1The Israelites are troubled at Abner's death. 2Baanah and Rechab murder Ish-bosheth, and bring his head to David to Hebron. 9David causeth them to be put to death, and Ish-bosheth's head to be buried.
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1And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, 1his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.
2And Saul's son had two men that were captains of 1bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the aother Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for 2Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:
3And the Beerothites fled to 1Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)
4And Jonathan, Saul's son, had 1a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when 2the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name wasaMephibosheth.
5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, 1went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who 2lay on a bed at noon.
6And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they 1smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.
7For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and 1took his head, and gat them away through 2the plain all night.
8And they 1brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, 2Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9¶ And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who 1hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,
10When 1one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, athinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, bwho thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
11How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall 1I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?
12And David commanded his young men, and they 1slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and 2hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it3in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.