¹ Now, when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands became feeble,—and, all Israel, were dismayed.

² And two men, captains of bands, pertained to Ish-bosheth son of Saul—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, even Beeroth, used to be reckoned unto Benjamin;

³ and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim,—and have been sojourners there, until this day.

⁴ And, Jonathan, son of Saul, had a son, lame of his feet,—five years old, was he, when tidings came in of Saul and Jonathan from Jezreel, so his nurse took him up, and fled, and it came to pass, when she started up to flee, that he fell and was lamed, and, his name, was, Mephibosheth.

⁵ So then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, took their journey and came in, about the heat of the day, unto the house of Ish-bosheth,—when, he, was lying on his noonday couch;

⁶ and, thither, entered they as fro as the middle of the house, to fetch wheat, and they smote him in the belly,—and, Rechab and Baanah his brother, escaped.

⁷ Thus they entered the house when, he, was lying on his bed, in his sleeping-chamber, and smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him,—and took his head, and journeyed by way of the waste plain all the night;

⁸ and brought in the head of Ish-bosheth unto David, at Hebron, and said unto the king, Lo! the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life: so hath Yahweh given to my lord the king, avengement this day, on Saul and on his seed.

⁹ Then David responded to Rechab and Baanah his brother, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them,—By the life of Yahweh, who hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

¹⁰ when he that brought tidings to me, saying, Lo! Saul is dead, though, he, was as one that bringeth good tidings, in his own eyes, yet I seized him, and slew him in Ziklag,—which was how I gave him reward for his tidings:

¹¹ how much more, when, lawless men, have slain a righteous person, in his own house, upon his bed? …Now, therefore, must I not require his blood at your hands, and so consume you, out of the earth?

¹² David therefore commanded the young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands, and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool, in Hebron,—but, the head of Ish-bosheth, took they, and buried in the grave of Abner, in Hebron.