1 When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in
Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2 Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, had two men who were captains
of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab,
the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth
also is reckoned to Benjamin: 3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and
have lived as foreigners there until this day). 4 Now Jonathan, Saul's son,
had a son who was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the news came
of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel; and his nurse took him up, and fled: and
it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. His
name was Mephibosheth. 5 The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and
Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth,
as he took his rest at noon. 6 They came there into the midst of the
house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they struck him in the
body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 Now when they came into
the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they struck him, and
killed him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the
Arabah all night. 8 They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David to
Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of
Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; and Yahweh has avenged my lord the
king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 9 David answered Rechab and Baanah
his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As Yahweh
lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 when one told me,
saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold
of him, and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his
news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in
his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and
take you away from the earth? 12 David commanded his young men, and they
killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up
beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried
it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.
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