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2 Samuel 21-22
Young's Literal Translation
2 Samuel 21-22
Young's Literal Translation
21 And there is a famine in the days of David three years, year after year, and David seeketh the face of Jehovah, and Jehovah saith, `For Saul and for the bloody house, because that he put to death the Gibeonites.'
2 And the king calleth for the Gibeonites, and saith unto them -- as to the Gibeonites, they [are] not of the sons of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorite, and the sons of Israel had sworn to them, and Saul seeketh to smite them in his zeal for the sons of Israel and Judah --
3 yea, David saith unto the Gibeonites, `What do I do for you? and with what do I make atonement? and bless ye the inheritance of Jehovah.'
4 And the Gibeonites say to him, `We have no silver and gold by Saul and by his house, and we have no man to put to death in Israel;' and he saith, `What ye are saying I do to you.'
5 And they say unto the king, `The man who consumed us, and who devised against us -- we have been destroyed from stationing ourselves in all the border of Israel --
6 let there be given to us seven men of his sons, and we have hanged them before Jehovah, in the height of Saul, the chosen of Jehovah.' And the king saith, `I do give;'
7 and the king hath pity on Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, because of the oath of Jehovah that [is] between them, between David and Jonathan son of Saul;
8 and the king taketh the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal daughter of Saul whom she bare to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite,
9 and giveth them into the hand of the Gibeonites, and they hang them in the hill before Jehovah; and the seven fall together, and they have been put to death in the days of harvest, in the first [days], the commencement of barley-harvest.
10 And Rizpah daughter of Aiah taketh the sackcloth, and stretcheth it out for herself on the rock, from the commencement of harvest till water hath been poured out upon them from the heavens, and hath not suffered a fowl of the heavens to rest upon them by day, or the beast of the field by night.
11 And it is declared to David that which Rizpah daughter of Aiah, concubine of Saul, hath done,
12 and David goeth and taketh the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, from the possessors of Jabesh-Gilead, who had stolen them from the broad place of Beth-Shan, where the Philistines hanged them, in the day of the Philistines smiting Saul in Gilboa;
13 and he bringeth up thence the bones of Saul, and the bones of Jonathan his son, and they gather the bones of those hanged,
14 and bury the bones of Saul and of Jonathan his son in the land of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the burying-place of Kish his father, and do all that the king commanded, and God is entreated for the land afterwards.
15 And again have the Philistines war with Israel, and David goeth down, and his servants with him, and they fight with the Philistines; and David is weary,
16 and Ishbi-Benob, who [is] among the children of the giant -- the weight of his spear [is] three hundred [shekels] weight of brass, and he is girded with a new one -- speaketh of smiting David,
17 and Abishai son of Zeruiah giveth help to him, and smiteth the Philistine, and putteth him to death; then swear the men of David to him, saying, `Thou dost not go out again with us to battle, nor quench the lamp of Israel.'
18 And it cometh to pass afterwards, that the battle is again in Gob with the Philistines, then hath Sibbechai the Hushathite smitten Saph, who [is] among the children of the giant.
19 And the battle is again in Gob with the Philistines, and Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim, the Beth-Lehemite, smiteth [a brother of] Goliath the Gittite, and the wood of his spear [is] like a beam of weavers.
20 And the battle is again in Gath, and there is a man of stature, and the fingers of his hands [are] six, and the toes of his feet [are] six, twenty and four in number, and he also hath been born to the giant,
21 and he reproacheth Israel, and smite him doth Jonathan son of Shimeah, brother of David;
22 these four have been born to the giant in Gath, and they fall by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
22 And David speaketh to Jehovah the words of this song in the day Jehovah hath delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul,
2 and he saith: `Jehovah [is] my rock, And my bulwark, and a deliverer to me,
3 My God [is] my rock -- I take refuge in Him; My shield, and the horn of my salvation, My high tower, and my refuge! My Saviour, from violence Thou savest me!
