Ish-bosheth Murdered

Now when [a]Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that (A)Abner had died in Hebron, [b](B)his courage failed, and all Israel was horrified. And Saul’s son had two men who were commanders of troops: 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 (C)Beeroth is also considered (D)part of Benjamin, and the Beerothites fled to (E)Gittaim and have lived there as strangers until this day).

Now (F)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was disabled in both feet. He was five years old when the (G)news of Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up and fled. But it happened that in her hurry to flee, he fell and could no longer walk. And his name was [c](H)Mephibosheth.

So the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, departed and came to the house of (I)Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while he was taking his midday rest. [d]And they came to the interior of the house as if [e]to get wheat, and (J)they struck him in the belly; and Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped. Now when they had come into the house, as he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and killed him, and they beheaded him. And they took his head and [f](K)traveled by way of the Arabah all night. Then they brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth (L)the son of Saul, your enemy, who sought your life; so the Lord has given my lord the king vengeance this day on Saul and his [g]descendants.”

But David replied to Rechab and his brother Baanah, sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, (M)who has redeemed my life from all distress, 10 (N)when the one who informed me, saying, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ also [h]viewed himself as the bearer of good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag, which 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 bed, shall I not now (O)require his blood from your hands and eliminate you both from the earth?” 12 Then (P)David commanded the young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth (Q)and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

David King over All Israel

(R)Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and [i]said, “Behold, we are (S)your bone and your flesh. Previously, when Saul was king over us, (T)you were the one who led Israel [j]out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘(U)You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be (V)a leader over Israel.’” So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David (W)made a covenant with them before the Lord in Hebron; then (X)they anointed David king over Israel. David was (Y)thirty years old when he became king, and (Z)he reigned for forty years. At Hebron (AA)he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.

(AB)Now the king and his men went to (AC)Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they said to [k]David, “You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away,” [l]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, (AD)the city of David. And David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” For that reason they say, “People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house.” So David lived in the stronghold, and called it (AE)the city of David. And David built all around from the [m](AF)Millo and inward. 10 (AG)David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of armies was with him.

11 (AH)Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and [n]stonemasons; and (AI)they built a house for David. 12 And David realized that the Lord had appointed him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.

13 Meanwhile (AJ)David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now (AK)these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 4:1 As in some mss; MT he
  2. 2 Samuel 4:1 Lit his hands dropped
  3. 2 Samuel 4:4 In 1 Chr 8:34 and 9:40, Merib-baal
  4. 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit And here they
  5. 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit takers of wheat
  6. 2 Samuel 4:7 Lit went
  7. 2 Samuel 4:8 Lit seed
  8. 2 Samuel 4:10 Lit was as a bearer of good news in his own eyes
  9. 2 Samuel 5:1 Lit said, saying
  10. 2 Samuel 5:2 I.e., to battle and in (returning) from battle
  11. 2 Samuel 5:6 Lit David, saying
  12. 2 Samuel 5:6 Lit saying
  13. 2 Samuel 5:9 I.e., terraced structure
  14. 2 Samuel 5:11 Lit stone wall craftsmen

Ish-Bosheth Murdered

When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner(A) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth(B) is considered part of Benjamin, because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim(C) and have resided there as foreigners to this day.

(Jonathan(D) son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news(E) about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.(F) His name was Mephibosheth.)(G)

Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth,(H) and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.(I) They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed(J) him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away.

They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.(K) They brought the head(L) of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul,(M) your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged(N) my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”

David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered(O) me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag.(P) That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood(Q) from your hand and rid the earth of you!”

12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them.(R) They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.

David Becomes King Over Israel(S)

All the tribes of Israel(T) came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.(U) In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns.(V) And the Lord said(W) to you, ‘You will shepherd(X) my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.(Y)’”

When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a covenant(Z) with them at Hebron before the Lord, and they anointed(AA) David king over Israel.

David was thirty years old(AB) when he became king, and he reigned(AC) forty(AD) years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months,(AE) and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

David Conquers Jerusalem(AF)(AG)

The king and his men marched to Jerusalem(AH) to attack the Jebusites,(AI) who lived there. The Jebusites said to David, “You will not get in here; even the blind and the lame can ward you off.” They thought, “David cannot get in here.” Nevertheless, David captured the fortress of Zion(AJ)—which is the City of David.(AK)

On that day David had said, “Anyone who conquers the Jebusites will have to use the water shaft(AL) to reach those ‘lame and blind’(AM) who are David’s enemies.[a]” That is why they say, “The ‘blind and lame’ will not enter the palace.”

David then took up residence in the fortress and called it the City of David. He built up the area around it, from the terraces[b](AN) inward. 10 And he became more and more powerful,(AO) because the Lord God Almighty(AP) was with him.(AQ)

11 Now Hiram(AR) king of Tyre sent envoys to David, along with cedar logs and carpenters and stonemasons, and they built a palace for David. 12 Then David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and had exalted his kingdom(AS) for the sake of his people Israel.

13 After he left Hebron, David took more concubines and wives(AT) in Jerusalem, and more sons and daughters were born to him. 14 These are the names of the children born to him there:(AU) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan,(AV) Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada and Eliphelet.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 5:8 Or are hated by David
  2. 2 Samuel 5:9 Or the Millo