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2 Samuel 4
1599 Geneva Bible
2 Samuel 4
1599 Geneva Bible
4 5 Baanah and Rechab slay Ishbosheth the son of Saul. 12 David commandeth them to be slain.
1 And when Saul’s [a]son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, then his hands were [b]feeble, and all Israel was afraid,
2 And Saul’s son had two men that were captains of bands: the one called Baanah, and the other called Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite of the children of Benjamin: (for [c]Beeroth was reckoned to Benjamin,
3 Because the Beerothites fled to [d]Gittaim, and sojourned there, unto this day.)
4 And Jonathan Saul’s son had a son that was lame on his feet: he was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Israel: then his nurse took him, and fled away. And as she made haste to flee, the child fell, and began to halt, and his name was Mephibosheth.
5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah went and came in the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth (who slept on a bed at noon.)
6 And behold, Rechab and Baanah his brother came into the midst of the house, as they [e]would have wheat, and they [f]smote him under the fifth rib, and fled.
7 For when they came into the house, he slept on his bed in his bed chamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got them away through the [g]plain all the night.
8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth Saul’s son thine enemy, who sought after thy life: and the Lord hath avenged my Lord the King this day of Saul, and of his seed.
9 Then David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the Lord liveth, who hath delivered my soul out of all adversity,
10 When one (A)told me, and said that Saul was dead, (thinking to have brought good tidings) I took him and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:
11 How [h]much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house, and upon his bed? shall I not now therefore require his blood at your hand, and take you from the earth?
12 Then David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron: but they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulcher of (B)Abner in Hebron.
Footnotes
- 2 Samuel 4:1 That is, Ishbosheth.
- 2 Samuel 4:1 Meaning, that he was discouraged.
- 2 Samuel 4:2 This city Beeroth was in the tribe of Benjamin, Josh. 18:25.
- 2 Samuel 4:3 After the death of Saul, for fear of the Philistines.
- 2 Samuel 4:6 They disguised themselves as merchants, which came to buy wheat.
- 2 Samuel 4:6 There is nothing so vile and dangerous, which the wicked will not enterprise in hope of lucre and favor.
- 2 Samuel 4:7 Or, wilderness.
- 2 Samuel 4:11 Forasmuch as neither the example of him that slew Saul, nor duty to their master, nor the innocency of the person, nor reverence of the place, nor time did move them, they deserved most grievous punishment.
2 Samuel 4
New International Version
2 Samuel 4
New International Version
Ish-Bosheth Murdered
4 When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner(A) had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed. 2 Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Rekab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin—Beeroth(B) is considered part of Benjamin, 3 because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim(C) and have resided there as foreigners to this day.
4 (Jonathan(D) son of Saul had a son who was lame in both feet. He was five years old when the news(E) about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she hurried to leave, he fell and became disabled.(F) His name was Mephibosheth.)(G)
5 Now Rekab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, set out for the house of Ish-Bosheth,(H) and they arrived there in the heat of the day while he was taking his noonday rest.(I) 6 They went into the inner part of the house as if to get some wheat, and they stabbed(J) him in the stomach. Then Rekab and his brother Baanah slipped away.
7 They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.(K) 8 They brought the head(L) of Ish-Bosheth to David at Hebron and said to the king, “Here is the head of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul,(M) your enemy, who tried to kill you. This day the Lord has avenged(N) my lord the king against Saul and his offspring.”
9 David answered Rekab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered(O) me out of every trouble, 10 when someone told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag.(P) That was the reward I gave him for his news! 11 How much more—when wicked men have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed—should I not now demand his blood(Q) from your hand and rid the earth of you!”
12 So David gave an order to his men, and they killed them.(R) They cut off their hands and feet and hung the bodies by the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-Bosheth and buried it in Abner’s tomb at Hebron.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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