The Murder of Ish-bosheth

1  וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע (And heard) בֶּן־ (the son) שָׁא֗וּל (of Saul) כִּ֣י (that) מֵ֤ת (had died) אַבְנֵר֙ (Abner) בְּחֶבְר֔וֹן (in Hebron), וַיִּרְפּ֖וּ (and failed) יָדָ֑יו (his hands), וְכָל־ (and all) יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל (Israel) נִבְהָֽלוּ׃ (was troubled). 2  וּשְׁנֵ֣י (And two) אֲנָשִׁ֣ים (men) שָׂרֵֽי־ (captains) גְדוּדִ֣ים (of troops) הָי֪וּ (were) בֶן־ (unto the son) שָׁא֟וּל (of Saul). שֵׁם֩ (The name) הָאֶחָ֨ד (of one was) בַּֽעֲנָ֜ה (Baanah), וְשֵׁ֧ם (and the name) הַשֵּׁנִ֣י (of the second) רֵכָ֗ב (Rechab), בְּנֵ֛י (the sons) רִמּ֥וֹן (of Rimmon) הַבְּאֶֽרֹתִ֖י (the Beerothite), מִבְּנֵ֣י (of the sons) בִנְיָמִ֑ן (of Benjamin). כִּ֚י (For) גַּם־ (also) בְּאֵר֔וֹת (Beeroth) תֵּחָשֵׁ֖ב (was reckoned) עַל־ (to) בִּנְיָמִֽן׃ (Benjamin), 3  וַיִּבְרְח֥וּ (and fled) הַבְּאֵרֹתִ֖ים (the Beerothites) גִּתָּ֑יְמָה (to Gittaim), וַֽיִּהְיוּ־ (and they have been) שָׁ֣ם (there) גָּרִ֔ים (sojourning) עַ֖ד (until) הַיּ֥וֹם (day) הַזֶּֽה׃ס (this).

4  וְלִיהֽוֹנָתָן֙ (And Jonathan) בֶּן־ (son) שָׁא֔וּל (of Saul) בֵּ֖ן (had a son) נְכֵ֣ה (lame in) רַגְלָ֑יִם (the feet). בֶּן־ (A son) חָמֵ֣שׁ (of five) שָׁנִ֣ים (years) הָיָ֡ה (he was) בְּבֹ֣א (at the coming in) שְׁמֻעַת֩ (of the report) שָׁא֨וּל (of Saul) וִיהֽוֹנָתָ֜ן (and Jonathan) מִֽיִּזְרְעֶ֗אל (from Jezreel). וַתִּשָּׂאֵ֤הוּ (And took him up) אֹֽמַנְתּוֹ֙ (his nurse) וַתָּנֹ֔ס (and fled). וַיְהִ֞י (And it came to pass), בְּחָפְזָ֥הּ (as she hurried) לָנ֛וּס (to flee), וַיִּפֹּ֥ל (that he fell) וַיִּפָּסֵ֖חַ (and became lame); וּשְׁמ֥וֹ (and His name was) מְפִיבֹֽשֶׁת׃ (Mephibosheth).

5  וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ (And set out) בְּנֵֽי־ (the sons) רִמּ֤וֹן (of Rimmon) הַבְּאֵֽרֹתִי֙ (the Beerothite), רֵכָ֣ב (Rechab) וּבַעֲנָ֔ה (and Baanah), וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ (and came in) כְּחֹ֣ם (at the heat) הַיּ֔וֹם (of the day) אֶל־ (to) בֵּ֖ית (the house) אִ֣ישׁ (of Ish-) בֹּ֑שֶׁת (bosheth), וְה֣וּא (and he) שֹׁכֵ֔ב (was lying) אֵ֖ת (-) מִשְׁכַּ֥ב (the lying down) הַֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃ (of noon). 6  וְ֠הֵנָּה (And they) בָּ֜אוּ (came) עַד־ (up to) תּ֤וֹךְ (the midst) הַבַּ֙יִת֙ (of the house), לֹקְחֵ֣י (as taking) חִטִּ֔ים (wheat), וַיַּכֻּ֖הוּ (and they struck him) אֶל־ (in) הַחֹ֑מֶשׁ (the fifth rib). וְרֵכָ֛ב (And Rechab) וּבַעֲנָ֥ה (and Baanah) אָחִ֖יו (his brother) נִמְלָֽטוּ׃ (escaped).

