⁷ Now Saul had a concubine whose name was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. And Ishbaal^[a] said to Abner, “Why have you gone in to my father’s concubine?”^(A)

⁸ The king took the two sons of Rizpah daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Merab^[a] daughter of Saul, whom she bore to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite;^{(A) 9} he gave them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they impaled them on the mountain before the Lord. The seven of them perished together. They were put to death in the first days of harvest, at the beginning of barley harvest.

¹⁰ Then Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it on a rock for herself, from the beginning of harvest until rain fell on them from the heavens; she did not allow the birds of the air to come on the bodies^[b] by day or the wild animals by night.^{(B) 11} When David was told what Rizpah daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done,

²¹ Ahithophel said to Absalom, “Go in to your father’s concubines, the ones he has left to look after the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself odious to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.”^{(A) 22} So they pitched a tent for Absalom upon the roof, and Absalom went in to his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel.^(B)

²¹ She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as his wife.”^{(A) 22} King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom as well! For he is my elder brother, and the priest Abiathar and Joab son of Zeruiah are on his side!”^(B)

¹⁷ He said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”^(A)

⁸ I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah, and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more.