The Israelites being troubled at the death of Abner,

1 ¶ And when Saul'sº sonº heardºª that² Abnerº was deadºª in Hebron,º his handsº were feeble,ºª and all² the Israelitesº were troubled.ºª

Baanah and Rechab slay Ish-bosheth, and bring his head to Hebron.

2 And Saul'sº sonº hadºª twoº men¹² [that were] captainsº of bands:º the nameº of the oneº [was] Baanah,º and the nameº of the otherº Rechab,º the sonsº of Rimmonº a Beerothite,º of the childrenº² of Benjamin:º (for² Beerothº also² was reckonedºª to² Benjamin:º 3 And the Beerothitesº fledºª to Gittaim,º and were² sojournersºª there² until² this² day.)º 4 And Jonathan,º Saul'sº son,º had a sonº [that was] lameº of [his] feet.º He was² fiveº yearsº oldº when the tidingsº cameºª of Saulº and Jonathanº out of Jezreel,º² and his nurseºª took him up,ºª and fled:ºª and it came to pass,² as she made hasteºª to flee,ºª that he fell,ºª and became lame.ºª And his nameº [was] Mephibosheth.º 5 And the sonsº of Rimmonº the Beerothite,º Rechabº and Baanah,¹² went,¹ª² and cameºª about the heatº of the dayº to² the houseº of Ishbosheth,º who² layºª on² a bedº at noon.º 6 And they came² thither¹ª² into² the midstº of the house,º [as though] they would have fetchedºª wheat;º and they smoteºª him under² the fifthº [rib]: and Rechabº and Baanahº his brotherº escaped.ºª 7 For when they cameºª into the house,º he² layºª on² his bedº in his bedchamber,ºº and they smoteºª him, and slewºª him, and beheadedºª²² him, and tookºª² his head,º and gat them away¹ª² throughº the plainº all² night.º 8 And they broughtºª² the headº of Ishboshethº unto² Davidº to Hebron,º and saidºª to² the king,º Behold² the headº of Ishboshethº the sonº of Saulº thine enemy,ºª which² soughtºª² thy life;º and the LORDº hath¹ª avengedº² my lordº the kingº this² dayº of Saul,º² and of his seed.º²

David causeth them to be slain, and Ish-bosheth's head to be buried.

9 ¶ And Davidº answeredºª² Rechabº and Baanahº his brother,º the sonsº of Rimmonº the Beerothite,º and saidºª unto them, [As] the LORDº liveth,º who² hath redeemedºª² my soulº out of all²² adversity,º 10 When² one toldºª me, saying,ºª Behold,² Saulº is dead,ºª thinking² to have² brought¹ good tidings,ºª I took holdºª of him, and slewºª him in Ziklag,º who² [thought] that I would have givenºª him a reward for his tidings:º 11 How much more,² when² wickedº men¹² have slainºª² a righteousº personº in his own houseº upon² his bed?º shall I not² therefore now² requireºª² his bloodº of your hand,º² and take you awayºª² from² the earth?º 12 And Davidº commandedºª² his young men,º and they slewºª them, and cut offºª² their handsº and their feet,º and hanged [them] upºª over² the poolº in Hebron.º But they tookºª the headº of Ishbosheth,º and buriedºª [it] in the sepulchreº of Abnerº in Hebron.º