The Murder of Ish-bosheth
1When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage failed, and all Israel was thrown into panic. 2Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands; one was named Baanah and the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the tribe of Benjamin — Beeroth too is counted as part of Benjamin, 3though the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim, where they have lived as foreigners to this day. 4Now Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the 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. 5Rechab and Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest. 6They came into the middle of the house as though to get wheat, and struck him in the belly; then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away. 7They had come into the house while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, and they struck him and killed him and cut off his head. They took his head and travelled all night by way of the Arabah. 8They brought the head of Ish-bosheth 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 Yahweh has given my lord the king vengeance on Saul and his offspring.” 9David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life from every trouble — 10when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ thinking he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag — that was the reward I gave him for his news. 11How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house, on his own bed! Shall I not now demand his blood from your hands and wipe you off the earth?” 12So David gave the order, and his men killed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.
