1Now when Ishbaal, Saul's son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was troubled. 2And Ishbaal, Saul's son, had two men who were captains of bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the people of Benjamin (for Beeroth was regarded as belonging to the people of Benjamin; 3and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have lived as foreigners there until this day).

4Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son whose feet were crippled. He was five years old when the news came of Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened as she was hurrying to get away that he fell and was injured. And his name was Mippibaal.

5The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbaal, as he took his rest at noon. 6And look, the doorkeeper of the house had been sifting wheat, and she became drowsy and fell asleep. And Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped by. 7And they went into the house where he was lying on his bed in his bedchamber. And they struck him and killed him, and beheaded him. And they took his head and went by the way of the Arabah all night. 8They brought the head of Ishbaal to David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Look, the head of Ishbaal, the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants."

9David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10when someone told me, 'Look, Saul is dead,' thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him, and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news. 11How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house on his bed, shall I not now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?" 12David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbaal, and buried it in the grave of Abner son of Ner.