Ishbosheth Is Murdered
1 When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron,he lost heart, and all Israel wastroubled.
2 Now Saul’s sonhadtwo menwhowerecaptains of troops. The name of onewasBaanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (ForBeeroth also waspartof Benjamin,
3 because the Beerothites fled toGittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)
4 Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a sonwhowaslame inhisfeet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan camefrom 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 namewasMephibosheth.
5 Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to thehouse of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon.
6 And they came there, all the way into the house,asthoughto get wheat, and they stabbed himin the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7 For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain.
8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy,who sought your life; and theLordhas avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”
9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “AstheLordlives,who has redeemed my life from all adversity,
10 whensomeone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one whothoughtI would give him a reward forhisnews.
11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not nowrequire his blood at your hand and remove you from the earth?”
12 So Davidcommanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hangedthemby the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and burieditin thetomb of Abner in Hebron.