Chapter 4

And when Saul's son heard⁴ that Abner was dead¹ in Hebron, his hands were feeble,⁴ and all the Israelites were troubled.⁸

And Saul's son had¹ two men [that were] captains of bands: the name of the one [was] Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned¹¹ to Benjamin:

And the Beerothites fled⁴ to Gittaim, and were sojourners⁶ there until this day.)

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son [that was] lame of [his] feet. He was five years old when the tidings came² of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse⁶ took him up,⁴ and fled:⁴ and it came to pass, as she made haste² to flee,² that he fell,⁴ and became lame.¹¹ And his name [was] Mephibosheth.

And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went,⁴ and came⁴ about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay⁶ on a bed at noon.

And they came¹ thither into the midst of the house, [as though] they would have fetched⁶ wheat; and they smote⁵⁵ him under the fifth [rib]: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.⁸

For when they came⁴ into the house, he lay⁶ on his bed in his bedchamber, ⁴⁹⁰⁴ and they smote⁵⁵ him, and slew⁵⁵ him, and beheaded^{55 7218} him, and took⁴ his head, and gat them away⁴ through the plain all night.

And they brought⁵⁵ the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said⁴ to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy,⁶ which sought¹⁴ thy life; and the LORD hath⁴ avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

And David answered⁴ Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said⁴ unto them, [As] the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed¹ my soul out of all adversity,

When one told⁵⁶ me, saying,² Behold, Saul is dead,¹ thinking to have brought good tidings,¹⁸ I took hold⁴ of him, and slew⁴ him in Ziklag, who [thought] that I would have given² him a reward for his tidings:

How much more, when wicked men have slain¹ a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require¹⁷ his blood of your hand, and take you away¹⁴ from the earth?

And David commanded¹⁷ his young men, and they slew⁴ them, and cut off¹⁷ their hands and their feet, and hanged⁴ [them] up over the pool in Hebron. But they took¹ the head of Ishbosheth, and buried⁴ [it] in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.