Ish-Bosheth Murdered
1
When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner died in Hebron,
he lost courage, and Israel became alarmed.
2
Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands.
One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon
the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin - Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3
because the people of Beeroth Gittaim and have lived there
as aliens to ths day.
4
(Jonathan so of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years
old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel.
His nurse picked him up ad fled, but as she hurried to to leave,
he fell and became crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)
5
Now Recab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon te Beerothite,
set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of
the day while he was taking his noonday rest.
6
They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat,
and thet stabbed him in the stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah
slipped away.
7
They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom.
After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head.
Taking it with them, they traveled all nigh by way of te Arabah.
8
They 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 tried to take your life.
This day the LORD has avenged my lord the king against Saul and his offspring."
9
David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite,
"As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of all trouble,
10
when a man told me, 'Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news,
I seized him and put im to death in Ziklag. That was he reward I gave him
for his news!
11
How much more - when wicked men have killed an innocent man
in his own house and on his own bed - should I not now demand
his blood from your hand and rid the earth of you!"
12
So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. They cut off
their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron.
But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.
