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Two men kill Ish-Bosheth

Saul's son Ish-Bosheth heard the news that Abner had died in Hebron.[a] Then he felt very frightened. All the people in Israel became afraid. Ish-Bosheth had two officers called Baanah and Recab. They were leaders of small groups of soldiers. Their father was Rimmon from Beeroth. He belonged to Benjamin's tribe. At that time, Beeroth was part of Benjamin's land. The people from Beeroth had run away to Gittaim. So Beeroth's people still live there as strangers.

Saul's son Jonathan had a son called Mephibosheth. Since he was five years old he had not been able to walk. At that time someone had come from Jezreel to say that Saul and Jonathan had died. So Mephibosheth's nurse picked him up to escape with him. But as she ran in a hurry, he fell to the ground. It hurt his feet very badly.

Rimmon's sons, Recab and Baanah, left their home and they went to Ish-Bosheth's house. They arrived in the middle of the day when it was very hot. Ish-Bosheth was resting on his bed. They went into the house as if they wanted to get some wheat. But they pushed knives into Ish-Bosheth's stomach. Then Recab and his brother Baanah escaped.

When they had gone into the house, Ish-Bosheth had been lying on his bed in his bedroom. After they had killed him, they cut off his head. They took it with them and they travelled all night through the Jordan Valley. They brought Ish-Bosheth's head to David in Hebron. They said to the king, ‘Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth, Saul's son! Saul was your enemy who wanted to kill you. So today the Lord has punished him and his descendants. They have paid for the bad things that they did to you, our lord, the king.’

David answered Recab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon from Beeroth. He said to them, ‘The Lord has rescued me from all my troubles. So I tell you this, as surely as the Lord lives: 10 When someone told me in Ziklag, “Saul is dead”, he thought that he was bringing good news to me. But I took hold of him and I told my men to kill him. That was how I paid him for his good news![b] 11 Now you wicked men have done a worse thing. You killed a good man in his own house while he was asleep! So I must surely punish you for his death. You must disappear from the earth!’

12 So David commanded his young men to kill Recab and Baanah. After they had killed them, they cut off their hands and their feet. They hung the dead bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took Ish-Bosheth's head and they buried it in Abner's grave in Hebron.

Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Saul's son here was Ish-Bosheth.
  2. 4:10 See 2 Samuel 1:14-16.

And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

And Saul's son had two men that were captains of bands: the name of the one was Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin.

And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

(A)А когато Исвостей, Сауловият син, чу, че Авенир умрял в Хеврон, ръцете му отслабнаха и всички израилтяни се смутиха.

(B)Сауловият син Исвостей имаше двама мъже пълководци. Името на единия беше Ваана, а на другия – Рихав, синове на виротянина Римон от вениаминците (защото и Вирот се числеше към Вениамин;

(C)а виротяните бяха побегнали в Гетаим, където са били пришълци до днес).

(D)А Сауловият син Йонатан имаше син, болен в краката. Той бил на петгодишна възраст, когато дошло известие от Езраел за Саул и Йонатан, и неговата бавачка го беше вдигнала и побегнала; и като бягала, го изпуснала и той бил осакатен. Името му беше Мемфивостей.

И Рихав и Ваана, синовете на виротянина Римон, отидоха и в горещината на деня влязоха в къщата на Исвостей, който лежеше на легло по обяд.

(E)Влязоха вътре в къщата уж да вземат жито и го удариха в корема; а Рихав и брат му Ваана избягаха.

Защото когато влязоха в къщата и той лежеше на легло в спалнята си, нараниха го, умъртвиха го и му отсякоха главата. И като му взеха главата, вървяха през полето цялата нощ.

(F)Те донесоха главата на Исвостей при Давид в Хеврон. Тогава казаха на царя: Ето главата на Исвостей, син на врага ти Саул, който искаше да отнеме живота ти. Днес Господ въздаде на Саул и потомците му заслуженото за господаря ни, царя.

(G)А Давид отговори на Рихав и брат му Ваана, синовете на виротянина Римон, следното: Заклевам се в живота на Господа, който избави душата ми от всяко бедствие,

10 (H)когато един човек ми извести: Ето, Саул умря, като мислеше, че носи добро известие, хванах го и го убих в Сиклаг, – това беше наградата, която му дадох за известието му, –

11 (I)а колко повече, когато нечестиви мъже са убили праведен човек в собствената му къща, на леглото му. Няма ли да изискам сега кръвта му от ръката ви и да ви изтребя от земята!

12 (J)Тогава Давид заповяда на слугите си; и те ги убиха. И като отсякоха ръцете и краката им, ги обесиха при водоема в Хеврон. А главата на Исвостей взеха и я заровиха в Авенировия гроб в Хеврон.

Ishbosheth Is Murdered

When Saul’s [a]son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, (A)he[b] lost heart, and all Israel was (B)troubled. Now Saul’s son had two men who were captains of troops. The name of one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For (C)Beeroth also was [c]part of Benjamin, because the Beerothites fled to (D)Gittaim and have been sojourners there until this day.)

(E)Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came (F)from Jezreel; and his nurse took him up and fled. And it happened, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. His name was (G)Mephibosheth.[d]

Then the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out and came at about the heat of the day to the (H)house of Ishbosheth, who was lying on his bed at noon. And they came there, all the way into the house, as though to get wheat, and they [e]stabbed him (I)in the stomach. Then Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain. And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron, and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul your enemy, (J)who sought your life; and the Lord has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and his descendants.”

But David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, “As the Lord lives, (K)who has redeemed my life from all adversity, 10 when (L)someone told me, saying, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ thinking to have brought good news, I arrested him and had him executed in Ziklag—the one who thought I would give him a reward for his news. 11 How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous person in his own house on his bed? Therefore, shall I not now (M)require his [f]blood at your hand and [g]remove you from the earth?” 12 So David (N)commanded his young men, and they executed them, cut off their hands and feet, and hanged them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the (O)tomb of Abner in Hebron.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Samuel 4:1 Ishbosheth
  2. 2 Samuel 4:1 Lit. his hands dropped
  3. 2 Samuel 4:2 considered part of
  4. 2 Samuel 4:4 Merib-Baal, 1 Chr. 8:34; 9:40
  5. 2 Samuel 4:6 Lit. struck
  6. 2 Samuel 4:11 Or bloodshed
  7. 2 Samuel 4:11 Lit. consume you