The Murder of Ish-bosheth 1 UDB When Saul's son Ish-Bosheth heard that Abner had been killed at Hebron, he became very discouraged, and all the Israelite people with him. BSB BSB: Now when Ish-bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel was dismayed.
2 UDB Ish-Bosheth had two officers who were leaders of groups of soldiers. They were brothers with the names of Baanah and Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon from the town of Beeroth in the tribe of Benjamin. Now Beeroth is in the area that had been assigned to the tribe of Benjamin. BSB BSB: Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding parties. One was named Baanah and the other Rechab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite of the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3 UDB But the original inhabitants of Beeroth had fled to the town of Gittaim, where they still live. BSB BSB: because the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners to this day.
4 UDB Saul's son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth. Mephibosheth was five years old when Saul and Jonathan died in the battle. When people brought that news from Jezreel, Mephibosheth's nursemaid picked him up and ran away, but she ran very fast and she dropped him, and he became crippled in his legs. BSB BSB: And Jonathan son of Saul had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the report about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she was hurrying to escape, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
5 UDB One day, Rekab and Baanah left their home to go to Ish-Bosheth's house. They arrived there about noontime, when Ish-Bosheth was taking his midday nap. BSB BSB: Now Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out and arrived at the house of Ish-bosheth in the heat of the day, while the king was taking his midday nap.
6 UDB The woman who was serving as the doorkeeper was sifting wheat, but she became sleepy and then fell asleep. So Rekab and his brother Baanah were able to creep in quietly. BSB BSB: They entered the interior of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Then Rechab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7 UDB They entered Ish-Bosheth's bedroom where he was sleeping. They killed him with their swords and cut off his head. They carried his head and walked all night through the plain along the Jordan. BSB BSB: They had entered the house while Ish-bosheth was lying on his bed, and having stabbed and killed him, they beheaded him, took his head, and traveled all night by way of the Arabah.
8 UDB They took the head of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron. They said to him, "Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth, the son of your enemy Saul, who tried to kill you. Your Majesty, today Yahweh has allowed you to get revenge on Saul and his descendants!" BSB BSB: They brought the head of Ish-bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-bosheth son of Saul, your enemy who sought your life. Today the LORD has granted vengeance to my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
The Execution of Rechab and Baanah 9 UDB But David replied to them, "Just as surely as Yahweh lives—and he is the one who has rescued me from all trouble, I will tell you this: BSB BSB: But 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 all distress,
10 UDB When a messenger came to Ziklag and told me 'Saul is dead!' (and he thought that the news that he was bringing to me was good news), I told one of my soldiers to kill him. That was the reward I gave to him for his news! BSB BSB: when someone told me, ‘Look, Saul is dead,’ and thought he was a bearer of good news, I seized him and put him to death at Ziklag. That was his reward for his news!
11 UDB So because you two evil men have murdered a man who did nothing wrong—and you killed him when he was sleeping on his bed in his own house, I will do something worse to you. I will surely get revenge on you two for murdering him and wipe you off from the earth!" BSB BSB: How much more, when wicked men kill a righteous man in his own house and on his own bed, shall I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth!”
12 UDB Then David gave a command to his soldiers, and they killed the two men and cut off their hands and their feet and hung their bodies on a pole near the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it respectfully in the tomb of Abner, there at Hebron. BSB BSB: So David commanded his young men, and they killed Rechab and Baanah. They cut off their hands and feet and hung their bodies by the pool in Hebron, but they took the head of Ish-bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb in Hebron.
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