2 Samuel 4
Contemporary English Version
Ishbosheth Is Killed
4 Ishbosheth[a] felt like giving up after he heard that Abner had died in Hebron. Everyone in Israel was terrified.
2 Ishbosheth had put the two brothers Baanah and Rechab in charge of the soldiers who raided enemy villages. Rimmon was their father, and they were from the town of Beeroth, which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. 3 The people who used to live in Beeroth had run away to Gittaim, and they still live[b] there.
4 (A) Saul's son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth,[c] who had not been able to walk since he was five years old. It happened when someone from Jezreel told his nurse that Saul and Jonathan had died.[d] She hurried off with the boy in her arms, but he fell and injured his legs.
5 One day about noon, Rechab and Baanah went to Ishbosheth's house. It was a hot day, and he was resting 6-7 in his bedroom. The two brothers went into the house, pretending to get some flour. But once they were inside, they stabbed Ishbosheth in the stomach and killed him. Then they cut off his head and took it with them.
Rechab and Baanah walked through the Jordan River valley all night long. 8 Finally they turned west and went to Hebron. They went in to see David and told him, “Your Majesty, here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you! The Lord has let you get even with Saul and his family.”
9 David answered:
I swear that only the Lord rescues me when I'm in trouble! 10 (B) When a man came to Ziklag and told me that Saul was dead, he thought he deserved a reward for bringing good news. But I grabbed him and killed him.
11 You evil men have done something much worse than he did. You've killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed. I'll make you pay for that. I'll wipe you from the face of the earth!
12 Then David said to his troops, “Kill these two brothers! Cut off their hands and feet and hang their bodies by the pool in Hebron. But bury Ishbosheth's head in Abner's tomb near Hebron.” And they did.
Footnotes
- 4.1 Ishbosheth: Hebrew “The Son of Saul.”
- 4.3 live: The Hebrew word means that they did not have the full legal rights of citizens.
- 4.4 Mephibosheth: Some manuscripts of one ancient translation have “Mephibaal.” In 1 Chronicles 8.34 and 9.40 he is called “Meribbaal.” See the note on “baal” and “bosheth” at 2.8.
- 4.4 Saul … died: See 1 Samuel 31.1-6.
2 Samuel 4
English Standard Version
Ish-bosheth Murdered
4 When Ish-bosheth, Saul's son, heard that Abner had died at Hebron, (A)his courage failed, and all Israel was dismayed. 2 Now Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands; the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, sons of Rimmon a man of Benjamin from Beeroth ((B)for Beeroth also is counted part of Benjamin; 3 (C)the Beerothites fled (D)to Gittaim and have been sojourners there to this day).
4 (E)Jonathan, the son of Saul, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan (F)came from Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled, and as she fled in her haste, he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.
5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and about the heat of the day they came to the house of Ish-bosheth as he was taking his noonday rest. 6 And they came into the midst of the house as if to get wheat, and they stabbed him (G)in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.[a] 7 When they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedroom, they struck him and put him to death and beheaded him. They took his head and went by the way of (H)the Arabah all night, 8 and brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron. And they said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, (I)who sought your life. The Lord has avenged my lord the king this day on Saul and on his offspring.” 9 But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, (J)“As the Lord lives, (K)who has redeemed my life out of every adversity, 10 (L)when one told me, ‘Behold, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, (M)I seized him and killed him at 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 (N)require his blood at your hand and destroy you from the earth?” 12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them and cut off their hands and feet and hanged them beside the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it (O)in the tomb of Abner at Hebron.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 4:6 Septuagint And behold, the doorkeeper of the house had been cleaning wheat, but she grew drowsy and slept. So Rechab and Baanah his brother slipped in
2 Samuel 4
New International Version
Ish-Bosheth Murdered
4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner(A) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 2 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, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim(C) and have resided there as foreigners to this day.
4 (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)
5 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) 6 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.
7 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) 8 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.”
9 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.
2 Samuel 4
Ang Pulong Sang Dios
Ginpatay si Ishboshet
4 Sang pagkabati ni Ishboshet, nga anak ni Saul, nga ginpatay si Abner sa Hebron, hinadlukan gid siya pati ang tanan nga katawhan sang Israel. 2 May duha ka tinawo si Ishboshet nga nagpangulo sa mga manugsalakay sa mga banwa sang ila mga kaaway. Sila amo si Baanah kag si Recab. Mga anak sila ni Rimon nga taga-Beerot, nga halin sa tribo ni Benjamin. Ining Beerot sakop subong sang Benjamin, 3 kay ang mga nahauna nga mga pumuluyo sini nagpalagyo sa Gitaim, kag hasta subong nagaestar sila didto bilang mga dumuluong.
4 (May isa pa ka anak si Saul nga si Jonatan nga may anak nga lupog. Ang iya ngalan si Mefiboshet. Nagaedad siya sang lima ka tuig sang napatay si Saul kag si Jonatan sa Jezreel. Sang mabalitaan sang yaya ni Mefiboshet nga napatay si Saul kag si Jonatan, ginhakwat niya siya kag nagpalagyo. Pero samtang nagadali-dali ang yaya sa pagpalagyo, nabuy-an niya ang bata, kag ang resulta nalupog ini.)
5 Isa ka adlaw, nagkadto sa balay ni Ishboshet si Recab kag si Baanah nga mga anak ni Rimon nga taga-Beerot. Nag-abot sila didto sang udtong-adlaw, samtang nagapahuway si Ishboshet. 6-7 Nagsulod sila sa balay nga kuno makuha sang trigo. Dayon nagsulod sila sa kuwarto ni Ishboshet, nga sa diin nagahigda siya sa iya katre, kag ginbuno nila siya sa tiyan. Pagkatapos gin-utod nila ang iya ulo kag gindala ini sa ila pagpalagyo. Nagpanglakaton sila sa Kapatagan sang Jordan[a] sa bilog nga gab-i.
8 Pag-abot nila sa Hebron, gindala nila ang ulo ni Ishboshet kay David kag nagsiling sila sa iya, “Ari ang ulo ni Ishboshet nga anak sang imo kaaway nga si Saul nga nagtinguha sa pagpatay sa imo. Nagtimalos ang Ginoo para sa imo subong nga adlaw kontra kay Saul kag sa iya mga kaliwat.” 9 Nagsabat si David sa ila, “Isugid ko sa inyo ang matuod sa presensya sang buhi nga Ginoo nga nagluwas sa akon sa tanan nga katalagman. 10 Sadto anay may tawo nga nagkadto sa akon sa Ziklag kag nagsiling nga patay na si Saul. Naghunahuna siya nga nagdala siya sang maayo nga balita sa akon. Sa baylo, ginpadakop ko siya kag ginpapatay. Amo ato ang akon premyo sa iya, sa iya nga ginbalita. 11 Karon, kamo nga mga malaot silutan ko sing sobra pa sa sini, kay ginpatay ninyo ang isa ka tawo nga wala sing sala, nga nagakatulog pa sa iya katre sa iya balay. Sukton ko kamo sa inyo pagpatay sa iya agod mawala kamo sa kalibutan.”
12 Gani nagmando si David sa iya mga tinawo nga patyon si Recab kag si Baanah, kag gintuman nila ini. Gin-utod nila ang ila sini mga kamot kag mga tiil kag ginpakabit ang ila mga lawas sa may punong sa Hebron. Ginkuha nila ang ulo ni Ishboshet kag ginlubong sa ginlubngan kay Abner sa Hebron.
Footnotes
- 4:6-7 Kapatagan sang Jordan: sa Hebreo, Araba.
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