4 The Praised One, I call Jehovah: And from mine enemies I am saved.
5 When the breakers of death compassed me, The streams of the worthless terrify me,
6 The cords of Sheol have surrounded me, Before me have been the snares of death.
7 In mine adversity I call Jehovah, And unto my God I call, And He heareth from His temple my voice, And my cry [is] in His ears,
8 And shake and tremble doth the earth, Foundations of the heavens are troubled, And are shaken, for He hath wrath!
9 Gone up hath smoke by His nostrils. And fire from His mouth devoureth, Brands have been kindled by it.
10 And He inclineth heaven, and cometh down, And thick darkness [is] under His feet.
11 And He rideth on a cherub, and doth fly, And is seen on the wings of the wind.
12 And He setteth darkness Round about Him -- tabernacles, Darkness of waters -- thick clouds of the skies.
13 From the brightness before Him Were brands of fire kindled!
14 Thunder from the heavens doth Jehovah, And the Most High giveth forth His voice.
15 And He sendeth forth arrows, And scattereth them; Lightning, and troubleth them;
16 And seen are the streams of the sea, Revealed are foundations of the world, By the rebuke of Jehovah, From the breath of the spirit of His anger.
17 He sendeth from above -- He taketh me, He draweth me out of many waters.
18 He delivereth me from my strong enemy, From those hating me, For they were stronger than I.
19 They are before me in a day of my calamity, And Jehovah is my support,
20 And He bringeth me out to a large place, He draweth me out for He delighted in me.
21 Jehovah recompenseth me, According to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands, He doth return to me.
22 For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, And have not done wickedly against my God.
23 For all His judgments [are] before me, As to His statutes, I turn not from them.
24 And I am perfect before Him, And I keep myself from mine iniquity.
25 And Jehovah returneth to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes.
26 With the kind Thou shewest Thyself kind, With the perfect man Thou shewest Thyself perfect,
27 With the pure Thou shewest Thyself pure, And with the perverse Thou shewest Thyself a wrestler.
28 And the poor people Thou dost save, And Thine eyes on the high causest to fall.
29 For Thou [art] my lamp, O Jehovah, And Jehovah doth lighten my darkness.
30 For by Thee I run -- a troop, By my God I leap a wall.
31 God! Perfect [is] His way, The saying of Jehovah is tried, A shield He [is] to all those trusting in Him.
32 For who is God save Jehovah? And who a Rock save our God?
33 God -- my bulwark, [my] strength, And He maketh perfect my way;
34 Making my feet like hinds, And on my high places causeth me to stand,
35 Teaching my hands for battle, And brought down was a bow of brass by mine arms,
36 And Thou givest to me the shield of Thy salvation, And Thy lowliness maketh me great.
37 Thou enlargest my step under me, And mine ankles have not slidden.
38 I pursue mine enemies and destroy them, And I turn not till they are consumed.
39 And I consume them, and smite them, And they rise not, and fall under my feet.
40 And Thou girdest me [with] strength for battle, Thou causest my withstanders to bow under me.
41 And mine enemies -- Thou givest to me the neck, Those hating me -- and I cut them off.
42 They look, and there is no saviour; Unto Jehovah, and He hath not answered them.
43 And I beat them as dust of the earth, As mire of the streets I beat them small -- I spread them out!
44 And -- Thou dost deliver me From the strivings of my people, Thou placest me for a head of nations; A people I have not known do serve me.
45 Sons of a stranger feign obedience to me, At the hearing of the ear they hearken to me.
46 Sons of a stranger fade away, And gird themselves by their close places.
47 Jehovah liveth, and blessed [is] my Rock, And exalted is my God -- The Rock of my salvation.
48 God -- who is giving vengeance to me, And bringing down peoples under me,
49 And bringing me forth from mine enemies, Yea, above my withstanders Thou raisest me up. From a man of violence Thou deliverest me.
50 Therefore I confess Thee, O Jehovah, among nations. And to Thy name I sing praise.
51 Magnifying the salvations of His king, And doing loving-kindness to His anointed, To David, and to his seed -- unto the age!'
