2 Samuel 4

1When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost his courage, and all Israel was alarmed.

2Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the tribe of Benjamin. For Beeroth is also counted as part of Benjamin,

3and the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.

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

5Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out, and in the heat of the day they arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth while he was taking his midday rest.

6They went into the inner part of the house as if to get wheat, and they struck him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

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

8They 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 tried to take your life. Today Yahweh has given my lord the king vengeance on Saul and his descendants.”

9David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As Yahweh lives, who has rescued my life from every trouble,

10when someone told me, ‘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.

11How much more, when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house on his own bed! Should I not now demand his blood from your hand and wipe you off the earth?”

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