on a hill in the sight of the Lord. All seven of them died together. They were put to death during the first days of the harvest. It happened just when people were beginning to harvest the barley.

¹⁰Aiah’s daughter Rizpah got some black cloth. She spread it out for herself on a rock. She stayed there from the beginning of the harvest until it rained. The rain poured down from the sky on the dead bodies of the seven males. She didn’t let the birds of the air touch them by day. She didn’t let the wild animals touch them at night.

¹¹Someone told David what Rizpah had done. She was Aiah’s daughter and Saul’s concubine.

¹²David got the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan. He got them from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead. They had taken them in secret from the main street in Beth Shan. That’s where the Philistines had hung their bodies up on the city wall. They had done it after they struck Saul down on Mount Gilboa.

¹³David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from Jabesh Gilead. The bones of the seven males who had been killed and put out in the open were also gathered up.

¹⁴The bones of Saul and his son Jonathan were buried in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish. The tomb was at Zela in the territory of Benjamin. Everything the king commanded was done. After that, God answered prayer and blessed the land.

Israel Goes to War Against the Philistines

¹⁵Once again there was a battle between the Philistines and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines. He became very tired.

¹⁶Ishbi-Benob belonged to the family line of Rapha. The tip of his bronze spear weighed seven and a half pounds. He was also armed with a new sword. He said he would kill David.

¹⁷But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, came to save David. He struck the Philistine down and killed him.

Then David’s men took an oath and made a promise. They said to David, “We never want you to go out with us to battle again. You are the lamp of Israel’s kingdom. We want that lamp to keep on burning brightly.”

¹⁸There was another battle against the Philistines. It took place at Gob. At that time Sibbecai killed Saph. Sibbecai was a Hushathite. Saph was from the family line of Rapha.

¹⁹In another battle against the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan killed Goliath’s brother. Elhanan was the son of Jaare-Oregim from Bethlehem. Goliath was from the city of Gath. His spear was as big as a weaver’s rod.

²⁰There was still another battle. It took place at Gath. A huge man lived there. He had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. So the total number of his toes and fingers was 24. He was also from the family of Rapha. ²¹He made fun of Israel. So Jonathan killed him. Jonathan was the son of David’s brother Shimeah.

²²Those four Philistine men lived in Gath. They were from the family line of Rapha. David and his men killed them.

David Sings Praises to the Lord

22David sang the words of this song to the Lord. He sang them when the Lord saved him from the powerful hand of all of his enemies and of Saul. ²He said,

“The Lord is my rock and my fort. He is the One who saves me.

³My God is my rock. I go to him for safety.

He is like a shield to me. He’s the power that saves me.

He’s my place of safety. I go to him for help. He’s my Savior.

He saves me from those who want to hurt me.

⁴I call out to the Lord. He is worthy of praise.

He saves me from my enemies.

⁵“The waves of death were all around me.

A destroying flood swept over me.

⁶The ropes of the grave were tight around me.

Death set its trap in front of me.

⁷When I was in trouble I called out to the Lord.

I called out to my God.

From his temple he heard my voice.

My cry for help reached his ears.

⁸“The earth trembled and shook.

The pillars of the heavens rocked back and forth.

They trembled because the Lord was angry.

⁹Smoke came out of his nose.

Flames of fire came out of his mouth.

Burning coals blazed out of it.

¹⁰He opened the heavens and came down.

Dark clouds were under his feet.

¹¹He got on the cherubim and flew.

The wings of the wind lifted him up.

¹²He covered himself with darkness.

The dark rain clouds of the sky were like a tent around him.

¹³From the brightness that was all around him

flashes of lightning blazed out.

¹⁴The Lord thundered from heaven.

The voice of the Most High God was heard.

¹⁵He shot his arrows and scattered our enemies.

He sent flashes of lightning and chased the enemies away.

¹⁶The bottom of the sea could be seen.

The foundations of the earth were uncovered.

It happened when the Lord’s anger blazed out.

It came like a blast of breath from his nose.

¹⁷“He reached down from heaven. He took hold of me.

He lifted me out of deep waters.

¹⁸He saved me from my powerful enemies.

He set me free from those who were too strong for me.

¹⁹They stood up to me when I was in trouble.

But the Lord helped me.

²⁰He brought me out into a wide and safe place.

He saved me because he was pleased with me.

²¹“The Lord has been good to me because I do what is right.

He has rewarded me because I lead a pure life.

²²I have lived the way the Lord wanted me to.

I haven’t done evil by turning away from my God.

²³I keep all of his laws in mind.

I haven’t turned away from his commands.

²⁴He knows that I am without blame.

He knows I’ve kept myself from sinning.

²⁵The Lord has rewarded me for doing what is right.

He has rewarded me because I haven’t done anything wrong.

²⁶“Lord, to those who are faithful you show that you are faithful.

To those who are without blame you show that you are without blame.

²⁷To those who are pure you show that you are pure.

But to those whose paths are crooked you show that you are clever.

²⁸You save those who aren’t proud.

But you watch the proud to bring them down.

²⁹Lord, you are my lamp.

You bring light into my darkness.

³⁰With your help I can attack a troop of soldiers.

With the help of my God I can climb over a wall.

³¹“God’s way is perfect.

The word of the Lord doesn’t have any flaws.

He is like a shield

to all who go to him for safety.

³²Who is God except the Lord?

Who is the Rock except our God?

³³God gives me strength for the battle.

He makes my way perfect.

³⁴He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.

He helps me stand on the highest places.

³⁵He trains my hands to fight every battle.

My arms can bend a bow of bronze.

³⁶Lord, you are like a shield that keeps me safe.

You help me win the battle.

You bend down to make me great.

³⁷You give me a wide path to walk in

so that I don’t twist my ankles.

³⁸“I chased my enemies and crushed them.

I didn’t turn back until they were destroyed.

³⁹I crushed them completely so that they couldn’t get up.

They fell under my feet.

⁴⁰Lord, you gave me strength to fight the battle.

You made my enemies bow down at my feet.

⁴¹You made them turn their backs and run away.

So I destroyed my enemies.

⁴²They cried out for help. But there was no one to save them.

They called out to you. But you didn’t answer them.

⁴³I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth.

I pounded them and walked on them like mud in the streets.

⁴⁴“You saved me when my own people attacked me.

You have kept me as the ruler over nations.

People I didn’t know serve me now.

⁴⁵People from other lands bow down to me in fear.

As soon as they hear me, they obey me.

⁴⁶All of them give up hope.

They come trembling out of their hiding places.

⁴⁷“The Lord lives! Give praise to my Rock!

Give honor to God, the Rock! He is my Savior!

⁴⁸He is the God who pays my enemies back.

He brings the nations under my control.

⁴⁹He sets me free from my enemies.

You have honored me more than them.

You have saved me from men who want to hurt me.

⁵⁰Lord, I will praise you among the nations.

I will sing praises to you.

⁵¹You help me win great battles.

You show your faithful love to your anointed king.

You show it to me and my family forever.”

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