7  וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ (And they came into) הַבַּ֗יִת (the house), וְהֽוּא־ (and he) שֹׁכֵ֤ב (was lying) עַל־ (on) מִטָּתוֹ֙ (his bed) בַּחֲדַ֣ר (in) מִשְׁכָּב֔וֹ (his bedroom), וַיַּכֻּ֙הוּ֙ (and they struck him) וַיְמִתֻ֔הוּ (and killed him) וַיָּסִ֖ירוּ (and beheaded) אֶת־ (-) רֹאשׁ֑וֹ (him), וַיִּקְחוּ֙ (and they took) אֶת־ (-) רֹאשׁ֔וֹ (his head) וַיֵּֽלְכ֛וּ (and were escaping) דֶּ֥רֶךְ (by way) הָעֲרָבָ֖ה (of the plain) כָּל־ (all) הַלָּֽיְלָה׃ (the night). 8  וַ֠יָּבִאוּ (And they brought) אֶת־ (-) רֹ֨אשׁ (the head) אִֽישׁ־ (of Ish-) בֹּ֥שֶׁת (bosheth) אֶל־ (to) דָּוִד֮ (David) חֶבְרוֹן֒ (at Hebron), וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙ (and they said) אֶל־ (to) הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (the king), הִנֵּֽה־ (Here is) רֹ֣אשׁ (the head) אִֽישׁ־ (of Ish-) בֹּ֗שֶׁת (bosheth) בֶּן־ (son) שָׁאוּל֙ (of Saul) אֹֽיִבְךָ֔ (your enemy), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (who) בִּקֵּ֖שׁ (sought) אֶת־ (-) נַפְשֶׁ֑ךָ (your life). וַיִּתֵּ֣ן (And has given) יְ֠הוָה (YHWH) לַֽאדֹנִ֨י (my lord) הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ (the king) נְקָמוֹת֙ (vengeance) הַיּ֣וֹם (day) הַזֶּ֔ה (this) מִשָּׁא֖וּל (of Saul) וּמִזַּרְעֽוֹ׃ס (and of his seed).

The Execution of Rechab and Baanah

9  וַיַּ֨עַן (And answered) דָּוִ֜ד (David) אֶת־ (-) רֵכָ֣ב׀ (Rechab) וְאֶת־ (and) בַּעֲנָ֣ה (Baanah) אָחִ֗יו (his brother), בְּנֵ֛י (the sons) רִמּ֥וֹן (of Rimmon) הַבְּאֵֽרֹתִ֖י (the Beerothite), וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (and he said) לָהֶ֑ם (to them) חַי־ (As lives) יְהוָ֕ה (YHWH), אֲשֶׁר־ (who) פָּדָ֥ה (has redeemed) אֶת־ (-) נַפְשִׁ֖י (my life) מִכָּל־ (from all) צָרָֽה׃ (distress), 10  כִּ֣י (when) הַמַּגִּיד֩ (it was declared) לִ֨י (to me), לֵאמֹ֜ר (saying), הִנֵּה־ (Behold), מֵ֣ת (is dead) שָׁא֗וּל (Saul), וְהֽוּא־ (and he) הָיָ֤ה (was) כִמְבַשֵּׂר֙ (as a bearer of tidings) בְּעֵינָ֔יו (in his own eyes), וָאֹחֲזָ֣ה (and I arrested) ב֔וֹ (him) וָאֶהְרְגֵ֖הוּ (and I killed him) בְּצִֽקְלָ֑ג (at Ziklag), אֲשֶׁ֥ר (which was) לְתִתִּי־ (instead of my giving) ל֖וֹ (to him) בְּשֹׂרָֽה׃ (for his news); 11  אַ֞ף (how much more), כִּֽי־ (when) אֲנָשִׁ֣ים (men) רְשָׁעִ֗ים (wicked) הָרְג֧וּ (have killed) אֶת־ (-) אִישׁ־ (a person) צַדִּ֛יק (righteous) בְּבֵית֖וֹ (in his own house) עַל־ (on) מִשְׁכָּב֑וֹ (his bed), וְעַתָּ֗ה (and now) הֲל֨וֹא (shall not) אֲבַקֵּ֤שׁ (I seek) אֶת־ (-) דָּמוֹ֙ (his blood) מִיֶּדְכֶ֔ם (from your⁺ hands), וּבִעַרְתִּ֥י (and remove) אֶתְכֶ֖ם (you⁺) מִן־ (from) הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (the earth)?

12  וַיְצַו֩ (And commanded) דָּוִ֨ד (David) אֶת־ (-) הַנְּעָרִ֜ים (the young men), וַיַּהַרְג֗וּם (and they killed them) וַֽיְקַצְּצ֤וּ (and cut off) אֶת־ (-) יְדֵיהֶם֙ (their hands) וְאֶת־ (and) רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם (feet), וַיִּתְל֥וּ (and hanged them) עַל־ (by) הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה (the pool) בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן (in Hebron). וְאֵ֨ת (And) רֹ֤אשׁ (the head) אִֽישׁ־ (of Ish-) בֹּ֙שֶׁת֙ (bosheth) לָקָ֔חוּ (they took) וַיִּקְבְּר֥וּ (and buried it) בְקֶֽבֶר־ (in the tomb) אַבְנֵ֖ר (of Abner) בְּחֶבְרֽוֹן׃פ (in Hebron).