2 Samuel 4

¹ When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands grew weak, and all Israel was shaken.

² Saul’s son had two men who led raiding bands. One was named Baanah, and the other Rechab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the tribe of Benjamin—for Beeroth, too, is counted as part of Benjamin.

³ The Beerothites had fled to Gittaim, and they have lived there as resident foreigners to this day.

⁴ Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was disabled in both feet. He was five years old when news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but in her hurry to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ Rechab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, went and arrived at Ish-bosheth’s house in the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest.

⁶ They went inside, supposedly to get wheat, and struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.

⁷ They had entered the house while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They struck him, killed him, and cut off his head. They took his head and traveled along the road through the Arabah all night.

⁸ They brought Ish-bosheth’s head to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. Today the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his descendants.”

⁹ David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As surely as the LORD lives, who has rescued my life from every trouble:

¹⁰ When someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news.

¹¹ How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house, on his bed! Now, shouldn’t I demand his blood from your hands and wipe you from the earth?”

¹² David gave the order to his young men, and they killed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hung them beside the pool at Hebron. Then they took Ish-bosheth’s head and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

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