2 Samuel 4

1When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his hands became weak, and all Israel was alarmed.

2Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of raiding bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the second was Rechab, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the sons of Benjamin; for Beeroth also was considered part of Benjamin.

3But the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as sojourners to this day.

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

5The sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rekab and Baanah, went and came to the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while he was lying down for his midday rest.

6And there they came into the midst of the house, taking wheat, and they struck him in the belly. Then Rekab and Baanah his brother escaped.

7They came into the house while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, and they struck him and put him to death. Then they removed his head, took his head, and went by way of the Arabah all night.

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 sought your life. Yahweh has given my lord the king vengeance today on Saul and on his offspring.”

9But David answered Rekab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As Yahweh lives, who has redeemed my life out of every distress,

10When someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and he thought he was bringing good news in his own eyes, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag—that was the reward I gave him for his news.

11How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house on his bed, should I not now require his blood from your hand and purge you from the land?

12Then David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and their feet and hung them by the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.