¹ And the son of Saul heard that Abner was dead in Hebron. And his hands were feeble; and all those in Israel were terrified.

² And Saul's son had two men, troop commanders, one's name being Baanah, and the other's name Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the sons of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is counted to Benjamin.

³ And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and are aliens there to this day.)

⁴ And Jonathan the son of Saul had a lame son, he was a son of five years when the news of Saul and Jonathan came out of Jezreel; and his nurse lifted him up and fled; and it happened as she hurried 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 at the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth. And he was lying on his bed at noon.

⁶ And they came to the middle of the house, bringing wheat. And they struck him in the belly. And Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.

⁷ And they entered house, and he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; and they struck him and killed him, and took off his head. And they took his head and went the way of the Arabah all the night.

⁸ And they brought Ishbosheth's head to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ishbosheth the son of your enemy Saul, who sought your life. And may Jehovah give to my lord the king vengeance this day, on Saul and on his seed.

⁹ And David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As Jehovah lives, who has redeemed my life out of all distress,

¹⁰ when one spoke to me, saying, Behold Saul is dead, and he was as a bearer of good news in his own eyes; even I seized and killed him in Ziklag. I gave that to him as a reward.

¹¹ And when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house on his bed, should I not even now seek his blood from your hand, and glean you from the earth?

¹² And David commanded his young men. And they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hung them by the pool in Hebron. And they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in burying place of Abner in Hebron.