1 Ouvindo, pois, o filho de Saul que Abner morrera em Hebrom, as mãos se lhe afrouxaram, e todo o Israel pasmou. 2 Tinha o filho de Saul a seu serviço dois homens, capitães de tropas; um se chamava Baaná, o outro, Recabe, filhos de Rimom, o beerotita, dos filhos de Benjamim, porque também Beerote era tida como pertencente a Benjamim. 3 Tinham fugido os beerotitas para Gitaim e ali têm morado até ao dia de hoje.

4 Jônatas, filho de Saul, tinha um filho aleijado dos pés. Era da idade de cinco anos quando de Jezreel chegaram as notícias da morte de Saul e de Jônatas; então, sua ama o tomou e fugiu; sucedeu que, apressando-se ela a fugir, ele caiu e ficou manco. Seu nome era Mefibosete.

5 Indo Recabe e Baaná, filhos de Rimom, beerotita, chegaram à casa de Isbosete, no maior calor do dia, estando este a dormir, ao meio-dia. 6 Ali, entraram para o interior da casa, como que vindo buscar trigo, e o feriram no abdômen; Recabe e Baaná, seu irmão, escaparam. 7 Tendo eles entrado na casa, estando ele no seu leito, no quarto de dormir, feriram-no e o mataram. Cortaram-lhe depois a cabeça e a levaram, andando toda a noite pelo caminho da planície. 8 Trouxeram a cabeça de Isbosete ao rei Davi, a Hebrom, e lhe disseram: Eis aqui a cabeça de Isbosete, filho de Saul, teu inimigo, que procurava tirar-te a vida; assim, o Senhor vingou, hoje, ao rei, meu senhor, de Saul e da sua descendência. 9 Porém Davi, respondendo a Recabe e a Baaná, seu irmão, filhos de Rimom, o beerotita, disse-lhes: Tão certo como vive o Senhor, que remiu a minha alma de toda a angústia, 10 se eu logo lancei mão daquele que me trouxe notícia, dizendo: Eis que Saul é morto, parecendo-lhe porém aos seus olhos que era como quem trazia boas-novas, e como recompensa o matei em Ziclague, 11 muito mais a perversos, que mataram a um homem justo em sua casa, no seu leito; agora, pois, não requereria eu o seu sangue de vossas mãos e não vos exterminaria da terra? 12 Deu Davi ordem aos seus moços; eles, pois, os mataram e, tendo-lhes cortado as mãos e os pés, os penduraram junto ao açude em Hebrom; tomaram, porém, a cabeça de Isbosete, e a enterraram na sepultura de Abner, em Hebrom.

1 And when Ish-bosheth, Saul’s son, heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands became feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled. 2 And Ish-bosheth, 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 the Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin (for Beeroth also is reckoned to Benjamin: 3 and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day).

4 Now 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.

5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, as he took his rest at noon. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him in the body: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 Now when they came into the house, as he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and went by the way of the Arabah all night. 8 And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold, the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, thine enemy, who sought thy life; and Jehovah hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As Jehovah 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, which was the reward I gave him 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 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 beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the grave of Abner in Hebron.

1 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner 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 is considered part of Benjamin,

3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have resided there as foreigners to this day.

4 (Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame 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 leave, he fell and became disabled. His name was Mephibosheth.)

5 Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth, and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.

6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed 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.

8 They 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 kill you. This day the LORD has avenged 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 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. 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 from your hand and rid the earth of you!"

12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them. 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.