1. While David was king, there were three years in a row when the nation of Israel could not grow enough food. So David asked the Lord for help, and the Lord answered, “Saul and his family are guilty of murder, because he had the Gibeonites killed.”
2. The Gibeonites were not Israelites; they were descendants of the Amorites. The people of Israel had promised not to kill them, but Saul had tried to kill them because he wanted Israel and Judah to control all the land.David called the Gibeonites to him, and he talked with them.
3. He said, “What can I do to make up for what Saul did, so that you'll ask the Lord to be kind to his people again?”
4. The Gibeonites answered, “Silver and gold from Saul and his family are not enough. On the other hand, we don't have the right to put any Israelite to death.”David said, “I'll do whatever you ask.”
5. They replied, “Saul tried to kill all our people so that none of us would be left in the land of Israel.
6. Give us seven of his descendants. We will hang these men near the place where the Lord is worshipped in Gibeah, the home town of Saul, the Lord's chosen king.”“I'll give them to you,” David said.
7. David had made a promise to Jonathan with the Lord as his witness, so he spared Jonathan's son Mephibosheth, the grandson of Saul.