Chapter 4

Ish-bosheth Murdered

1 Now when 1Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that aAbner had died in Hebron, 2bhe lost courage, and all Israel was disturbed.

2 Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of bands: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for aBeeroth is also considered bpart of Benjamin,

3 and the Beerothites fled to aGittaim and have been aliens there until this day).

4 Now aJonathan, Saul’s son, had a son crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the breport of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and became lame. And his name was 1cMephibosheth.

5 So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of aIsh-bosheth in the heat of the day while he was taking his midday rest.

6 1They came to the middle of the house as 2if to get wheat, and athey struck him in the belly; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7 Now when they came into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him and beheaded him. And they took his head and 1atraveled by way of the Arabah all night.

8 Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth athe son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; thus the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his 1descendants.”

9 David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, awho has redeemed my life from all distress,

10 awhen one told me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and 1thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.

11 “How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, shall I not now arequire his blood from your hand and 1destroy you from the earth?”

12 Then aDavid commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth band buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.