2 Samuel 4

¹ When Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands went limp, and all Israel was dismayed.

² Now Saul's son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the Benjaminites — for Beeroth too was counted as part of Benjamin.

³ The Beerothites had fled to Gittaim and have been resident aliens there to this day.

⁴ Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, and as she hurried to flee, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite — Rechab and Baanah — set out and came to the house of Ish-bosheth at the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest.

⁶ They came into the interior of the house as if getting wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

⁷ They had come into the house while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They struck him and killed him and cut off his head. They took his head and traveled by the Arabah road all night.

⁸ They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. The LORD has granted my lord the king vengeance this day against Saul and his offspring."

⁹ David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress —

¹⁰ when someone told me, 'Look, Saul is dead,' and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him at Ziklag — that 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 own bed! Should I not now demand his blood from your hand and rid the land of you?"

¹² David gave the order to the young men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung them beside the pool in Hebron. But the head of Ish-bosheth they took and buried in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.