1When Saul's son heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he became discouraged, and all the Israelites were worried.
2Saul's son had two men who were commanders of raiding parties. One was named Baanah, and the other was Rechab. They were the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, from the tribe of Benjamin (for Beeroth is also considered part of Benjamin,
3and the Beerothites had fled to Gittaim and have lived there as foreigners until today).
4Now Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when news came from Jezreel about Saul and Jonathan. His nurse picked him up and fled, but as she rushed away, he fell and became lame. His name was Mephibosheth.
5Rechab and Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, went and arrived at Ishbosheth's house around the hottest part of the day, as he was resting at noon.
6They went into the middle of the house as if they were going to get wheat, and they stabbed him in the stomach. Rechab and his brother Baanah then escaped.
7When they came into the house, Ishbosheth was lying on his bed in his bedroom. They attacked him, killed him, cut off his head, and took his head. Then they traveled all night through the Arabah valley.
8They brought Ishbosheth's head to David in Hebron and said to the king, "Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of Saul, your enemy, who tried to kill you! Today Yahweh has avenged my lord the king on Saul and his descendants."
9David answered Rechab and his brother Baanah, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said to them, "As Yahweh lives, who has saved my life from all trouble,
10when someone 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.
11How much more, then, when wicked men have killed an innocent person in his own house on his own bed, should I not demand his blood from you and remove you from the earth?"
12David commanded his young men, and they killed them. They cut off their hands and feet and hung them up by the pool in Hebron. But they took Ishbosheth's head and buried it in Abner's grave in Hebron.