4:1 When Ish-bosheth1 the son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he was very disheartened2 and all Israel was fearful. 4:2 Now Saul’s son3 had two men who were in charge of raiding units; one’s name was Baanah and the other’s name was Recab. They were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite who was a Benjamite. (Beeroth is regarded as belonging to Benjamin, 4:3 for the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have remained there as resident aliens until the present time.4)
4:4 Now Jonathan the son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel. His nurse had lifted him and fled; but in her haste to flee he had fallen and as a result was lame. Mephibosheth was his name.
4:5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite—Recab and Baanah—went at the hot part of the day to the home of Ish-bosheth, as he was enjoying the mid-day rest. They entered the house under the pretense of getting wheat and mortally wounded him in the belly. Then Recab and Baanah his brother escaped.
4:6 They5 had entered the house while he6 was resting on his bed in his bedroom, 4:7 dealing a mortal blow7 to him and then decapitating him.8 Taking his head,9 they traveled on the way of the Arabah all that night. 4:8 They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David in Hebron, saying to the king, “Look! The head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life! The LORD has given vengeance to my lord the king this day from Saul and his descendants!”
4:9 David replied to Recab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As the LORD lives, who has delivered my life from all adversity, 4:10 when the one who told me that Saul was dead—even though he was in his own opinion10 like one who was bringing good news—I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the good news that I gave to him! 4:11 Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent11 man as he slept12 in his own house, shall I not now require his blood at your hands and consume you from the earth?”
4:12 Then David issued orders to the soldiers and they put them to death. They then cut off their hands and their feet and hung them13 near the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth14 and buried it in the tomb of Abner15 in Hebron.16