IV. And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, ahis hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled. 2 And Saul’s son had 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 bBeeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin: 3 and the Beerothites cfled to dGittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.) 4 And eJonathan, Saul’s son, had a son that was lame of his feet, and was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan fout of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was * Mephibosheth. 5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him gunder the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through hthe plain all night. 8 And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, iwhich sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, jAs the Lord liveth, kwho hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 lwhen one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, * thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, * who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 11 how much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now mrequire his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his nyoung men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the osepulchre of Abner in Hebron.