2 Samuel 21 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

2 Samuel 21 (WEBP)

[1] There was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David sought the face of Yahweh. Yahweh said, “It is for Saul, and for his bloody house, because he put the Gibeonites to death.”
[2] The king called the Gibeonites and said to 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 to them; and Saul sought to kill them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah);
[3] and David said to the Gibeonites, “What should I do for you? And with what should I make atonement, that you may bless Yahweh’s inheritance?”
[4] The Gibeonites said to 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.” He said, “I will do for you whatever you say.”
[5] They said to the king, “The man who consumed us and who plotted against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,
[6] let seven men of his sons be delivered to us, and we will hang them up to Yahweh in Gibeah of Saul, the chosen of Yahweh.” The king said, “I will give them.”
[7] But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of Yahweh’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 bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab the daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
[9] He delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites; and they hanged them on the mountain before Yahweh, and all seven of them fell together. They were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, at the beginning of barley harvest.
[10] Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself on the rock, from the beginning of harvest until water poured on them from the sky. She allowed neither the birds of the sky to rest on them by day, nor the animals of the field by night.
[11] David was told what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.
[12] So 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 street of Beth Shan, where the Philistines had hanged them in the day that the Philistines killed Saul in Gilboa;
[13] and he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son. They also gathered the bones of those who were hanged.
[14] They buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. After that, God answered prayer for the land.
[15] The Philistines had war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines. David grew faint;
[16] and Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear was three hundred shekels of bronze in weight, he being armed with a new sword, thought he would kill David.
[17] But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, “Don’t go out with us to battle any more, so that you don’t quench the lamp of Israel.”
[18] After this, there was again war with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite killed Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.
[19] There was again war with the Philistines at Gob, and Elhanan the son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite’s brother, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver’s beam.
[20] There was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on every hand and six toes on every foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was born to the giant.
[21] When he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimei, David’s brother, killed him.
[22] These four were born to the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

2 Samuel 21 (KJVS)

[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.
[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.
[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,
[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.
[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:
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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.
[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] And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.
[22] These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

2 Samuel 21:1 Heb. sought the face, etc.
2 Samuel 21:5 Or, cut us off
2 Samuel 21:6 Or, chosen of the Lord
2 Samuel 21:8a Or, Michals sister
2 Samuel 21:8b Heb. bare to Adriel
2 Samuel 21:16a Or, Rapha
2 Samuel 21:16b He. the staff, or the head
2 Samuel 21:17 Heb. candle, or lamp
2 Samuel 21:18 Or, Rapha
2 Samuel 21:19 Or, Jair
2 Samuel 21:20 Or, Rapha
2 Samuel 21:21 Or, reproached

