1 Ao saber que Abner havia morrido em Hebrom, Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, perdeu a coragem, e todo Israel ficou alarmado.2 Ora, o filho de Saul tinha a seu serviço dois líderes de grupos de ataque. Um deles chamava-se Baaná e o outro, Recabe; ambos filhos de Rimom, de Beerote, da tribo de Benjamim; a cidade de Beerote era considerada parte de Benjamim.3 O povo de Beerote fugiu para Gitaim e até hoje vive ali como estrangeiro.4 ( Jônatas, filho de Saul, tinha um filho aleijado dos pés. Ele tinha cinco anos de idade quando chegou a notícia de Jezreel de que Saul e Jônatas haviam morrido. Sua ama o apanhou e fugiu, mas, na pressa, ele o deixou cair e ele ficou manco. Seu nome era Mefibosete. )5 Aconteceu então que Recabe e Baaná, filhos de Rimom, de Beerote, foram à casa de Is-Bosete na hora mais quente do dia, na hora do seu descanso do meio-dia.6 Os dois entraram na casa como se fossem buscar trigo, transpassaram-lhe o estômago e depois fugiram.7 Eles haviam entrado na casa enquanto Is-Bosete estava deitado, em seu quarto. Depois de o transpassarem e o matarem, cortaram-lhe a cabeça. E levando-a consigo, viajaram toda a noite pela rota da Arabá.8 Levaram a cabeça de Is-Bosete a Davi, em Hebrom, e disseram-lhe: "Aqui está a cabeça de Is-Bosete, filho de Saul, teu inimigo, que tentou tirar-te a vida. Hoje o Senhor vingou o nosso rei e senhor, de Saul e de sua descendência".9 Davi respondeu a Recabe e a Baaná, seu irmão, filhos de Rimom, de Beerote: "Juro pelo nome do Senhor, que me tem livrado de todas as aflições.10 Quando um homem me disse que Saul estava morto, pensando que me trazia boa notícia, eu o agarrei e o matei em Ziclague, como recompensa pela notícia que trouxe!11 Muito mais agora, que homens ímpios mataram um inocente em sua própria casa e em sua própria cama! Vou castigá-los e eliminá-los da face da terra porque vocês fizeram correr o sangue dele! "12 Então Davi ordenou a seus soldados, e eles os mataram. E cortaram as mãos e os pés deles e penduraram os corpos junto ao açude de Hebrom. Mas sepultaram a cabeça de Is-Bosete no túmulo 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 who 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 sons of Benjamin, for Beeroth also is reckoned to3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there until this day.4 Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news 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 h5 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 there 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 killed 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 to 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 LORD has avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of h9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, As LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,10 when he who told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good news, I took hold of him, and killed him in Ziklag, which was the reward I gave him for his news.11 How much more, when evil men have slain a righteous man 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 killed 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.