1 ¶ When Saul’s son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, his courage failed, and all the Israelites were troubled.

2 Now Saul’s son had two men who commanded bands of raiders: one was named Baanah, and the other was named Rechab, both sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin:

3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and have been sojourners there to this day.)

4 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son who was crippled in his feet. He was five years old when the news of the death of Saul and Jonathan arrived from Jezreel, and his nurse picked him up, and fled: and as she was hurrying to get away, he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

5 Now the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, set out, and during the heat of the day arrived at the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on his bed at noon.

6 And they came into the interior of the house, as if they were delivering wheat; and they stabbed him under the fifth rib: then Rechab and his brother Baanah escaped.

7 For when they went into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedchamber, and they stabbed him, and killed him, and cut off his head, and took his head, and got away traveling through the plain all night.

8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth to David in Hebron, and said to the king, Here is the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul your enemy, who sought your life; today the LORD has avenged my lord the king on Saul, and on his children.

9 ¶ But David said to Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

10 When someone told me, that Saul was dead, thinking that he brought good news, and expecting me to reward him for his news, I seized him, and slew him in Ziklag:

11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous man in his own house on his bed? shall I not now require his blood at your hand, and remove you from the earth?

12 And David commanded his young men, and they killed them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hung them up beside the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the tomb of Abner in Hebron.