2 Samuel 4

1 And when Saul’s son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

When Saul’s son Ishbosheth heard that Abner had been killed at Hebron, [he realized that he might also be killed]. He became discouraged, and all the Israeli people (trembled/became afraid).

2 And Saul’s son had two men [that were] captains of bands: the name of the one [was] Baanah, and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin: (for Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin:

Ishbosheth had two officers who were leaders of groups that raided other villages. [They were brothers; ] their names were Baanah and Rechab, sons of Rimmon from Beeroth [town] in the tribe of Benjamin. Beeroth is in the area that had [been assigned to] the tribe of Benjamin.

3 And the Beerothites fled to Gittaim, and were sojourners there until this day.)

But the people of Beeroth had fled to Gittaim [town], and they still live there.

4 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a son [that was] lame of [his] feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name [was] Mephibosheth.

Saul’s son Jonathan had a son named Mephibosheth. When Mephibosheth was five years old, Saul and Jonathan died in the battle. When people brought that news from Jezreel, Mephibosheth’s nursemaid picked him up and ran away. She ran very fast, with the result that she dropped him, and his legs became crippled.

5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

One day, Rechab and Baanah left [their home] to go to Ishbosheth’s house. They arrived there about noontime, when Ishbosheth was taking his midday nap.

6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, [as though] they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth [rib: ] and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

The woman who was the doorkeeper was sifting wheat. While doing that, she became sleepy, and fell asleep. So Rechab and his brother Baanah were able to creep in quietly.

7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night.

They entered Ishbosheth’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 Jordan [River] Valley.

8 And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

They took the head of Ishbosheth to David at Hebron. They said to him, “Here is the head of Ishbosheth, 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!”

9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, [As] the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

But David replied to them, “Yahweh is the one who has rescued me from all my troubles. And just as surely as Yahweh lives, what I am now saying is also true.

10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who [thought] that I would have given him a reward for his tidings:

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 seized him and [commanded one of my soldiers to] kill him. That was the reward I gave to him for his news!

11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth?

So because you two evil men murdered a man who is (innocent/has done nothing wrong) when he was sleeping on his bed in his own house, I will do something worse to you. I will surely [RHQ] get revenge on you two for murdering [MTY] him, and (wipe you/cause you to disappear) from the earth!”

12 And 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 Ish-bosheth, and buried [it] in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.

Then, following David’s orders, his soldiers killed the two men, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hung their bodies (OR, their hands and feet) [on a pole] near the pool at Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it [respectfully] in the tomb of Abner, there at Hebron.