4 ¹ When Saul's son Ishbosheth heard that Abner had been killed in Hebron, his courage failed him and all Israel was dismayed. 4 ² Now Ishbosheth had had: prob. rdg, Heb omitted two officers, who were captains of raiding parties, and whose names were Baanah and Rechab; they were Benjamites, sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, Beeroth being reckoned part of Benjamin; 4 ³ but the. Beerothites had fled to Gittaim, where they have lived ever since.

4 ⁴ (Saul's son Jonathan had a son lame in both feet. He was five years old when word of the death of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse had picked him up and fled, but in her hurry to get away he fell and was crippled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

4 ⁵ Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, came to the house of Ishbosheth in the heat of the day and went in, while he was taking his midday rest. 4 ⁶ Now the door-keeper had been sifting wheat, but she had grown drowsy and fallen asleep, so Rechab and his brother Baanah crept in, 4 ⁷ found their way to the room where he was asleep on the bed, and struck him dead. They cut off his head and took it with them, and, making their way along the Arabah all night, 4 ⁸ came to Hebron. They brought Ishbosheth's head to David at Hebron and said to the king, 'Here is the head of Ishbosheth son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life. The LORD has avenged your majesty today on Saul and on his family.' 4 ⁹ David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon of Beeroth, with an oath: 'As the LORD lives, who has rescued me from all my troubles! 4 ¹⁰ I seized the man who brought me word that Saul was dead and thought it good news; I killed him in Ziklag, and that was how I rewarded him for his news. 4 ¹¹ How much more when ruffians have killed an innocent man on his bed in his own house? Am I not to take vengeance on you now for the blood you have shed, and rid the earth of you?' 4 ¹² David gave the word, and the young men killed them; they cut off their hands and feet and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron, but the head of Ishbosheth they took and buried in Abner's tomb at Hebron.