The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

2 Samuel 21

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Nevi'im — the Prophets

2 Samuel chapter 21 — part of the Nevi'im — the Prophets in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of HaShem. And HaShem said: 'It…” — the complete text of all 22 verses is below, free to read online.

1And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year; and David sought the face of HaShem. And HaShem said: 'It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put to death the Gibeonites.'

2And 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 for the children of Israel and Judah--

3and David said unto the Gibeonites: 'What shall I do for you? and wherewith shall I make atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of HaShem?'

4And the Gibeonites said unto him: 'It is no matter of silver or gold between us and Saul, or his house; neither is it for us to put any man to death in Israel.' And he said: 'What say ye that I should do for you?'

5And they said unto the king: 'The man that consumed us, and that devised against us, so that we have been destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,

6let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto HaShem in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of HaShem.' And the king said: 'I will deliver them.'

7But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of HaShem'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite;

9and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the mountain before HaShem, and they fell all seven together; and they were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth, and spread it for her upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water was poured upon them from heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of the field by night.

11And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

12And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh-gilead, who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, in the day that the Philistines slew Saul in Gilboa;

13and 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.

14And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the sepulchre of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that G-d was entreated for the land.

15And the Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David waxed faint.

16And Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with new armour, thought to have slain David.

17But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying: 'Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the lamp of Israel.'

18And it came to pass after this, that there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sibbecai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.

19And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elhanan the son of Jaare-oregim the Beth-lehemite slew Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20And there was again war at Gath, where was a champion, 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.

21And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him.

22These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

22 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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