Liber II Samuelis, 21

1. Facta est fames in diebus David tribus annis iugiter. Et consuluit David oraculum Domini, dixitque Dominus: “Super Saul et super domum eius est sanguis, quia occidit Gabaonitas”.

1. Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, "There is bloodguilt on Saul and on his house, because he put the Gib'eonites to death."

2. Vocatis ergo Gabaonitis, rex dixit ad eos — porro Gabaonitae non sunt de filiis Israel, sed reliquiae Amorraeorum; filii quippe Israel iuraverant eis, sed voluit Saul percutere eos zelo suo pro filiis Israel et Iudae —;

2. So the king called the Gib'eonites. Now the Gib'eonites were not of the people of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; although the people of Israel had sworn to spare them, Saul had sought to slay them in his zeal for the people of Israel and Judah.

3. dixit ergo David ad Gabaonitas: “Quid faciam vobis? Et quod erit vestri piaculum, ut benedicatis hereditati Domini?”.

3. And David said to the Gib'eonites, "What shall I do for you? And how shall I make expiation, that you may bless the heritage of the LORD?"

4. Dixeruntque ei Gabaonitae: “Non est nobis super argento et auro quaestio contra Saul et contra domum eius; neque nobis licet interficere hominem de Israel”. Ad quos ait: “Quod ergo dixeritis, faciam vobis”.

4. The Gib'eonites said to him, "It is not a 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 do you say that I shall do for you?"

5. Qui dixerunt regi: “De filiis viri, qui attrivit nos et cogitavit delere nos ita ut ne unus quidem nostrum residuus esset in cunctis finibus Israel,

5. They said to the king, "The man who consumed us and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel,

6. dentur nobis septem viri, et suspendamus eos in patibulis Domino in Gabaon in monte Domini”. Et ait rex: “Ego dabo”.

6. let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them up before the LORD at Gibeon on the mountain of the LORD." And the king said, "I will give them."

7. Pepercitque rex Meribbaal filio Ionathan filii Saul propter iusiurandum Domini, quod fuerat inter David et inter Ionathan filium Saul.

7. But the king spared Mephib'osheth, the son of Saul's son Jonathan, because of the oath of the LORD which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

8. Tulit itaque rex duos filios Respha filiae Aia, quos peperit Saul, Armoni et Meribbaal, et quinque filios Merob filiae Saul, quos genuerat Hadrieli filio Berzellai, qui fuit de Molathi,

8. The king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, whom she bore to Saul, Armo'ni and Mephib'osheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to A'dri-el the son of Barzil'lai the Meho'lathite;

9. et dedit eos in manu Gabaonitarum, qui suspenderunt illos in monte coram Domino. Et ceciderunt hi septem simul, occisi in diebus messis primis, incipiente messione hordei.

9. and he gave them into the hands of the Gib'eonites, and they hanged them on the mountain before the LORD, and the seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

10. Tollens autem Respha filia Aia cilicium substravit sibi super petram ab initio messis, donec stillaret aqua super eos de caelo, et non dimisit aves caeli considere super eos per diem neque bestias campi per noctem.

10. Then Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah took sackcloth, and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell upon them from the heavens; and she did not allow the birds of the air to come upon them by day, or the beasts of the field by night.

11. Et nuntiata sunt David, quae fecerat Respha filia Aia concubina Saul.

11. When David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Ai'ah, the concubine of Saul, had done,

12. Et abiit David et tulit ossa Saul et ossa Ionathan filii eius a civibus Iabes Galaad, qui furati fuerant ea de platea Bethsan, in qua suspenderant eos Philisthim, cum interfecissent Saul in Gelboe,

12. David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan from the men of Ja'besh-gil'ead, who had stolen them from the public square of Beth-shan, where the Philistines had hanged them, on the day the Philistines killed Saul on Gilbo'a;

13. et asportavit inde ossa Saul et ossa Ionathan filii eius; et colligentes ossa eorum, qui suspensi fuerant,

13. and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of his son Jonathan; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.

14. sepelierunt ea cum ossibus Saul et Ionathan filii eius in terra Beniamin in Sela, in sepulcro Cis patris eius. Feceruntque omnia, quae praeceperat rex; et repropitiatus est Deus terrae post haec.

14. And they buried the bones of Saul and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all that the king commanded. And after that God heeded supplications for the land.

15. Factum est autem rursum proelium Philisthinorum adversum Israel, et descendit David et servi eius cum eo, et pugnabant contra Philisthim, et fatigatus est David.

15. The Philistines had war again with Israel, and David went down together with his servants, and they fought against the Philistines; and David grew weary.

16. Iesbibenob, qui fuit de genere Rapha — ferrum hastae trecentos siclos appendebat — et accinctus erat ense novo, nisus est percutere David;

16. And Ish'bi-be'nob, one of the descendants of the giants, whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of bronze, and who was girded with a new sword, thought to kill David.

17. praesidioque ei fuit Abisai filius Sarviae et percussum Philisthaeum interfecit. Tunc iuraverunt viri David dicentes: “Iam non egredieris nobiscum in bellum, ne exstinguas lucernam Israel”.

17. But Abi'shai the son of Zeru'iah came to his aid, and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men adjured him, "You shall no more go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel."

18. Fuitque rursum bellum in Gob contra Philisthaeos; tunc percussit Sobbochai de Husa Saph de stirpe Rapha.

18. After this there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; then Sib'becai the Hu'shathite slew Saph, who was one of the descendants of the giants.

19. Et fuit iterum bellum in Gob contra Philisthaeos, in quo percussit Elchanan filius Iair Bethlehemites Goliath Getthaeum, cuius hastile hastae erat quasi liciatorium texentium.

19. And there was again war with the Philistines at Gob; and Elha'nan the son of Ja'areor'egim, the Bethlehemite, slew Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

20. Et adhuc fuit bellum in Geth, in quo vir excelsus, qui senos in manibus pedibusque habebat digitos, id est viginti et quattuor, et is quoque erat de origine Rapha,

20. And there was again war at Gath, 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 was descended from the giants.

21. exprobravit Israel; percussit autem eum Ionathan filius Samma fratris David.

21. And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shim'e-i, David's brother, slew him.

22. Hi quattuor erant de genere Rapha ex Geth et ceciderunt per manum David et servorum eius.

22. These four were descended from the giants in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.