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

2 Samuel 21 (BYZ)

[1] Καὶ () ἐγένετο () λιμὸς () ἐν () ταῖς () ἡμέραις () Δαυιδ () τρία () ἔτη, () ἐνιαυτὸς () ἐχόμενος () ἐνιαυτοῦ, () καὶ () ἐζήτησεν () Δαυιδ () τὸ () πρόσωπον () τοῦ () κυρίου. () Καὶ () εἶπεν () κύριος () Ἐπὶ () Σαουλ () καὶ () ἐπὶ () τὸν () οἶκον () αὐτοῦ () ἀδικία () διὰ () τὸ () αὐτὸν () θανάτῳ () αἱμάτων () περὶ () οὗ () ἐθανάτωσεν () τοὺς () Γαβαωνίτας.
[2] Καὶ () ἐκάλεσεν () ὁ () βασιλεὺς () Δαυιδ () τοὺς () Γαβαωνίτας καὶ () εἶπεν () πρὸς () αὐτούς· () καὶ () οἱ () Γαβαωνῖται οὐχ () υἱοὶ () Ισραηλ () εἰσίν, () ὅτι () ἀλλ’ () ἢ () ἐκ () τοῦ () λείμματος () τοῦ () Αμορραίου, καὶ () οἱ () υἱοὶ () Ισραηλ () ὤμοσαν () αὐτοῖς· () καὶ () ἐζήτησεν () Σαουλ () πατάξαι () αὐτοὺς () ἐν () τῷ () ζηλῶσαι () αὐτὸν () τοὺς () υἱοὺς () Ισραηλ () καὶ () Ιουδα.
[3] Καὶ () εἶπεν () Δαυιδ () πρὸς () τοὺς () Γαβαωνίτας Τί () ποιήσω () ὑμῖν () καὶ () ἐν () τίνι () ἐξιλάσομαι καὶ () εὐλογήσετε () τὴν () κληρονομίαν () κυρίου; ()
[4] Καὶ () εἶπαν () αὐτῷ () οἱ () Γαβαωνῖται Οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἡμῖν () ἀργύριον () καὶ () χρυσίον () μετὰ () Σαουλ () καὶ () μετὰ () τοῦ () οἴκου () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔστιν () ἡμῖν () ἀνὴρ () θανατῶσαι () ἐν () Ισραηλ. () Καὶ () εἶπεν () Τί () ὑμεῖς () λέγετε () καὶ () ποιήσω () ὑμῖν; ()
[5] Καὶ () εἶπαν () πρὸς () τὸν () βασιλέα () Ὁ () ἀνὴρ () συνετέλεσεν () ἐφ’ () ἡμᾶς () καὶ () ἐδίωξεν () ἡμᾶς, () ὃς () παρελογίσατο () ἐξολεθρεῦσαι () ἡμᾶς· () ἀφανίσωμεν () αὐτὸν () τοῦ () μὴ () ἑστάναι () αὐτὸν () ἐν () παντὶ () ὁρίῳ () Ισραηλ· ()
[6] δότω () ἡμῖν () ἑπτὰ () ἄνδρας () ἐκ () τῶν () υἱῶν () αὐτοῦ, () καὶ () ἐξηλιάσωμεν αὐτοὺς () τῷ () κυρίῳ () ἐν () Γαβαων Σαουλ () ἐκλεκτοὺς () κυρίου. () Καὶ () εἶπεν () ὁ () βασιλεύς () Ἐγὼ () δώσω. ()
[7] Καὶ () ἐφείσατο () ὁ () βασιλεὺς () ἐπὶ () Μεμφιβοσθε υἱὸν () Ιωναθαν υἱοῦ () Σαουλ () διὰ () τὸν () ὅρκον () κυρίου () τὸν () ἀνὰ () μέσον () αὐτῶν, () ἀνὰ () μέσον () Δαυιδ () καὶ () ἀνὰ () μέσον () Ιωναθαν υἱοῦ () Σαουλ. ()
[8] Καὶ () ἔλαβεν () ὁ () βασιλεὺς () τοὺς () δύο () υἱοὺς () Ρεσφα θυγατρὸς () Αια, οὓς () ἔτεκεν () τῷ () Σαουλ, () τὸν () Ερμωνι καὶ () τὸν () Μεμφιβοσθε, καὶ () τοὺς () πέντε () υἱοὺς () Μιχολ θυγατρὸς () Σαουλ, () οὓς () ἔτεκεν () τῷ () Εσριηλ υἱῷ () Βερζελλι τῷ () Μοουλαθι,
[9] καὶ () ἔδωκεν () αὐτοὺς () ἐν () χειρὶ () τῶν () Γαβαωνιτῶν, καὶ () ἐξηλίασαν αὐτοὺς () ἐν () τῷ () ὄρει () ἔναντι () κυρίου, () καὶ () ἔπεσαν () οἱ () ἑπτὰ () αὐτοὶ () ἐπὶ () τὸ () αὐτό· () καὶ () αὐτοὶ () δὲ () ἐθανατώθησαν () ἐν () ἡμέραις () θερισμοῦ () ἐν () πρώτοις () ἐν () ἀρχῇ () θερισμοῦ () κριθῶν. ()
[10] Καὶ () ἔλαβεν () Ρεσφα θυγάτηρ () Αια τὸν () σάκκον () καὶ () ἔπηξεν () αὑτῇ () πρὸς () τὴν () πέτραν () ἐν () ἀρχῇ () θερισμοῦ () κριθῶν, () ἕως () ἔσταξεν ἐπ’ () αὐτοὺς () ὕδωρ () ἐκ () τοῦ () οὐρανοῦ, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἔδωκεν () τὰ () πετεινὰ τοῦ () οὐρανοῦ () καταπαῦσαι () ἐπ’ () αὐτοὺς () ἡμέρας () καὶ () τὰ () θηρία () τοῦ () ἀγροῦ () νυκτός. ()—
[11] καὶ () ἀπηγγέλη () τῷ () Δαυιδ () ὅσα () ἐποίησεν () Ρεσφα θυγάτηρ () Αια παλλακὴ Σαουλ, () καὶ () ἐξελύθησαν, () καὶ () κατέλαβεν () αὐτοὺς () Δαν υἱὸς () Ιωα ἐκ () τῶν () ἀπογόνων τῶν () γιγάντων,