2 Samuel 21-22
New International Version
2 Samuel 21-22
New International Version
The Gibeonites Avenged
21 During the reign of David, there was a famine(A) for three successive years; so David sought(B) the face of the Lord. The Lord said, “It is on account of Saul and his blood-stained house; it is because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
2 The king summoned the Gibeonites(C) and spoke to them. (Now the Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were survivors of the Amorites; the Israelites had sworn to spare them, but Saul in his zeal for Israel and Judah had tried to annihilate them.) 3 David asked the Gibeonites, “What shall I do for you? How shall I make atonement so that you will bless the Lord’s inheritance?”(D)
4 The Gibeonites answered him, “We have no right to demand silver or gold from Saul or his family, nor do we have the right to put anyone in Israel to death.”(E)
“What do you want me to do for you?” David asked.
5 They answered the king, “As for the man who destroyed us and plotted against us so that we have been decimated and have no place anywhere in Israel, 6 let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed(F) before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen(G) one.”
So the king said, “I will give them to you.”
7 The king spared Mephibosheth(H) son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath(I) before the Lord between David and Jonathan son of Saul. 8 But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah,(J) whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab,[a] whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.(K) 9 He handed them over to the Gibeonites, who killed them and exposed their bodies on a hill before the Lord. All seven of them fell together; they were put to death(L) during the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.(M)
10 Rizpah daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it out for herself on a rock. From the beginning of the harvest till the rain poured down from the heavens on the bodies, she did not let the birds touch them by day or the wild animals by night.(N) 11 When David was told what Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, Saul’s concubine, had done, 12 he went and took the bones of Saul(O) and his son Jonathan from the citizens of Jabesh Gilead.(P) (They had stolen their bodies from the public square at Beth Shan,(Q) where the Philistines had hung(R) them after they struck Saul down on Gilboa.)(S) 13 David brought the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan from there, and the bones of those who had been killed and exposed were gathered up.
14 They buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the tomb of Saul’s father Kish, at Zela(T) in Benjamin, and did everything the king commanded. After that,(U) God answered prayer(V) in behalf of the land.(W)
Wars Against the Philistines(X)
15 Once again there was a battle between the Philistines(Y) and Israel. David went down with his men to fight against the Philistines, and he became exhausted. 16 And Ishbi-Benob, one of the descendants of Rapha, whose bronze spearhead weighed three hundred shekels[b] and who was armed with a new sword, said he would kill David. 17 But Abishai(Z) son of Zeruiah came to David’s rescue; he struck the Philistine down and killed him. Then David’s men swore to him, saying, “Never again will you go out with us to battle, so that the lamp(AA) of Israel will not be extinguished.(AB)”
18 In the course of time, there was another battle with the Philistines, at Gob. At that time Sibbekai(AC) the Hushathite killed Saph, one of the descendants of Rapha.
19 In another battle with the Philistines at Gob, Elhanan son of Jair[c] the Bethlehemite killed the brother of[d] Goliath the Gittite,(AD) who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver’s rod.(AE)
20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot—twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha. 21 When he taunted(AF) Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah,(AG) David’s brother, killed him.
22 These four were descendants of Rapha in Gath, and they fell at the hands of David and his men.
David’s Song of Praise(AH)
22 David sang(AI) to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said:
“The Lord is my rock,(AJ) my fortress(AK) and my deliverer;(AL)
3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(AM)
my shield[e](AN) and the horn[f](AO) of my salvation.
He is my stronghold,(AP) my refuge and my savior—
from violent people you save me.
4 “I called to the Lord, who is worthy(AQ) of praise,
and have been saved from my enemies.
5 The waves(AR) of death swirled about me;
the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me.
6 The cords of the grave(AS) coiled around me;
the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress(AT) I called(AU) to the Lord;
I called out to my God.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.
8 The earth(AV) trembled and quaked,(AW)
the foundations(AX) of the heavens[g] shook;
they trembled because he was angry.
9 Smoke rose from his nostrils;
consuming fire(AY) came from his mouth,
burning coals(AZ) blazed out of it.
10 He parted the heavens and came down;
dark clouds(BA) were under his feet.
11 He mounted the cherubim(BB) and flew;
he soared[h] on the wings of the wind.(BC)
12 He made darkness(BD) his canopy around him—
the dark[i] rain clouds of the sky.
