2 Samuel 4

¹ And when Saul'sThat is, Ishbosheth.son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands wereMeaning, that he was discouraged.feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

² 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: (forThis city Beeroth was in the tribe of Benjamin, (Jos_18:25).Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:

³ And the Beerothites fled toAfter the death of Saul, for fear of the Philistines.Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

⁴ And Ionathan Sauls sonne had a sonne that was lame on his feete: he was fiue yere olde when the tydings came of Saul and Ionathan out of Israel: then his nourse tooke him, and fledde away; as she made haste to flee, the childe fell, and beganne to halte, and his name was Mephibosheth.

⁵ And the sonnes of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth (who slept on a bed at noone)

⁶ And they came thither into the midst of the house, [as though] theyThey disguised themselves as merchants, who came to buy wheat.would have fetched wheat; and theyThere is nothing so vile and dangerous, which the wicked will not undertake in hope of money and favour.smote him under the fifth [rib]: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

⁷ For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, & they smote him, and slewe him, and beheaded him, and tooke his head, and gate them away through the plaine all the night.

⁸ And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth vnto Dauid to Hebron, and saide to the King, Beholde the head of Ish-bosheth Sauls sonne thine enemie, who sought after thy life: and the Lorde hath auenged my lorde the King this day of Saul, and of his seede.

⁹ Then Dauid answered Rechab & Baanah his brother, the sonnes of Rimmon the Beerothite, and saide vnto them, As the Lorde liueth, who hath deliuered my soule out of al aduersity,

¹⁰ When one tolde me, and sayde that Saul was dead, (thinking to haue brought good tydings) I tooke him and slewe him in Ziklag, who thought that I woulde haue giuen him a rewarde for his tidings:

¹¹ HowIn that neither the example of him that slew Saul, nor duty to their master, nor the innocency of the person, nor reverence for the place, nor time moved them, they deserved most grievous punishment.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 Then Dauid commanded his yong men, & they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feete, and hanged them vp ouer the poole in Hebron: but they tooke the head of Ish-bosheth, & buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.