[12] καὶ () ἐπορεύθη () Δαυιδ () καὶ () ἔλαβεν () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () Σαουλ () καὶ () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () Ιωναθαν τοῦ () υἱοῦ () αὐτοῦ () παρὰ () τῶν () ἀνδρῶν () υἱῶν () Ιαβις Γαλααδ, οἳ () ἔκλεψαν () αὐτοὺς () ἐκ () τῆς () πλατείας () Βαιθσαν, ὅτι () ἔστησαν () αὐτοὺς () ἐκεῖ () οἱ () ἀλλόφυλοι () ἐν () ἡμέρᾳ, () ᾗ () ἐπάταξαν () οἱ () ἀλλόφυλοι () τὸν () Σαουλ () ἐν () Γελβουε,
[13] καὶ () ἀνήνεγκεν () ἐκεῖθεν () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () Σαουλ () καὶ () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () Ιωναθαν τοῦ () υἱοῦ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () συνήγαγεν () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () τῶν () ἐξηλιασμένων.
[14] Καὶ () ἔθαψαν () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () Σαουλ () καὶ () τὰ () ὀστᾶ () Ιωναθαν τοῦ () υἱοῦ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () τῶν () ἡλιασθέντων ἐν () γῇ () Βενιαμιν () ἐν () τῇ () πλευρᾷ () ἐν () τῷ () τάφῳ () Κις () τοῦ () πατρὸς () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἐποίησαν () πάντα, () ὅσα () ἐνετείλατο () ὁ () βασιλεύς. ()—καὶ () ἐπήκουσεν () ὁ () θεὸς () τῇ () γῇ () μετὰ () ταῦτα. ()
[15] Καὶ () ἐγενήθη () ἔτι () πόλεμος () τοῖς () ἀλλοφύλοις () μετὰ () Ισραηλ. () Καὶ () κατέβη () Δαυιδ () καὶ () οἱ () παῖδες () αὐτοῦ () μετ’ () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἐπολέμησαν () μετὰ () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων, () καὶ () ἐξελύθη () Δαυιδ. ()
[16] Καὶ () Ιεσβι, ὃς () ἦν () ἐν () τοῖς () ἐκγόνοις () τοῦ () Ραφα καὶ () ὁ () σταθμὸς τοῦ () δόρατος αὐτοῦ () τριακοσίων () σίκλων ὁλκὴ χαλκοῦ () καὶ () αὐτὸς () περιεζωσμένος () κορύνην, καὶ () διενοεῖτο πατάξαι () τὸν () Δαυιδ. ()
[17] Καὶ () ἐβοήθησεν () αὐτῷ () Αβεσσα υἱὸς () Σαρουιας καὶ () ἐπάταξεν () τὸν () ἀλλόφυλον () καὶ () ἐθανάτωσεν () αὐτόν. () Τότε () ὤμοσαν () οἱ () ἄνδρες () Δαυιδ () λέγοντες () Οὐκ () ἐξελεύσῃ () ἔτι () μεθ’ () ἡμῶν () εἰς () πόλεμον () καὶ () οὐ () μὴ () σβέσῃς () τὸν () λύχνον () Ισραηλ. ()—
[18] καὶ () ἐγενήθη () μετὰ () ταῦτα () ἔτι () πόλεμος () ἐν () Γεθ μετὰ () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων. () Τότε () ἐπάταξεν () Σεβοχα ὁ () Αστατωθι τὸν () Σεφ τὸν () ἐν () τοῖς () ἐκγόνοις () τοῦ () Ραφα.—
[19] καὶ () ἐγένετο () ὁ () πόλεμος () ἐν () Γοβ μετὰ () τῶν () ἀλλοφύλων. () Καὶ () ἐπάταξεν () Ελεαναν υἱὸς () Αριωργιμ ὁ () Βαιθλεεμίτης τὸν () Γολιαθ τὸν () Γεθθαῖον, καὶ () τὸ () ξύλον () τοῦ () δόρατος αὐτοῦ () ὡς () ἀντίον ὑφαινόντων.—
[20] καὶ () ἐγένετο () ἔτι () πόλεμος () ἐν () Γεθ. Καὶ () ἦν () ἀνὴρ () μαδων, καὶ () οἱ () δάκτυλοι () τῶν () χειρῶν () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () οἱ () δάκτυλοι () τῶν () ποδῶν () αὐτοῦ () ἓξ () καὶ () ἕξ, () εἴκοσι () τέσσαρες () ἀριθμῷ, () καί () γε () αὐτὸς () ἐτέχθη () τῷ () Ραφα.
[21] Καὶ () ὠνείδισεν () τὸν () Ισραηλ, () καὶ () ἐπάταξεν () αὐτὸν () Ιωναθαν υἱὸς () Σεμει () ἀδελφοῦ () Δαυιδ. ()—
[22] οἱ () τέσσαρες () οὗτοι () ἐτέχθησαν () ἀπόγονοι τῶν () γιγάντων ἐν () Γεθ τῷ () Ραφα οἶκος, () καὶ () ἔπεσαν () ἐν () χειρὶ () Δαυιδ () καὶ () ἐν () χειρὶ () τῶν () δούλων () αὐτοῦ. ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, LLC, Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.