13 Out of the brightness of his presence
bolts of lightning(BE) blazed forth.
14 The Lord thundered(BF) from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded.
15 He shot his arrows(BG) and scattered the enemy,
with great bolts of lightning he routed them.
16 The valleys of the sea were exposed
and the foundations of the earth laid bare
at the rebuke(BH) of the Lord,
at the blast(BI) of breath from his nostrils.
17 “He reached down from on high(BJ) and took hold of me;
he drew(BK) me out of deep waters.
18 He rescued(BL) me from my powerful enemy,
from my foes, who were too strong for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,
but the Lord was my support.(BM)
20 He brought me out into a spacious(BN) place;
he rescued(BO) me because he delighted(BP) in me.(BQ)
21 “The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(BR)
according to the cleanness(BS) of my hands(BT) he has rewarded me.
22 For I have kept(BU) the ways of the Lord;
I am not guilty of turning from my God.
23 All his laws are before me;(BV)
I have not turned(BW) away from his decrees.
24 I have been blameless(BX) before him
and have kept myself from sin.
25 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BY)
according to my cleanness[j] in his sight.
26 “To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pure(BZ) you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(CA)
28 You save the humble,(CB)
but your eyes are on the haughty(CC) to bring them low.(CD)
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;(CE)
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troop[k];
with my God I can scale a wall.
31 “As for God, his way is perfect:(CF)
The Lord’s word is flawless;(CG)
he shields(CH) all who take refuge in him.
32 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock(CI) except our God?(CJ)
33 It is God who arms me with strength[l]
and keeps my way secure.
34 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(CK)
he causes me to stand on the heights.(CL)
35 He trains my hands(CM) for battle;
my arms can bend a bow(CN) of bronze.
36 You make your saving help my shield;(CO)
your help has made[m] me great.
37 You provide a broad path(CP) for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
38 “I pursued my enemies and crushed them;
I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
39 I crushed(CQ) them completely, and they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.
40 You armed me with strength for battle;
you humbled my adversaries before me.(CR)
41 You made my enemies turn their backs(CS) in flight,
and I destroyed my foes.
42 They cried for help,(CT) but there was no one to save them—(CU)
to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CV)
43 I beat them as fine as the dust(CW) of the earth;
I pounded and trampled(CX) them like mud(CY) in the streets.
44 “You have delivered(CZ) me from the attacks of the peoples;
you have preserved(DA) me as the head of nations.
People(DB) I did not know now serve me,
45 foreigners cower(DC) before me;
as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.(DD)
46 They all lose heart;
they come trembling[n](DE) from their strongholds.
47 “The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted(DF) be my God, the Rock, my Savior!(DG)
48 He is the God who avenges(DH) me,(DI)
who puts the nations under me,
49 who sets me free from my enemies.(DJ)
You exalted me(DK) above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
50 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises(DL) of your name.(DM)
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 21:8 Two Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also 1 Samuel 18:19); most Hebrew and Septuagint manuscripts Michal
- 2 Samuel 21:16 That is, about 7 1/2 pounds or about 3.5 kilograms
- 2 Samuel 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew Jaare-Oregim.
- 2 Samuel 21:19 See 1 Chron. 20:5; Hebrew does not have the brother of.
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Or sovereign
- 2 Samuel 22:3 Horn here symbolizes strength.
- 2 Samuel 22:8 Hebrew; Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:7) mountains
- 2 Samuel 22:11 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Psalm 18:10); most Hebrew manuscripts appeared
- 2 Samuel 22:12 Septuagint (see also Psalm 18:11); Hebrew massed
- 2 Samuel 22:25 Hebrew; Septuagint and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:24) to the cleanness of my hands
- 2 Samuel 22:30 Or can run through a barricade
- 2 Samuel 22:33 Dead Sea Scrolls, some Septuagint manuscripts, Vulgate and Syriac (see also Psalm 18:32); Masoretic Text who is my strong refuge
- 2 Samuel 22:36 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text shield; / you stoop down to make
- 2 Samuel 22:46 Some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate (see also Psalm 18:45); Masoretic Text they arm themselves
New International Version (NIV) 
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