The Murder of Ish-bosheth

1And the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, and his hands failed, and all Israel was troubled. 2And two men, captains of troops, were unto the son of Saul. The name of one was Baanah, and the name of the second Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin. For also Beeroth was reckoned to Benjamin, 3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and they have been there sojourning until this day.

4And Jonathan son of Saul had a son lame in the feet. He was a son of five years at the coming in of the report of Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel. And his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she hurried to flee, that he fell and became lame; and His name was Mephibosheth.

5And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came in at the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, and he was lying the lying down of noon. 6And they came there all the way into the house, as taking wheat, and they struck him in the fifth rib. And Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7And they came into the house, and he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, and they struck him and killed him and beheaded him, and they took his head and were escaping by way of the plain all the night. 8And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life. And YHWH has given my lord the king vengeance this day of Saul and of his seed.”

The Execution of Rechab and Baanah

9And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and he said to them, “As YHWH lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10when it was declared to me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and he was as a bearer of tidings in his own eyes, I arrested him and I killed him at Ziklag, which was instead of my giving to him for his news; 11how much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed, shall I not now seek his blood from your⁺ hands and remove you⁺ from the earth?”

12And David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. And the head of Ish-bosheth they took and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.