2 Samuel
Summary
Following the death of Abner, Ish-bosheth loses heart and his grip on power becomes feeble. Two of his captains, Rechab and Baanah, murder him in his sleep, hoping to gain favour with David by bringing him the king's head. However, David is horrified by their wicked deed and executes them, just as he did the Amalekite who claimed to have killed Saul. He then honours Ish-bosheth by burying his head in the tomb of Abner.
When Ish-boshes son of Saul heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was troubled.
Saul's son had two men who were captains of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin. (Beeroth was considered part of Benjamin,
because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.)
(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 lame. His name was MephiboshES.)
Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-boshes at the hottest part of the day, while he was taking his noonday rest.
They entered the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.
When they had entered the house while he was lying on his bed in his bedroom, they stabbed him and killed him. Then they cut off his head and travelled through the plain all night, taking the head with them.
They brought the head of Ish-boshes to David at Hebron and said to the king, 'Here is the head of Ish-boshes son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you. Today the LORD has avenged my lord the king on Saul and his offspring.'
David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every trouble,'
'when a man told me, "Saul is dead," thinking he was bringing good news, I seized him and killed him in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!'
'How much more, when wicked men have killed a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed! Should I not now require his blood from your hands and rid the earth of you?'
So David gave the order to his young men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung them by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-boshes and buried it in Abner's tomb at Hebron.